Auto AC question

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  • LACamper

    oldbie
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jun 3, 2007
    8,629
    48
    Metairie, LA
    I had a strange smell coming from my truck AC (08 xterra 160k miles). I changed the cabin air filter (yuck...) then I tried one of the sprays to kill mold in the AC system, no luck (well, autozone made $8 off me, I guess they were lucky...). Problem still not solved though.

    So, I dropped the ac blower. It was a bit dirty and grimy and had a few leaves in it (literally like 5 or 6, not tons). I don't think that was the source of the problem... my allergies are going nuts...

    Any suggestions while i have it apart? Before I blow another $8 on a can of spray? Lysol? Other ideas? something else to take apart?
     

    stag0608

    Well-Known Member
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    46   0   0
    Sep 4, 2011
    649
    18
    Luling, La
    Evaporator coil is most likely dirty. Gets wet when ac is running, dries out when off. Gets wet when you run it again, and the smell comes back? Then it's dirty for sure.
     
    Last edited:

    paddle007

    Well-Known Member
    Premium Member
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    50   0   0
    Apr 15, 2009
    1,097
    48
    Covington
    Some thoughts.
    Any small loss of antifreeze? Check the smell of your coolant and compare.
    Try turning your compressor off minutes before your kill the engine. The idea is to dry the condenser of water with the blower. Years ago a few manufacturers ran the blower for a few minutes after killing the engine. Was even an aftermarket kit at one time. Has been discontinued so it may be a waste of time. My Dodge Ram would smell a bit musky and this would help it.
    Do you use outside or recirculate for your air source? For the life of me why anyone in our tropical environment would want outside air is beyond me. I promise you the manufacturer supplies enough air to keep you from suffering from oxygen deprivation. Now if you smoke cigar after cigar you live in a different world and may just have to live with the loss of 5 to 8 degrees warmer air.
     

    LACamper

    oldbie
    Premium Member
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    4   0   0
    Jun 3, 2007
    8,629
    48
    Metairie, LA
    No cigars in my truck! And it doesn't smell like radiator fluid. And the level isn't dropping. Drain line doesn't seem to be clogged but I'll have to check after I drive it next to be sure.

    Is the evaporator coil easy enough to get to? That's a possibility. The truck has been relegated to weekend use (I have a daily driver now! :). Its sat long enough that any mold should have died. I'm betting its from the leaves that were in the cabin air filter. It just hasn't gotten better enough. And yes, I should have let the AC run without the compressor... but done is done.
     

    LNSvince

    Well-Known Member
    Rating - 100%
    79   0   0
    May 10, 2011
    1,499
    38
    Denham springs
    Another long shot but worth a check. I've seen people melt a plastic bag on the exhaust ...... Doesn't take but a piece the size of a playing card .
    Or maybe a piece of plastic loom underhood .....
    I'm just throwing weird but true things out there for ya
     

    LACamper

    oldbie
    Premium Member
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jun 3, 2007
    8,629
    48
    Metairie, LA
    The coils are too far back to make it worth easily cleaning. I cleaned the blower motor fins, etc. well last night. I dumped in another can of duct cleaner also. Smell is getting better.

    I'm going to shampoo the seats and carpet also sometime soon. Years of sweaty bodies on the seats can't be helping the situation.
     

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