Bad smelling air through vents.

[Mark T.]

I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do to clean it out?

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do to clean it out?

Pour bleach through your air vents ( the ones in front of your windshield ). Let it sit there for a while before you flush it away with plain water.

Lg

 

[Spud Demon]

I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do to clean it out?

Is it a car chemical smell such as gasoline or antifreeze, or a mold smell?

If you were running the AC the last day you drove it before parking it, it could be from condensate sitting there so long.

Bleach will definitely kill mold, but pouring it in the top vent like that other guy said sounds a little risky to me -- who knows where it will come out? (My first guess would be the bottom vent by your feet so at least protect the carpet if you do this.)

A safer way to try to kill mold would be to get the engine good and hot by driving the car, then park it and turn the heater on hot/recirculate (on American cars recirculate is called "Max AC") and spray an airborn disinfectant such as Lysol Room Deodorizer, then close the door and leave it running for 20-30 minutes.

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

 

[Tom]

I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do to clean it out?

Just taking a guess, but if you ran the a/c at all, via the a/c button, or using the defroster, some mosture can remain on the coils. Being a dark place, some mold/mildew might be growing and stinking up your ducts.

So, turn off your a/c and run fresh air through your ducts before shutting off your engine.

imho,

Tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

 

[Steve (archive)]

Pour bleach through your air vents ( the ones in front of your windshield ). Let it sit there for a while before you flush it away with plain water.

Lg

And just WHERE do you think the bleach is going to go? Almost certainly not down to the evaporator coil where the mold/mildew is actually growing! And even if it did, chlorine bleach is a really good way to corrode the fins right off it.

I would put the blower on "high" "recirculate" and spray Lysol (or equivalent) disinfectant spray into the return air intake wherever it may be located- that way the mold-killing stuff actually gets carried through the coils, and it isn't corrosive.

 

[Mike Romain]

I agree with Lysol as a disinfectant to kill odors and also a product called Febreeze works 'really' well on odors with no nasty aftersmell like lysol, not sure about it as a disinfectant, you would have to read the label. It will kill wet dog and sneaker smell instantly and it doesn't come back though, so likely it kills good too....

http://www.homemadesimple.ca/febreze/en_CA/index.shtml

I would stay far far away from any liquid like bleach.

They need to be sprayed in the fresh air intake for the heater with the AC on full or if you know where the flapper door is for the recirculating air, you can spray most in there with just some from the outside air with the fan on full. You need to cycle the AC and Heater on high as you spray so every air route gets some.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

Is it a car chemical smell such as gasoline or antifreeze, or a mold smell?

If you were running the AC the last day you drove it before parking it, it could be from condensate sitting there so long.

Bleach will definitely kill mold, but pouring it in the top vent like that other guy said sounds a little risky to me -- who knows where it will come out?

The same place rainwater comes out when it runs off your windshield. Hopefully that isn't on your feet )))

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

And just WHERE do you think the bleach is going to go?

Out a drainhole under the car door.

Almost certainly
not down to the evaporator coil where the mold/mildew is actually growing!

How do ya know that?

And even if it did, chlorine bleach is a really good way to corrode the fins right off it.

Nah, not if you RINSE IT WITH A GARDEN HOSE THOROUGHLY AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES. Which I did mention, but you didn't.

I would put the blower on "high" "recirculate" and spray Lysol (or equivalent) disinfectant spray into the return air intake wherever it may be located- that way the mold-killing stuff actually gets carried through the coils, and it isn't corrosive.

Well whatever.

Lg

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

I agree with Lysol as a disinfectant to kill odors and also a product called Febreeze works 'really' well on odors with no nasty aftersmell like lysol, not sure about it as a disinfectant, you would have to read the label. It will kill wet dog and sneaker smell instantly and it doesn't come back though, so likely it kills good too....

Will it take away the odor if there's a dead chipmunk in his duct work?

http://www.homemadesimple.ca/febreze/en_CA/index.shtml

I would stay far far away from any liquid like bleach.

Yah, bad idea. Might kill the fungi, and you know that fungi might be on the EPA Protected Species List.

They need to be sprayed in the fresh air intake for the heater with the AC on full or if you know where the flapper door is for the recirculating air, you can spray most in there with just some from the outside air with the fan on full. You need to cycle the AC and Heater on high as you spray so every air route gets some.

All in all, not a bad idea. Depends how _bad_ the infestation is, IMO.

Lg

 

[Mike Romain]

The smell sure wouldn't go away after a couple minutes of use if there was a dead rodent in there.

I would avoid 'any' liquid like bleach because it will not go into aerosol and get all through the system, it will only clean the drain out....

Hey nothing wrong with a clean drain, but....

Mike

 

[Steve (archive)]

Out a drainhole under the car door.

How do ya know that?

Because of all the cars I've owned, all the cars I've looked at in junkyards, and all the cars I've ever seen diagrams of in manuals, NONE have a direct downward path from the air intake to the heater core or AC evaporator. If they did, rainwater, leaves, and muck would plug the evap in no time. There's always a sort of inverted "trap" where the air goes in the vent, sideways, UP, and then down the actual inlet. Plus, in a lot of instances, the air goes through the blower BEFORE the coil.

Nah, not if you RINSE IT WITH A GARDEN HOSE THOROUGHLY AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES. Which I did mention, but you didn't.

Still could be a lot of residue. Why not use a mist (like Lysol or Febreze that another poster mentioned) that will actually get carried to where it needs to be?

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

The smell sure wouldn't go away after a couple minutes of use if there was a dead rodent in there.

I would avoid 'any' liquid like bleach because it will not go into aerosol and get all through the system, it will only clean the drain out....

Hey nothing wrong with a clean drain, but....

Mike

I agree your idea has good merit to it. I didn't know there was something called Febreeze, but now I agree Lysol is a lot easier to find where I live.

Cleaning things up isn't my specialty or I would know about this. I'm the one always making the mess

Lg

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

Because of all the cars I've owned, all the cars I've looked at in junkyards, and all the cars I've ever seen diagrams of in manuals, NONE have a direct downward path from the air intake to the heater core or AC evaporator. If they did, rainwater, leaves, and muck would plug the evap in no time. There's always a sort of inverted "trap" where the air goes in the vent, sideways, UP, and then down the actual inlet. Plus, in a lot of instances, the air goes through the blower BEFORE the coil.

I think a multiple direction attack on this mildew or whatever it is sounds like a good idea, but it might be for nothing if the OP has a Cabin Filter that has never been changed.

That is how I get my inside air, through a Cabin Filter. It is due for replacement, the part will cost me about $15 and then there is a bit of light disassembly required to finish the job. Since it is hidden away on my car, I bet most people don't even know it is there.

On my car, it is located just forward of the firewall on the passenger side of the vehicle, hidden under some plastic bits.

Lg

 

[Geoff]

Out a drainhole under the car door.

Whaddya know, Glickman's wrong again. He has the temerity to call other folks 'car-breakers' then posts this drivel.

How do ya know that?

Nah, not if you RINSE IT WITH A GARDEN HOSE THOROUGHLY AFTER LETTING IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES. Which I did mention, but you didn't.

Well whatever.

Lg

Yeah, whatever, Larry. Go get a life.

The first attempt to fix an odor like this used in dealerships (back when I worked in one) was an aerosol sprayed into the air inlet while the blower motor was running on 'high'.

It used to be that the parts dept. stocked something in particular for this, but I imagine Lysol would work just as well.

Febreeze doesn't have any disinfectant properties that I'm aware of; I think the odor would come back quickly.

Incidently, the disinfectant aerosol is blown into the passenger compartment of the car, which will cause your eyes to sting and burn. Give it plenty of running time with all the windows down after doing this.

The only other fix is to remove and clean the evaporator/heater core enclosure. Some people have had luck with backflushing via the firewall drain, but I'm not sure I would try it.

--Geoff

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

Whaddya know, Glickman's wrong again. He has the temerity to call other folks 'car-breakers' then posts this drivel.

Ehm, no I am correct. I have intentionally used a garden hose in the past to flood the air intake under the front windscreen, and indeed the water egresses through a hole inder the door frame.

So I have two words for you, but they can't be repeated in polite public. The two alternative words that -can- be repeated in polite public are:

drop
dead

Lg

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

Whaddya know, Glickman's wrong again. He has the temerity to call other folks 'car-breakers' then posts this drivel.

The only "bad smell" around here at the moments appears to be you Geoff. When was the last time you took a bath or brushed your teeth?

Lg

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

Whaddya know, Glickman's wrong again. He has the temerity to call other folks 'car-breakers' then posts this drivel.

Here assfucker, I am doing an experiment JUST FOR YOU.
Right this minute, I am hooking up my garden host and will FLOOD the air vents under my windshield. I'll be back in a minute to tell you where the water egresses the vehicle....

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

Whaddya know, Glickman's wrong again. He has the temerity to call other folks 'car-breakers' then posts this drivel.

Here assfucker, I am doing an experiment JUST FOR YOU.
Right this minute, I am hooking up my garden host and will FLOOD the air vents under my windshield. I'll be back in a minute to tell you where the water egresses the vehicle....

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Well fuckstick, I just completed putting 10 GALLONS OF WATER INTO MY AIR INTAKE UNDER THE WINDSHIELD. Where did it come out?

Not a single drop into the passenger compartment, ALL under the car behind the front wheel wells.

So you ignorant moron, I suggest you SHUTTHEFUCKUP and go back to the peanut gallery before you open your stupid mouth again in the future and only embarrass yourself in front of the entire planet.

Lg

 

[Nate Nagel]

Here assfucker, I am doing an experiment JUST FOR YOU.
Right this minute, I am hooking up my garden host and will FLOOD the air vents under my windshield. I'll be back in a minute to tell you where the water egresses the vehicle....

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Well fuckstick, I just completed putting 10 GALLONS OF WATER INTO MY AIR INTAKE UNDER THE WINDSHIELD. Where did it come out?

Not a single drop into the passenger compartment, ALL under the car behind the front wheel wells.

So you ignorant moron, I suggest you SHUTTHEFUCKUP and go back to the peanut gallery before you open your stupid mouth again in the future and only embarrass yourself in front of the entire planet.

Lg

OK, so you just proved that your suggestion won't help him at all. Did you have a point?

nate

 

[Lawrence Glickman]

OK, so you just proved that your suggestion won't help him at all. Did you have a point?

Nobody has proven it WON'T work.

It is step #1 of a multi-part procedure:

Step #2 and beyond is repeating what has already been posted:

i.e.
*Install new Cabin Air Filter if there is one.

*While blower motor is on high, spray Lysol mist into air intake that Cabin Air Filter feeds.

*Find any air input ducts _INSIDE_ the vehicle, and spray Lysol mist into them with blower motor running at full speed.

END

None of this exonerates any of you from being nitwits.