How to Get Rid of the Musty Smell From Your Car’s Air Conditioner | Consumer Reports

I have a question about spraying lysol or any other quemical on spray, it doesn't corrode the evaporator coil causing a freon leak on your AC?

If you can spray it up the overflow pipe aswell

I also get a "funny" smell from my AC when I turn it on, but only like for a couple of seconds and then it's gone. It started happening when I replaced my cabin filter, so that's a bit odd. I tried AC cleaner, one that you press the cap and leave it inside the car with AC on, but it did not help.

Turn off the AC recirc button.
Roll down the windows
Remove the cabin air filter
Run the ac at low fan for at least two minutes while spraying in the disinfectant.
Stop spraying and run on high fan to clear out the disinfectant.
Replace the air filter

Thank you

My VW passat doesn't have those vents you showed, where would I spray it in that case?

1000th 👍

My v.w doesn't have vents below the windshield under the hood. Is there another place I can spray lysol? Behind cabin filter?

His last tip, is exactly what I do. I never get that smell

I will try rhis On a 98 Ford explorer since I went to the autoparts and turns out this car does not have a replaceable cabin ari filter

sucks that you have to keep doing this process all summer

No intro no extra words straight to point, this dudes a legend👑

Can you help me I have vw touran 2017 yesterday I switched on my car ac and then I saw water coming out of air vents would you know what could be the problem or reason let me know thanks

Thank you!! Problem solved 👍

Sometimes it’s a water leaking over the wires, which causes this smell.

wish I saw this a few months back spent over $100 for a Ford dealership to change my cabin filter n still had a smell took it back they said mold on the ac $2700 job 😮

Ahh yes, I can still smell my musty Volkswagens

10th, 22 September 2022

What other kind of disinfectant, except Lysol?

For a more thorough job, remove the cabin air filter and then get a kit called a "evaporator & heating foam cleaner", which is like the can he had in the video, except it has a plastic tube you connect and it sprays expanding foam. But the foam inside the empty box with the air filter, right on top of the metal coils inside. Use the entire can all at once. Run the AC and the car will start puking dirty liquid out the bottom. Run it until the liquid stops flowing out, then wait overnight and put the air filters back in. It will smell weirdly clean like a dentist's office for a couple days, and then back to a neutral smell.

Both of our Toyotas get a nasty, musty smell. It's a known issue. If you have a Toyota, turn off recirculate often to fix the smell. I'm not sure if they've fixed the issue since the 2019 models as our cars are older than this.

People need to stop running it on recirculate all the time

Take the filter out before you spray the de-odorizer, then replace the filter

What a great tip for the beginning of fall.....

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I’ve used this technique on a couple of my vehicles. It worked, but it was always very temporary. I forget, did he mention you are supposed to leave the recirculation button off when the vehicle is parked so the system can breathe and dry out?

Probably a Ford if it smells musty.

I noticed that European cars are prone to this issue

Thanks, love this type of lifehack info.

It looks like the filter removed had been chewed by some rodents.

Mercedes were prone to stinky AC. My Honda Accord, Ram 1500 truck, Infiniti QX60, Toyota 4Runner never had this issue, but my old GLE350 had a stinky AC within 30k miles.

Mercedes were prone to stinky AC. My Honda Accord, Ram 1500 truck, Infiniti QX60, Toyota 4Runner never had this issue, but my old GLE350 had a stinky AC within 30k miles