Has anyone else had this problem?

[007]

Who can do without "air conditioning"? Well, some I suppose. But I sure look foward to climbing into my truck at the end of the day and cranking on that ice cold air! Problem is... it STINKS!

Anybody else had a problem with stinky air, and how the heck do you get rid of it?

 

[Annie]

Who can do without "air conditioning"? Well, some I suppose. But I sure look foward to climbing into my truck at the end of the day and cranking on that ice cold air! Problem is... it STINKS!

Anybody else had a problem with stinky air, and how the heck do you get rid of it?

Febreeze in vents. Works for a bit.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Does it work on weird-smelling car heaters too?

 

[Annie]

Does it work on weird-smelling car heaters too?

I'd assume anything with a filter. It works for me.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Thanks, K.

 

[Mr. P]

Who can do without "air conditioning"? Well, some I suppose. But I sure look foward to climbing into my truck at the end of the day and cranking on that ice cold air! Problem is... it STINKS!

Anybody else had a problem with stinky air, and how the heck do you get rid of it?

Pale, this is a common problem..The main A/C air return is above the brake and gas pedal.
This I'm sure you know, puts the drivers feet directly in the "Breeze".

So to answer the question...change yer socks!

Seriously, this sounds like a mold problem.
Is the evaporator dripping or wicking back into the firewall? Maybe?
Is there any stink without the A/C running? How about with the heat?

 

[dilloduck]

Pale, this is a common problem..The main A/C air return is above the brake and gas pedal.
This I'm sure you know, puts the drivers feet directly in the "Breeze".

So to answer the question...change yer socks!

Seriously, this sounds like a mold problem.
Is the evaporator dripping or wicking back into the firewall? Maybe?
Is there any stink without the A/C running? How about with the heat?

I agree Mr. P----It's a pain in the butt to work under the dash like that but a good cleaning could work wonders if water is just sitting somewhere . Same with the heater core.

 

[Mr. P]

I agree Mr. P----It's a pain in the butt to work under the dash like that but a good cleaning could work wonders if water is just sitting somewhere . Same with the heater core.

You may have just nailed it Dillo!
Those heater cores do begin to leak at some point and they are inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle too..
A small leak from the core could very well cause this sort of oder problem.

 

[dilloduck]

You may have just nailed it Dillo!
Those heater cores do begin to leak at some point and they are inside the passenger compartment of the vehicle too..
A small leak from the core could very well cause this sort of oder problem.

Might be as simple as a loose hose clamp---but then again--NOTHING is easy to do by yourself underneath the dash.

 

[MissileMan]

Who can do without "air conditioning"? Well, some I suppose. But I sure look foward to climbing into my truck at the end of the day and cranking on that ice cold air! Problem is... it STINKS!

Anybody else had a problem with stinky air, and how the heck do you get rid of it?

Here ya go PR!

http://www.ultrashield.com/odortreatment.html

 

[Mr. P]

Might be as simple as a loose hose clamp---but then again--NOTHING is easy to do by yourself underneath the dash.

True...I did one of the "simple" jobs under the dash once that took 3 hours and help...LOL

 

[no1tovote4]

Does it work on weird-smelling car heaters too?

This might actually be a problem with the radiator. Is the smell sickening but sweet?

 

[Abbey Normal]

This might actually be a problem with the radiator. Is the smell sickening but sweet?

Geez, it's hard to recall since I haven't had the heater on in so long. What would it mean if it is sweet?

I can't wait until I have to use it again, smelly or not. This heat and humidity won't go away, and I don't want to do anything until it does.

Sorry for the off-topic whining.

 

[no1tovote4]

Geez, it's hard to recall since I haven't had the heater on in so long. What would it mean if it is sweet?

I can't wait until I have to use it again, smelly or not. This heat and humidity won't go away, and I don't want to do anything until it does.

Sorry for the off-topic whining.

It would point to a problem in the cooling system, a leak somewhere. Anti-Freeze does not smell good when it is hot.

 

[Abbey Normal]

Thanks, no1. I'll check that out when I use the heater.

 

[fuzzykitten99]

Pale, Mr. P kind of hit it on the head, but not entirely.

i have this problem every year.

when the interior fan is not on, any condensation or moisture (rain, snow, etc.) that is in the intake vents, gets stuck in there, and builds up. When you park the car in the sun, or in any warm, moist, environment, the moisture that is trapped in there, gets musty, and some of the interior parts start getting moldy, because it doesn't have a way to drain out 100%. Most of it evaporates, but the stuff that doesn't is what causes the problems.

there is really no way to prevent this, as it is something that plagues ALL cars. kind of something that someone out there will have a design solution to and be able to make a lot of money by selling it to auto manufacturers.

missleman's link to that product is a very good temporary solution, as you may have to repeat treatment every so often, but with cars, no solution to any problem is ever truly permanant.

one other thing, check under your floor mats. if there is any moisture under there, that also can cause problems with mold/bacteria buildup causing a bad odors too, but you'd probably notice it other times too.