Pee-U!!

[captainm27]

So I turned the A/C on today, being months without use in the winter. Everything works out well, up until 10 minutes later, when the evil A/C stench decides to rear it's ugly stenchiness. Sheesh! What a treat I got for driving a nice spring day. I did the custom cabin air filter using BailOut's guide, thinking it might help. Alas, not even a strong NaturalAire home filter can withstand the might of the A/C stench. :frown:

[mrbond]

Yeah, I have the same problem, and I also tried replacing the cabin air filter. I think it might be mold growing in the cabin air box, but I don't know for sure.

[YarisSedan]

Quick and easy and cheap way to fix your problem.

Step 1 Let your car warm up to full operating temperature. Then roll down your windows and turn your heater on max hot for about 10 minutes full blast. Make sure its set to outside air. Once done go ahead and turn the heat down.

Step 2 Purchase a bottle of febreeze anti microbial spray. Spray as much as you can handle in the vent area which is located near the wiper blades. With the blower motor on it will suck down the febreeze through the vent system killing any remaining bacteria growing inside you ac duct system. Also giving you a nice fresh smell inside when you turn it on now =)

Step 3 enjoy your now nicely smelling car.

Explination: The high temperature heat kills most of the bacteria in the lower vent areas whiping out the nasty smell. The febreeze ani microbial does just like it says killing the upper bacteria of the vents while helping instantly removing odors.

[b_hickman11]

poor some bleach in the vents on the outside of the car at the bottom of the windshield where the wiper blades arms attach to the car.

[toast]

I'm a newish 2007 Yaris LB owner, but your description sounds like a plugged condensate drain. My old ranger's a/c would start smelling like cat urine a couple of times a year. The fix was to ream out the drain with a coat hanger wire and a flood of water would splash out. My problem was spiders and dirt would accumulate in the drain tube and slow the condensate enough that bacteria built up.

[captainm27]

Quick and easy and cheap way to fix your problem.

Step 1 Let your car warm up to full operating temperature. Then roll down your windows and turn your heater on max hot for about 10 minutes full blast. Make sure its set to outside air. Once done go ahead and turn the heat down.

Step 2 Purchase a bottle of febreeze anti microbial spray. Spray as much as you can handle in the vent area which is located near the wiper blades. With the blower motor on it will suck down the febreeze through the vent system killing any remaining bacteria growing inside you ac duct system. Also giving you a nice fresh smell inside when you turn it on now =)

Step 3 enjoy your now nicely smelling car.

Explination: The high temperature heat kills most of the bacteria in the lower vent areas whiping out the nasty smell. The febreeze ani microbial does just like it says killing the upper bacteria of the vents while helping instantly removing odors.

Sounds like a good idea! I'm going to try that for sure! So the vents by the windshield is where the outside air comes in from? I didn't know that. What a noob!

i dipped my filter in lysol and then sprayed in all the vents, smells quite nice now

I was also thinking about something like that with the filter, but I didin't think about dipping it in something. The lysol doesn't damage or reduce the quality of the filter in any way?

[tetzyamis]

Quick and easy and cheap way to fix your problem.

Step 1 Let your car warm up to full operating temperature. Then roll down your windows and turn your heater on max hot for about 10 minutes full blast. Make sure its set to outside air. Once done go ahead and turn the heat down.

Step 2 Purchase a bottle of febreeze anti microbial spray. Spray as much as you can handle in the vent area which is located near the wiper blades. With the blower motor on it will suck down the febreeze through the vent system killing any remaining bacteria growing inside you ac duct system. Also giving you a nice fresh smell inside when you turn it on now =)

Step 3 enjoy your now nicely smelling car.

Explination: The high temperature heat kills most of the bacteria in the lower vent areas whiping out the nasty smell. The febreeze ani microbial does just like it says killing the upper bacteria of the vents while helping instantly removing odors.


Great idea!!!
Sounds like a good thing to do once in a while even if I use AC almost daily.

[YarisSedan]

http://i.ehow.com/images/GlobalPhoto/Articles/2051142/FebrezeAntibacterial_Full.jpg

Cost about 6 bucks and will last you years to come. And comes in many pleasant scents.

BTW they make a auto version for auto interior and fabrics. Used some on my acura thats been parked outside for months never driven. It smelled like...... well a old car that has never been driven. Now it smells like a new car =).

[Yaris Hilton]

poor some bleach in the vents on the outside of the car at the bottom of the windshield where the wiper blades arms attach to the car.

Bleach is about the most corrosive substance there is for steel.

[eTiMaGo]

and'll probably, well, bleach the plastics too??

[mrbond]

Wow, the febreeze method works wonderfully. Omg.

[marcus]

Wow, the febreeze method works wonderfully. Omg.

wait a bit..i did an a/c spray it worked out as well but stench came back after a week..

[captainm27]

wait a bit..i did an a/c spray it worked out as well but stench came back after a week..

Really?:frown:

[marcus]

Really?:frown:

no joke..really..... i do hope it doesnt come back.."antibacteria may be the key.."

[marcus]

mold can only be killed by bleach mixed with water.. thats the only thing that worked for me at home..window molds..

[captainm27]

Yuck! Hate the idea of mold growing inside my car. On another note, I've had previous cars before that never had any smells. My last two cars were a 1998 Camry and a 1996 Concorde. I've used the A/C on them all the time during the summer and never smelled what I do with my new Yaris. Must be a variant of the "new car smell".

[Morgan]

There is a TSB for the smelly a/c ... search function anyone?

[captainm27]

Hi Morgan. Can you provide the link to the TSB?

[b_hickman11]

Bleach is about the most corrosive substance there is for steel.

You dont leave it in there. Poor it in...give it a few minutes to eat at the mold...then wash it out with a water hose.

[Lafiro]

I need pictures of where to do this from the outside.

Also, for me 75% of the smell is now gone after spraying the inside of the ducts with antimicrobial febreeze, and then sprayed it all around the cabin air filter compartment and itself when on at full blast.

Then 3 nights of full blast Ionic Breeze(creating Ozone) finally helped a lot of it.

Now my car smells like new, well like Nothing to be more specific. But the A/C did today smell for about 20 seconds just a little bit. So something is still wrong then.

Have to have this fixed before Monday when my girl comes back home.

[sdyaris]

How about a helpful post Morgan? At least provide a link to the "TSB" thread.

There is a TSB for the smelly a/c ... search function anyone?

[Forrest]

I am almost afraid to turn on ac when we get a warm day !!!!!!!!!!! Some molds are really bad to breath in and this is a concern if it does grow in the vents. Does Toyota have a solution to mold? besides antibacterial sprays?
I have never had a car that had a bad smell from the ac and dread it if the Yaris becomes the first.

[33OH]

The TSB only seems to be for '07 and older Yarii.

http://www.etimago.com/yaris/TSB/T-AC001-07(HVAC%20Odor%20).pdf

[vector9mm]

Had a bad smell in my other car when I turned on the fan. It was a dead mouse in the fan.

[GeneW]

So I turned the A/C on today, being months without use in the winter. Everything works out well, up until 10 minutes later, when the evil A/C stench decides to rear it's ugly stenchiness. Sheesh! What a treat I got for driving a nice spring day. I did the custom cabin air filter using BailOut's guide, thinking it might help. Alas, not even a strong NaturalAire home filter can withstand the might of the A/C stench. :frown:

Sometimes I get a "plastic" smell coming from the AC vents. I don't run the AC too often, except sometimes on long hills. Waste not, want not.

Gene

[GeneW]

poor some bleach in the vents on the outside of the car at the bottom of the windshield where the wiper blades arms attach to the car.

If you knew what bleach does to steel you'd never pour it into or near your car. I've seen bleach rust some kinds of stainless steel, as in crusty rusted stainless. Never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

Bleach is absolute murder on carbon steel.

A more gentle cleanser, one that doesn't attack metal may be in order. Don't know of one offhand.

Gene

[SilverBack]

It also helps to turn-off the A/C but leave the fan on a few minutes before you turn off your car. This dries up the moisture in the ducts and vents to help prevent any mold from growing. Most of (if not all) the smell should be gone the next time you start your car

[b_hickman11]

If you knew what bleach does to steel you'd never pour it into or near your car. I've seen bleach rust some kinds of stainless steel, as in crusty rusted stainless. Never would have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself.

Bleach is absolute murder on carbon steel.

A more gentle cleanser, one that doesn't attack metal may be in order. Don't know of one offhand.

Gene
Use non-chlorine bleach then....

[Lafiro]

Ok, so I tried using the AC and then turning it off, and got a constant bad smell, not as bad, but still. So I sprayed it into the went intake from the outside, and it still was the same. So maybe the antimicrobial spray is not enough or strong enough to help?

I need to fix this, its so pathetic.

[haku]

It also helps to turn-off the A/C but leave the fan on a few minutes before you turn off your car. This dries up the moisture in the ducts and vents to help prevent any mold from growing. Most of (if not all) the smell should be gone the next time you start your car

yup, this is how to do it... dunno what's with all these crazy suggestions... alternatively, you can just run the a/c without the engine on. it has the same effect.

[captainm27]

I just don't know why the Yaris is the only car that I know that does this. My previous 4 other cars never had a smell issue with the AC, and they were much older vehicles. I used to keep the AC setting on through the whole summer with my other cars, and never once had the stench that comes out of the Yaris. Could it be that since the Yaris has such a small engine, their is not enough airway passages in the vents?

[TickleTimeTim]

I smell a recall. I stoped circulating the AC and now just pull it from outside cause of the smell.

[enobmort42]

so if my car's out of warranty, what do you think my chances are of having the dealership fix it according to the tsb and not being charged for it? =P

[dccurrent]

This is interesting because I smell it when I am just running the air with no AC on, but when I turn it on the smell goes away.

[captainm27]

This is interesting because I smell it when I am just running the air with no AC on, but when I turn it on the smell goes away.

Same thing happens to me. In order to aviod the stench, I must keep the A/C button turned on always.

[ROCKLAND TOYOTA]

so if my car's out of warranty, what do you think my chances are of having the dealership fix it according to the tsb and not being charged for it? =P
depends on dealership and your actual service history with them. have you ever had your compaint documented when you were in for service/s? they COULD goodwill it......
Same thing happens to me. In order to aviod the stench, I must keep the A/C button turned on always.

shoot me a pm with an email address. i have something you'll be interested in and hopefully will post for everyone else.....

[marcus]

i did clean mine 2 weeks ago and i got it to go away. i figured itll come back a couple of days after but so far its been 2 weeks and its fresh as a fresh air..

heres what i did..and needed.

1. 10% bleach mixed with 90% water.
2. a/c spray
3. homemade filter fr homedepo.

spray vent fr the outside..sprayed it first with water and bleach mix..make sure you dont spray any painted area..and let the air circulate on hot and leave it for 5-10 minutes.. then spray with a/c spray for extra freshness also recirculate air for 5-10 minutes.. then replace air filter..bought a big filter about $15.00 bucks and and i can make 6 filters out of it..worked out well..

[Lafiro]

How to remove this A/C condensor or whatever it is thats growing the mold?

Any pictures anyone or steps please?

THANK YOU!