AC smell

kennyp · 05-03-2006, 08:07 AM

I'm getting a sour smell out out of my ac. Anyone else had this problem? I figure it could be something the previous owner did or poor ac duct design (leaving moisture in the duct to sour). Thinking of getting some 'Pure Air' to spray into the system. The smell goes away after running the ac fr about 10 minutes but it's more embarassing than a problem. I've heard on solution is to run the fan thru the middle vents before parking but what a pain that would become.

**bbomar** · 05-03-2006, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kennyp

I'm getting a sour smell out out of my ac. Anyone else had this problem? I figure it could be something the previous owner did or poor ac duct design (leaving moisture in the duct to sour). Thinking of getting some 'Pure Air' to spray into the system. The smell goes away after running the ac fr about 10 minutes but it's more embarassing than a problem. I've heard on solution is to run the fan thru the middle vents before parking but what a pain that would become.

Several things:

Was the previous owner a smoker?

Have you checked the in cabin filter?

There is also a Service Bulletin about A/C drainage issues.

Try those, or febreze

kennyp · 05-08-2006, 07:41 AM

thnx. i'll check the svc bull.

Truck41 · 05-11-2006, 06:17 PM

buy some orange citrus spray, or automotive aircondition coil cleaner. turn aircondition on high, spray product through the vent opening at the base of the windshield. one other thing to do, when you are within 1 mile of house, turn ac off, with fan running. this will help to dry the system out. mildew causes odor.

almotrser · 03-18-2007, 04:16 PM

Kennyp-
I have the same issue. I am the orig owner and have never smoked in there. Let me know what you find out. I too will check the filter

ruauman2 · 03-18-2007, 04:25 PM

Read this thread, in particular my comments in post #6.

Smelly A/C

Could this be your problem?

**GoombaJebboMT** · 03-19-2007, 09:44 AM

Im glad someone mentioned this because I have the same issue. I know I am in an area that is prone to high humidity, but right now it is still kind of cool. You are right it is kind of embarrassing, and it takes a minute or so for that smell to go away. Smells like rotten a$$. Plus I am the original owner, and it is an 07 purchased in October of last year. I guess it would be senseless to check my microfilter since the vehicle is still brand new practically.

kellyj00 · 03-19-2007, 10:03 AM

this is common for a lot of vehicles in more humid areas. What you're smelling is the bacterial growth inside your AC, the only way to fix it is to pull your in cabin air filter and spray a bunch of lysol (has to be lysol or any other antibacterial spray or equivalent that kills odors) into the vent while the fan is running. Try to find the scentless stuff if you can, trust me, that smell is strong after you spray half a can in there.

Do this on a sunny day, because you'll want to leave the windows down to let the cabin air out. Then spray your cabin filter with some more lysol to kill off any bacteria left. I'd go with the slowest speed on the fan until you're almost done.

this problem is NOT unique to the Titan, it happens on many many vehicles. All it takes is the slightest bit of e. coliform bacteria and you've got a stinky mess. It's less common in drier areas because bacteria requires moisture to live, hard to maintain in 115 degree Arizona....or in colder ones, because bacteria will NOT GROW in freezing conditions, this is why frozen food lasts so long.

Good luck gents, let me know how it works. Oh, and I always put washcloths or rags over the vents if I can, it keeps the airflow down as much as possible, which is good in this situation...and it also keeps lysol from hitting your upholstry too much. beware, I've never hit a leather seat with anything like lysol, it MAY discolor or damage them.

kellyj00 · 03-19-2007, 10:05 AM

oh, and there's also a possiblity you've got a dead animal in your vehicle... look into that as well. I knew a fella that had a rat crawl up in his trunk and die, stunk outside the car even before he finally cleaned out the trunk with a cigarette in his nose.

It's funny how horrible death smells.

**GoombaJebboMT** · 03-19-2007, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellyj00

this is common for a lot of vehicles in more humid areas. What you're smelling is the bacterial growth inside your AC, the only way to fix it is to pull your in cabin air filter and spray a bunch of lysol (has to be lysol or any other antibacterial spray or equivalent that kills odors) into the vent while the fan is running. Try to find the scentless stuff if you can, trust me, that smell is strong after you spray half a can in there.

Do this on a sunny day, because you'll want to leave the windows down to let the cabin air out. Then spray your cabin filter with some more lysol to kill off any bacteria left. I'd go with the slowest speed on the fan until you're almost done.

this problem is NOT unique to the Titan, it happens on many many vehicles. All it takes is the slightest bit of e. coliform bacteria and you've got a stinky mess. It's less common in drier areas because bacteria requires moisture to live, hard to maintain in 115 degree Arizona....or in colder ones, because bacteria will NOT GROW in freezing conditions, this is why frozen food lasts so long.

Good luck gents, let me know how it works. Oh, and I always put washcloths or rags over the vents if I can, it keeps the airflow down as much as possible, which is good in this situation...and it also keeps lysol from hitting your upholstry too much. beware, I've never hit a leather seat with anything like lysol, it MAY discolor or damage them.

Yeah I think I am gonna give Lysol a try and put something over the vents to keep it from going anywhere. Everything you said seems to make more sense to me rather than the dead animal theory lol. I am thinking also just to make extra sure the scent is totally gone I may just Febreze the whole thing since I dont have leather seats. Can't hurt. It is just that first few minutes when I start it up I am like "PEW PEEEEEEEEEEEW!" lol. And I DIDNT rip one either!!!!

ruauman2 · 03-19-2007, 11:44 AM

If you don't take my suggestion above, you may not fix your issue and end up spraying a bunch of crap in your truck.

Good luck, your gonna need it.

Learjet · 03-20-2007, 08:41 AM

yep, I have the same thing with my truck and house A/C.

kellyj00 · 03-20-2007, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ruauman2

If you don't take my suggestion above, you may not fix your issue and end up spraying a bunch of crap in your truck.

Good luck, your gonna need it.

that 'recirculate' thing you're talking about is related to MAX AC versus regular AC... my 07 Titan has MAX only, which means it recirculates air in the cabin and doesn't draw in the hot air from the outside. Or, at least, that's what I hear.

Now, in the post you referenced... a fella said the same thing that I did about lysol, but he SOMEHOW managed to get the Titan to take in air from the outside, maybe he was using the vent rather than the AC. Maybe they had a regular AC setting on the older models, not sure.

Would someone try both of these methods out? I'd like to know.

kellyj00 · 03-20-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Learjet

yep, I have the same thing with my truck and house A/C.

ya, this happens in homes too. When you condense air it warms, when it expands it cools...this is how AC systems work. Your home AC probably has some sort of hose that runs all the 'condensation' outside and away from problems and keeps your home a little less moist. just a little FYI, the first AC systems didn't take into account the moisture and were very very humid, and yes, their were accounts of the first air conditioned building, the New York stock exchange smelling like a pigpen. Mold grew on the walls, it was nuts... but, this is just what I've read, whether it's true or not, not sure.

Anyhow, back to the point, your home has the same access to bacteria as your truck, so it is very very possible for your home to start to "stink" as well if you have a very humid summer. You can actually hire folks to come out and clean up the greasy dust from your vents that feed the bacteria, then they spray it with, you guessed it, lysol!

In fact, the CDC (that's Center for Disease Control) sprays lysol (name brand stuff) on their bunny suits before they take them off, and all of their equipment in quarantined areas. Again, that's just what I saw on a PBS special about the Ebola virus in a quarantined African unit.

here's a side note, Lysol concentrate is sold for about $4 at walmart and smells like pure hell. It makes 10 Gallons reconstituted. I throw it in to everything I can, and have used it to kill black mold in a water damaged home using a garden sprayer, it's the good stuff. The cans just smell better.

Laundry detergent (such as tide) doesn't kill germs, again something I've een on TV. Honey doesn't spoil...again from TV. Chlorine is another good germ killer but it's also an oxigenator...meaning it will oxide anything it touches, such as Iron... creating a compound called Iron Oxide (or rust) so keep your truck out of swimming pools and you should be ok. But, in a catastrophe, I'd rather put 8 drops per gallon of "unsafe" water and drink that than anything with lysol in it....though it does kinda smell like chlososeptic.

**GoombaJebboMT** · 03-23-2007, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kellyj00

ya, this happens in homes too. When you condense air it warms, when it expands it cools...this is how AC systems work. Your home AC probably has some sort of hose that runs all the 'condensation' outside and away from problems and keeps your home a little less moist. just a little FYI, the first AC systems didn't take into account the moisture and were very very humid, and yes, their were accounts of the first air conditioned building, the New York stock exchange smelling like a pigpen. Mold grew on the walls, it was nuts... but, this is just what I've read, whether it's true or not, not sure.

Anyhow, back to the point, your home has the same access to bacteria as your truck, so it is very very possible for your home to start to "stink" as well if you have a very humid summer. You can actually hire folks to come out and clean up the greasy dust from your vents that feed the bacteria, then they spray it with, you guessed it, lysol!

In fact, the CDC (that's Center for Disease Control) sprays lysol (name brand stuff) on their bunny suits before they take them off, and all of their equipment in quarantined areas. Again, that's just what I saw on a PBS special about the Ebola virus in a quarantined African unit.

here's a side note, Lysol concentrate is sold for about $4 at walmart and smells like pure hell. It makes 10 Gallons reconstituted. I throw it in to everything I can, and have used it to kill black mold in a water damaged home using a garden sprayer, it's the good stuff. The cans just smell better.

Laundry detergent (such as tide) doesn't kill germs, again something I've een on TV. Honey doesn't spoil...again from TV. Chlorine is another good germ killer but it's also an oxigenator...meaning it will oxide anything it touches, such as Iron... creating a compound called Iron Oxide (or rust) so keep your truck out of swimming pools and you should be ok. But, in a catastrophe, I'd rather put 8 drops per gallon of "unsafe" water and drink that than anything with lysol in it....though it does kinda smell like chlososeptic.

Yeah dude I put this in everything too...I rub it on my roast, mix it in with my coffee, and spread it on my toast(hehe that rhymes *snort*) lol jk. Yeah the "lysol approach is what I went with and by god it worked. I just sprayed a lil into the vent and then covered the outgoing air vents so my truck would not smell like a damn hospital or something. No more rotten smell. Thanks a bunch fellas. IT WORKS!