Taking a Stand on 2007 Prius AC Mold Problem!

[dcrna]

I have a 2007 Mercedes E 320 CDI that has this same problem.

[jayman]

Originally Posted by Walk_the_walk

Thanks, skruse, but EBH does not compute.

Engine Block Heater

[jayman]

Originally Posted by Bear68

On the average car, it is a good idea as a mantenance item to help remove dust and dirt and clean out the case.

I agree and it would be brainless to add proper ACCESS PORTS in the case to allow easy access to the e-coil. I was able to borrow a *very* expensive fibre optic inspection scope from work and gingerly drill a tiny hole into the case. Verifying I had clearance, I drilled a couple of 1/2 inch holes to allow me to spray the hell out of the e-coil

Why 1/2 you ask? Because that is a *very* common electrical knockout size. Knockout plugs are easily and cheaply available at jobbers and most big box stores

When I inspected the e-coil with my fibre optic scope, there was no indication of actual dirt or mold buildup. That's common though, the stinky stuff is usually invisible to the naked eye

I chose to use NuCalgon EvapFresh as I have seen this product used a lot in commercial, institutional, and industrial settings, and trust it

Nu-Calgon Wholesaler Inc. : Products : Evap-Fresh

Unlike other products that claim to offer disinfection, EvapFresh is EPA certified to do so. It also doesn't leave behind a perfumey or hospital ward smell

I actually had to treat my Prius e-coil twice. The first time there was still a hint of the stench, so I zapped it again. That fixed it. I used a common garden poly sprayer, the kind with the pump in the handle and the wand. I only use it for servicing my e-coils in my two homes, it never has any other chemical in it

Originally Posted by Bear68

ask for authorization to replace the ENTIRE evaporator case. So far this seems to solve the issue.

Similar issues exist with home A/C that use the most efficient variable speed air handlers and outdoor condensers. I have a Bryant Evolution system at my hobby farm and at my house. The outdoor condenser is two speed, the furnace fan is variable speed

With a thermal expansion valve in the evaporator, the system is designed to run constantly at the lowest speed. This enhances moisture removal as the air spends more time at the e-coil. Our summers are brief but very muggy

I have to clean the e-coils in my Bryant units at least once a year or the stench returns. Of course, depending on what sort of molds are in the environment, you can expect to frequently clean the coils

So far my Prius has remained funk-free. However, the temps soared to +33 C over Canada Day here, and I noticed at the hobby farm my FJ is starting to stink. Not bad yet, but that familiar crotch odor is starting

I'm not going to monkey around with the fibre optic scope this time. I'll try to drop the fan first, as it's easy to get to on the FJ. If I can't get to the e-coil from there, I'll go through the grommet at the firewall

[jayman]

Originally Posted by edthefox5

Yeah this is the first I have heard of this too. How does replacing the evaporator housing which I assume means the whole shebang...e-coil etc fix the problem?

When this issue first popped up with the new high eff A/C units for homes, a few e-coils were replaced under warranty. I do know with Bryant, they prefer you clean the e-coil using the proper disinfectant

If the mold is already in the local environment, replacing the entire case will buy some time. But once the mold establishes itself again?

[jayman]

Originally Posted by hill

Ok I'm a broken record, as I've mentioned it before. We've sprayed this anti-bacterial aerosol into our evap core area the best we can, and into the AC ports, and on the cabin air filter. Only need to do it once a year. They sell this in Europe & Australia. Haven't found a U.S. dealer yet. It works, that's all I know.

I tried to snoop around their website, but apparently there is no requirement to report ingredients, like MSDS requires here. Without directly contacting the e-coil, I wonder how effectively it cleans?

FWIW here is the proper way to clean an e-coil, to wipe out the widest range of icky things:

First, the coil must be squeaky clean. No sense spraying a disinfectant on the e-coil if it's filthy, as molds can easily survive then. It's best to clean twice, using an alkaline cleaner, rinsing, and then an acidic cleaner

For example, NuCalgon CalBrite is an acidic cleaner but is relatively safe

Nu-Calgon Wholesaler Inc. : Products : Cal-Brite

NuCalgon Special HD CalClean is an alkaline cleaner that is quite safe when used according to directions

Nu-Calgon Wholesaler Inc. : Products : CalClean, Special HD

Once the e-coil has been rinsed and allowed to dry, use a combination light cleaner and disinfectant, like EvapFresh

Nu-Calgon Wholesaler Inc. : Products : Evap-Fresh

If the infestation is quite bad, you may have to follow up with a chlorine dioxide product, like BioFresh, which is also EPA certified for disinfection

Nu-Calgon Wholesaler Inc. : Products : Bio-Fresh cd

NuCalgon also recommends spraying a teflon product on the e-coil once it's dry. Their product is CalShield, it also works well on rads to make it easier to hose bugs off

Nu-Calgon Wholesaler Inc. : Products : Cal-Shield

It takes me about 1.5 hours to clean my house e-coil using the steps above. Of course, most of that time is waiting for the e-coil to dry. I only have to do this at the start of the A/C season

BioFresh can also be fogged into ductwork to take care of anything growing in there. No sense in cleaning and disinfecting the e-coil if the ductwork is filthy, and you get the same mold back next week

[jayman]

Originally Posted by edthefox5

After letting it sit for a few hours when i first got in and turned the ac on I was very happy indeed to not smell the dreaded stinky sock. Just pleasant fresh cleaner.We'll see how long it lasts

I'm happy to hear it worked out ok. Don't be surprised if you have to repeat the disinfection. Actually, it doesn't hurt to do so.

Over Canada Day I noticed our first really nasty muggy day, +33 C, my FJ started to stink. Instead of monkeying around with the fibre optic scope and drill bits, I'm going to also go through the firewall port

As a friendly reminder to anybody reading this thread, do NOT try household laundry bleach to disinfect your e-coil. Although the bleach will absolutely wipe out whatever is growing in your e-coil and case, you will probably ruin the e-coil.

Sodium hypochlorite is corrosive to copper and aluminum, typical components of an e-coil: aluminum for the fins, copper for the tubing. The metals will suffer severe corrosion, which will then give off a weird metallic odor

And never, EVER try to mix laundry bleach with ammonia, as you can form an explosive mixture. Never, ever, EVER mix bleach with acids like toilet bowl cleaner, hydrochloric acid, as you can expect copious amounts of chlorine gas. Any stunt like I have mentioned could very well kill you, or severely injure you, eg lung damage

[fairclge]

Originally Posted by hill

Ok I'm a broken record, as I've mentioned it before. We've sprayed this anti-bacterial aerosol into our evap core area the best we can, and into the AC ports, and on the cabin air filter. Only need to do it once a year. They sell this in Europe & Australia. Haven't found a U.S. dealer yet. It works, that's all I know.

Can you through a brother a bone and give a place to buy or a web site the sells.
thanks

[Bear68]

Although we have not seen any 04-05 Prius with smells... my 97 Tacoma does get an odor now and then... I believe that some of the time, the odor is simply from too much humidity.... Bear in mind, that is only SOME ofthe time.

[edthefox5]

Thanks again jayman! Well done!
Having such good luck so far on the smell. The car smells really nice. And I do expect it to be an ongoing maint. issue. Probably monthly. Its just a little weird spraying liquid into the firewall and not really knowing where its going but i don't care. I'm desperate.
I going to try the Walk the Walk route though since THEBear has given me alot of hope there might be something fixable here. Thanks again Mr Bear. Awaiting a call back from my dealer about this. They've been calling me weekly for the last 5 months asking me to come if for an oil change so they can over fill my oil...underinflate my tires and maybe throw in a free door ding.
Since I actually have an issue I'm sure I'll never hear from them again.

[walt]

Originally Posted by Walk_the_walk

Dear Fellow Prius owners:

This is a long posting, but worth your time to read:

We own a 07 Prius which is garage-kept and driven daily by my wife. We recently have noticed an offensive odor of mold coming from the AC vent whenever the car is first started (AC is first engaged).

===== big snip =====

In any case, if you are willing to call Toyota and report this problem to the Corporate call center, we can get some momentum going on this, as it appears there are many people reporting this same problem. Again that number for Toyota Corporate Customer Service is: 800-331-4331.

On July 2, my 2006 Prius started to smell like something crawled into the A/C and died. Started when I began a several hundred mile trip and ran the A/C all day due to high heat and humidity mix. Finally got home again, went to the dealer today (July 5) and got them to track things down. Evaporation box full of icky water, and the drain was clogged. Dealer unclogged drain line, foamed the box (see several posts above for this discussion).

Got home and called the corporate service number, and a kind person took down my info, the issue, the dealer's solution to the issue, and assigned a case number. The kind person also verified there were no open TSB for this issue.

I agree with OP - call and let the system know there is a problem. In my case, the drain line was clogged. This is an item I will be sure to have the dealer re-check every oil change.