Stinky AC Dealer Fix

[edthefox5]

A few months after I bought my 07 new the AC started to stink. Bad. A bunch of posters suggested after driving for a while on re-circulate right before stopping switch to fresh air and that will allow the evap coil to dry out preventing fungus growth. I tried that but it did not help. They were all very right about that but what I didn't realize is nothing helps if there is mold to begin with. You must eradicate the mold and then follow a strict setting adjustment everytime you end your trip. Especially always make sure the switch is always in fresh air when you park.

I took jaymans recommendation a year ago and used a bug sprayer bottle and pumped in coil cleaner directly into the evap housing through a grommet in the firewall. That and the correct switch setting and I have been mold free ever since. Thanks Jay.

When I complained to the dealer a year ago they said they have a treatment for it and offer it free for the first 5000 miles but I was at 10,000 miles. They wanted to charge me $100. I asked if I could buy the "treatment" outright and they sold me a can of coil cleaner with a special hose and a can of freshener for $28.

Today I happened to have the car up on jacks for another reason so thought I would use the cans I bought like a year ago.

With the car jacked up you can reach the rubber e-coil weep hose from the pass side. This special hose attaches to that weep tube and you spray the entire contents of the can back up that hose flooding the e-case with foam cleaner. Worked great. Then you spray the freshener in the front cowl vents by the wibdshield wipers. Smells really nice but very very strong. Unable to drive the car for a while. But the ac smells really nice now. I do not smoke btw.

So if you are diligent about your AC switch settings you car does not need to stink. My car has been mold free for almost a year now. But once its stinking even a little you must get it cleaned. No switch setting can fix that. Plus the mold will continue to get worse.

[jayman]

Just curious, this can of stuff, do you have a label, an MSDS, etc? I'd like to know the contents

Since I can buy a gallon of NuCalgon EvapFresh for $20, you can guess what I'll keep using