Urinal smell in 2008 Prius - possibly from A/C ?

I had a stinky car lately. Changed cabin air filter and sprayed some stuff from the parts store made for it while the filter was out and fan running. Worked.

 

This was a different car. The filter is usually in the glove box but mine wasn't. Only one.
Clean the filter? Change it!!!!!
Spray the heck out of the box too while the system is running-see directions on can.
Mine had something to do with A/C and moisture in the airbox/filter causing mold/mildew, I suppose.

 

Toyota have a cleaner to clean the evaporator box also. I think CarCareNut have a video for this. Replace the filter and the passages, if possible, take out the fan and clean it and then clean the evaporator with that Toyota spray. .

 

It can always be mold and or mildew growing in the air conditioning part of the box it never drains fully they're always done droplets sitting around that the smell wen ya first start the AC is that water standing getting ready to become maybe mold or similar . Flushing that box and drain tube out regularly is a good thing if it's run alot .

 

sometimes it is the vent tubes for the hybrid battery

 

If it's related to the A/C it might be that the drain was blocked and the carpet got all wet and moldy, although that doesn't sound like the smell you're experiencing.

Sickly sweet sounds like coolant.

 

i've never experienced the vent tube smell, but there are threads here if you can find them.

 

227702-weird-odor

stinky_smell_from_black_hv_battery_vent_tubes

 

Usually there is a pipe that carries coolant in that area as well, no?

 

Could it be an A/C refrigerant leak? Does the A/C still work?

 

I don't think so. We had a bad refrigerant leak into the evaporator, enough to lose all of it in tens of days. It didn't smell bad while it was leaking.

Pretty sure the smell is from various bacteria and molds growing in the evaporator. One way to reduce this is to shut off the A/C (even if the car turned it on automatically) several minutes before parking, while running the fan at a pretty substantial setting to try to dry out the evaporator. This is easy to do in the summer but in winter it is harder because it frequently results in the windows immediately steaming up.

Also pull up the carpet at the front on the passenger side (under the glove box) to reveal the drain hose. If it is wet under there there is probably a blockage in that hose. There is a junction at that location and if blocked lower down it leaks out there. Easy to clear the blockage - open the junction and run a wire or some weed whacker filament through until it comes out the bottom of the car. Wiggle it around some to loosen the crud in the tube, then force water through to wash it out. If I'm remembering the right car the tube comes out above a lateral piece of metal, so it isn't easy to see the end of the hose. Once you see where water comes out reach up (blindly) and it can be felt.