Prius A/C Smell

Smelling? I think that's only when it's new.

Idk, I find most cars have a weird smell emitting from their air/heat sometimes.

 

I haven't heard of this problem. I've never experienced any unusual odor from mine.........

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Rangerdavid @ Mar 18 2007, 10:36 PM) [snapback]408141[/snapback]</div>

I haven't read about it smelling in new cars. Some members have reported an odor after several years, usually solved by removing and cleaning and/or replacing the air conditioner filter (process described in owner's manual).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sheana @ Mar 18 2007, 07:02 PM) [snapback]408117[/snapback]</div>

I assume you mean the mold/algae smell. That's not peculiar to Prius, but maybe more to your location. The only fix I know (beyond using some copper find in the evap coils - damn the manufacturers for not using this simple solution) is to put benomyl or copper sulfate in a solution into a cool mist humidifier, then let the fresh air intake gather some of it. Use as little as you can get away with which means trying it several times with progressively stronger solutions. I don't know how easy it is to access the evap coils on prius, if easy, just spray the solution directly on the coils. Residual compound on the coil means this should not require a repeat treatment in a very long time.

 

Both of my Prius in Florida will have a slight algae type of odor for a few minutes when I turn the A/C on after not using it for a while. Within 3 or 4 minutes the odor is gone. During the summer when the AC is running all the time I haven't noticed the odor. Both my Dodge Caravan and my wife's Volvo have the same problem except it takes longer to clear in the Dodge.

It's not bad but if I don't feel like smelling it I'll open the windows for a few minutes until the odor is gone.

 

This problem turns out to be easier to control when one remembers that mold requires moisture to grow. The reason that air conditioners attract mold is that the condenser is always moist in hot weather. That is unless you turn off the cooling function and let the fan blast to dry out the coils regularly - like the last three minutes before you get home.

Since I have started doing this, I never have the bad smell.

(Some cars automatically do this for you after you park.)

Edit: Some may ask, how do you turn off the cooling? Set the temperature as high as it is outside - or higher.

It doesn't take long - five minutes max.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Allannde @ Mar 18 2007, 10:36 PM) [snapback]408234[/snapback]</div>

You can also turn the AC off by going into the climate screen and pushing the AC button and setting the fan on high. Another trick at least in SoCal is to not run Max air all the time set for outside air and let the hot dry air into the vents. As I said may not work in Fl.

Wildkow

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(sheana @ Mar 18 2007, 09:02 PM) [snapback]408117[/snapback]</div>

There have been several threads on this here at PriusChat, so you might search the site if you want to see more. But in fact you've been given nearly all the answers that were offered in the past, for curing the mold-mildew smell.

The other answers that came up, that I recall, were:

1) Occasionally run the defroster with heat on, AC off, in the summer, to dry out the coils. (Same idea as running the system fan with the AC off.)

2) There are commercially-available preparations that work similar to the cool mist approach described earlier. In addition, spraying Lysol in the air intake has also been mentioned. All of these are attempts to get a mildewcide onto the AC evaporator coils. I'm not sure I'd be keen to use any of them, because they all result in gassing the inside of the car with some substance.

3) Most car dealers offer a service where they inject mildewcide into the box containing the evaporator coils, and thereby solve the problem for some length of time. This will cost you $100 or so.

I live in Virginia (not quite as humid as FL, perhaps, but plendy humid enough), and had that odor problem. Running the defroster occasionally, at high heat, no AC, for a couple of minutes, got rid of it. You get a little whiff, you make a note to run the defrost. No big deal. I see no need to do any more than that, unless there's some particular mold allergy issue, in which case I'd have the dealer treat my system just in case.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(chogan @ Mar 19 2007, 08:23 AM) [snapback]408284[/snapback]</div>

Here's the sort of product the dealers use:

http://www.properautocare.com/wuracheatsys.html

I don't have any direct experience with it, just seen it being used.

- Tom

 

This is true of all cars. Do not run it continuously with the recirculate on. If you notice, when you run it on full automatic mode, the computer will run the recirculate but then turn it off when the temp stabalizes. This recirc mode is often misunderstood and misused.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Display Name @ Mar 18 2007, 07:55 PM) [snapback]408183[/snapback]</div>

I believe that Toyota does use silver on the evaporator as an antimicrobial. Use substantial caution if you are going to 'aerosolize' copper solutions or benomyl. They are reasonably strong human poisons as well.

 

I have the exact same problem on my '07. You are not crazy. The smell is not like mold/mildew. It is like vinegar. I do have recirculation turned on as it is usually more efficient. I will try going to fresh air and seeing if that makes a difference.

Thanks!

 

The smell I have in my '05 could be described as combination of mold/mildew and vinegar. It is more of a chemical smell, though, actually. Perhaps an odd comparison...but it smells like adult diapers...whatever plastics/fabrics are used to make those. That's how I would describe it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(tranders @ Jun 30 2007, 12:17 PM) [snapback]470681[/snapback]</div>

Check the cabin air filter. The smell you describe has nothing to do with the materials used in making the car.