Does your AC Smell

Kinda both :_> Try using outside air sometimes, especially when the outside humidity is low. If you don't like to do that while driving try making a habit of running it with outside air with the temp manually set hi and the fan manually set hi for a minute or two just before you shut off the car. That should dry out the system.

Also check the cabin air filter. It's easy and instructions are in the manual. With a car this new it's probably not dirty yet but it's worth a look.

I don't know how to directly check the condensate drains. A dealer can do it quickly and clean them quickly if needed.

 

Hi Kelvin,

My 2004 has 51K miles and I have not noticed this smell. However other posters in hot & humid areas have also reported this.

If you see that the ground is damp under your car after the A/C has been running, then the drain is probably working OK. It is easy enough to check the cabin air filter, to rule that out as a cause.

It is possible that the evaporator coil has an accumulation of bacteria that is causing the problem. See the following two threads for more info on this point:

http://priuschat.com/forums/care-maintenance-troubleshooting/47236-tearin-up-my-stinky-car.html

http://priuschat.com/forums/care-ma...-new-questions-re-fixing-musty-c-problem.html

 

Your not alone. Please see my NEW thread post a few posts above yours titled "Tearin' up my stinky car". Surprised you missed it.

OOOPs... edit: Sorry I did not see the link to it Patrick posted. Apologies Patrick.

 

To avoid the musty smell, run the vent fan speed on high, with the A/C off before shutting down. This will help to remove any moisture inside the vents.

 

Kelvin,
Do you use Auto/AC or do you try to manage the Climate Control System on your own?

The people that I have talked to with your problem seldom used Auto/AC.

No one that I know of that allows the system to control and just change desired temp have had the problem.

 

In Florida the problem using Auto is the AC fan starts out at high..and stays that way for a long time. If you then put the temp higher to slow the fan down (after a long time) the car does not cool off.

 

Its draining fine. How do I know? If it wasn't your carpet up front would be soaked.

 

That is the way it is supposed to operate. If you manually reduce the fan speed you will slow down the cooling of the interior. Unlike many conventional AC units the Prius has a variable speed compressor that will operate at high speed for quick cooling. If you defeat the Auto function it will run much longer to bring the temperature down to the set point. The high fan speed will dry out the ducts and reduce the possibility of mold growth.

 

Of course it will cool down the interior faster but it takes quite a long time with it running at high. You get blasted with cold for a long time. The ducts are dry and so is the e-coil when I first get in. And how
come I have to do this with this car only? No other car I've had is like this.

 

You can reduce the length of time the fan runs on high by venting the super hot air that accumulates in a closed car by using side window deflectors. I can leave my side windows down about an inch to allow air circulation.

How many other cars have you had that the compressor was not driven by the engine?

 

none I'd bet! My car did that smell thing when I first got it. I started using auto ac at a moderate temp (not 70!) like 76 or so and it cools pretty quickly then slows down all by it little self. My Expedition did that on a temp circuit like the house does.

 

Hold on a sec...someone from Kent, Wa is telling someone from Tampa, Fla how to best get rid of car interior heat on a car forum is just wrong. All I'm saying.Or maybe someone who has never been to Florida. Man...its so hot here already.

I like .......

 

Strange, Sheepdog lives in Sanford and he agrees, guess it must not be as humid there?

All I'm saying is that if you have a smelly AC there is a way to keep it from happening!

And yes I did my time in Florida, thats why I live here now.

 

Glad to know I'm not alone. I have that odor in my 08. My husband (who is in the car biz) has always said that regardless of the make/model of the car, you should always run the fan alone before you turn off the car. Moisture buildup can cause the smell. I just didn't think it would be in such a relatively new car.

 

I'm with you. My car started smelling in less than 2 weeks. Everyone has fixes for it. Usually the people who do not have a smelly ac.I've never had to run just the fan to dry out the coil on any other car. You park it. The coil condensation should drain via gravity out of the pan via the drain hose. I suspect there's a design flaw in the housing/pan drain. I suspect that the pan never really evacuates completely always leaving a nice little stinky pool of evaporate. But I've tried it all. Running fan....turning the heat on high for the last minutes of the drive. It doesn't matter the smell still comes back. But there's really only one sure fix and that has come from Jayman who actually drilled a hole into the plastic evap housing under the dash so he could spray anti-fungal spray in the coil.Which is really the only repair. He now has an inspection hole where he can periodically spray down the evap coil. Just like in your house.
Radical but effective. If only Toyota would put a plugged inspection hole there.

 

It seems my post isn't the answer but
If the car is parked outdoors, I'd remove the front windshield wiper grill and look inside if there are any mouldy leaves down there.

ZC1

 

Hi Ed,

Have you gotten around to drilling your access hole(s) yet?

 

Hi Patrick,

No sir have been under the weather lately. Hoping to try ingress through the firewall grommets as Jayman suggested. I looked at that and I can see
one firewall/ac pipe section located directly behind the oil fill top on the motor.I'm going in there.