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Rotten Egg or Natural Gas smell coming from A/C

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by HiHoStevo, Jun 26, 2010.

  1. HiHoStevo

    HiHoStevo Airport Bum

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    Hi I have a 2005 Prius that my son has been using for the last couple of months...

    He just called me this evening and asked if I had ever had a rotten egg or natural gas smell coming from the a/c.

    I have not... the car only has 30,000 miles on it and I have never had any issues (knock on wood).

    He shut down the a/c rolled down the windows and drove on flow-through ventilation for a while and the smell dissipated.

    However the minute he turned the a/c back on the smell returned.

    I should probably mention that this car is being operated in Las Vegas... so I am pretty sure mildew is off the suspect list. :)

    Anyone have any ideas???

    thank you
     
    #1 HiHoStevo, Jun 26, 2010
  2. firepa63

    firepa63 Former Prius Owner

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    Have you checked or changed the cabin air filter lately? If not, you should do so.
     
    #2 firepa63, Jun 26, 2010
  3. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    Maybe there's a dead mouse on top of the cabin air filter.
     
    #3 Patrick Wong, Jun 26, 2010
  4. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Is the air so dry there's no chance of condensation within the ac? It's still a good idea to circulate fresh air through the system before you shut it off.
     
    #4 hyo silver, Jun 26, 2010
  5. HiHoStevo

    HiHoStevo Airport Bum

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    I changed the filter at 22,000 miles and my son just had the car in for its 30,000 mile service.

    I believe the cabin air filter is one of those things that are "supposed" to be changed on the 30k service.

    I should have him check the smell with just outside air flowing through the normal distribution ducts versus having the a/c running also.

    As to dryness...... other than a couple weeks in August (monsoon season) normal humidity levels are around 17% in the Las Vegas area.
     
    #5 HiHoStevo, Jun 26, 2010
  6. sktn77a

    sktn77a Member

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    Was it rotten eggs or sweaty socks? I have no idea what would cause a rotten egg (H2S) smell, but mildew in the AC could causes the sweaty sock smell.
     
    #6 sktn77a, Jun 26, 2010
  7. vertex

    vertex Active Member

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    Sounds like mold growing in the AC. An AC shop can easily fix it.
     
    #7 vertex, Jun 26, 2010
  8. joeyd08

    joeyd08 New Member

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    I have a post here about smell from a/c ...but mine was much more of a mildew smell. There was lots of feedback about the A/C evap housing and coil getting build up of mold. Look up my post on Mildew and you'll see a whole bunch of chat and advice. There is a service Toyota will do or you can do yourself as well as a Service Bulletin if it really gets bad but that I assume is no longer applicable for warranty if yours is an 05
     
    #8 joeyd08, Jun 27, 2010
  9. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Probably a mold or fungus growing on the evaporator coil.
     
    #9 jayman, Jun 27, 2010
  10. joeyd08

    joeyd08 New Member

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    I actually completed the "Toyota Service" myself for the vehicle today. Got the car up on jack and was able to spray the Evap Cleaner" ..(purchased at the Toyota dealer) ...into the Evap Housing through the drip tube. It's a foaming product that supposedly fills the housing and "cleans" the coils. It liquifies and then drains back out the tube. You spray half the can in ...wait 10 mins ...and repeat with the rest of the can. Step two is simply a small can of deodorizer that you spray into the fresh air intake. Hardest part was spotting the drip tube which (thanks to EdtheFox) I found after jacking the car up. Easy to do and saved $70 at the dealer. The "kit" they sold at their parts counter is the same on they use and cost $19. We'll see how effective it is over the long haul.
     
    #10 joeyd08, Jun 28, 2010
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