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#1
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98 Caravan SE - A/C - vents smell really bad! HELP...
I brought my car used. The previous owner had a golden retriever. Although
I cleaned and washed the entire interior. The car's a/c & vents when turned on smell like a wet dirty dog. This is especially bad after it rains.... I am ready to get rid of this car because it can't take the smell anymore. In the summer when the A/C is crucial, it is unbearable!.. My brother also owned a caravan and he too experienced the same problem. Has anyone else had this experience? Is there some sort of hidden air filter that I can change? Or should I start saving for a new car? |
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#2
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I'm having the same problem, though it sounds like not as bad as yours.
When using the ventilation system in any mode it there is a mild smell of fertilizer, kind of like being on a farm in summer. Its not overpowering but is evident about half the time. I did spend many hours driving on farm roads over the last 6 years at amateur rocket launches. I guess it could also be mold or mildew growing in the vent system or even a small animal that crawled in there and died. Too many issues just keeping the van running to worry about a bad smell. Jon "Caravan98" > wrote in message lkaboutautos.com... > I brought my car used. The previous owner had a golden retriever. Although > I cleaned and washed the entire interior. The car's a/c & vents when > turned on smell like a wet dirty dog. This is especially bad after it > rains.... I am ready to get rid of this car because it can't take the > smell anymore. In the summer when the A/C is crucial, it is unbearable!.. > My brother also owned a caravan and he too experienced the same problem. > Has anyone else had this experience? Is there some sort of hidden air > filter that I can change? Or should I start saving for a new car? > |
#3
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I'm having the same problem, though it sounds like not as bad as yours.
When using the ventilation system in any mode it there is a mild smell of fertilizer, kind of like being on a farm in summer. Its not overpowering but is evident about half the time. I did spend many hours driving on farm roads over the last 6 years at amateur rocket launches. I guess it could also be mold or mildew growing in the vent system or even a small animal that crawled in there and died. Too many issues just keeping the van running to worry about a bad smell. Jon "Caravan98" > wrote in message lkaboutautos.com... > I brought my car used. The previous owner had a golden retriever. Although > I cleaned and washed the entire interior. The car's a/c & vents when > turned on smell like a wet dirty dog. This is especially bad after it > rains.... I am ready to get rid of this car because it can't take the > smell anymore. In the summer when the A/C is crucial, it is unbearable!.. > My brother also owned a caravan and he too experienced the same problem. > Has anyone else had this experience? Is there some sort of hidden air > filter that I can change? Or should I start saving for a new car? > |
#4
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It's a common caravan problem. Called "dirty sock syndrome". Search for it,
it's out there. You have to have the air conditioning system cleaned AND sanitized. But it will return. Cecil "Zeppo" > wrote in message ... > I'm having the same problem, though it sounds like not as bad as yours. > > When using the ventilation system in any mode it there is a mild smell of > fertilizer, kind of like being on a farm in summer. Its not overpowering but > is evident about half the time. I did spend many hours driving on farm roads > over the last 6 years at amateur rocket launches. > > I guess it could also be mold or mildew growing in the vent system or even a > small animal that crawled in there and died. > > Too many issues just keeping the van running to worry about a bad smell. > > Jon > > > "Caravan98" > wrote in message > lkaboutautos.com... > > I brought my car used. The previous owner had a golden retriever. Although > > I cleaned and washed the entire interior. The car's a/c & vents when > > turned on smell like a wet dirty dog. This is especially bad after it > > rains.... I am ready to get rid of this car because it can't take the > > smell anymore. In the summer when the A/C is crucial, it is unbearable!.. > > My brother also owned a caravan and he too experienced the same problem. > > Has anyone else had this experience? Is there some sort of hidden air > > filter that I can change? Or should I start saving for a new car? > > > > |
#5
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It's a common caravan problem. Called "dirty sock syndrome". Search for it,
it's out there. You have to have the air conditioning system cleaned AND sanitized. But it will return. Cecil "Zeppo" > wrote in message ... > I'm having the same problem, though it sounds like not as bad as yours. > > When using the ventilation system in any mode it there is a mild smell of > fertilizer, kind of like being on a farm in summer. Its not overpowering but > is evident about half the time. I did spend many hours driving on farm roads > over the last 6 years at amateur rocket launches. > > I guess it could also be mold or mildew growing in the vent system or even a > small animal that crawled in there and died. > > Too many issues just keeping the van running to worry about a bad smell. > > Jon > > > "Caravan98" > wrote in message > lkaboutautos.com... > > I brought my car used. The previous owner had a golden retriever. Although > > I cleaned and washed the entire interior. The car's a/c & vents when > > turned on smell like a wet dirty dog. This is especially bad after it > > rains.... I am ready to get rid of this car because it can't take the > > smell anymore. In the summer when the A/C is crucial, it is unbearable!.. > > My brother also owned a caravan and he too experienced the same problem. > > Has anyone else had this experience? Is there some sort of hidden air > > filter that I can change? Or should I start saving for a new car? > > > > |
#6
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Thanks for your feed back Zep & Detailing Dude.
I did some research on the wet sock syndrome and found out that mold and bacteria builds up on the coils of the A/C system. In the winter when the heat is used. It kills this mold somewhat which is why the smell is not as noticable. at the turn of the season when the a/c is used. The mold has had enough time to reproduce and spread. The A/C actuall helps keep it cold and wet. the ideal living conditions for mold. A suggestion was to use Lysol Spray. Spray the intake of the a/c unit. this will get into the entire system and kill off the bacteria. you have to use the entire can in about 15 minutes of spraying giving it time in between. The source said it can come back after a few months to a year but can be treated the same way. At least there is a way of addreesing it without having to fork over hundreds of dollars with the same end result. |
#7
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Thanks for your feed back Zep & Detailing Dude.
I did some research on the wet sock syndrome and found out that mold and bacteria builds up on the coils of the A/C system. In the winter when the heat is used. It kills this mold somewhat which is why the smell is not as noticable. at the turn of the season when the a/c is used. The mold has had enough time to reproduce and spread. The A/C actuall helps keep it cold and wet. the ideal living conditions for mold. A suggestion was to use Lysol Spray. Spray the intake of the a/c unit. this will get into the entire system and kill off the bacteria. you have to use the entire can in about 15 minutes of spraying giving it time in between. The source said it can come back after a few months to a year but can be treated the same way. At least there is a way of addreesing it without having to fork over hundreds of dollars with the same end result. |
#8
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"Caravan98" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com... > Thanks for your feed back Zep & Detailing Dude. > > I did some research on the wet sock syndrome and found out that mold and > bacteria builds up on the coils of the A/C system. In the winter when the > heat is used. It kills this mold somewhat which is why the smell is not as > noticable. at the turn of the season when the a/c is used. The mold has > had > enough time to reproduce and spread. The A/C actuall helps keep it cold > and > wet. the ideal living conditions for mold. What if you just left the van running in your driveway with the heat on for a while every couple months in the summer? -Scott |
#9
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"Caravan98" > wrote in message
lkaboutautos.com... > Thanks for your feed back Zep & Detailing Dude. > > I did some research on the wet sock syndrome and found out that mold and > bacteria builds up on the coils of the A/C system. In the winter when the > heat is used. It kills this mold somewhat which is why the smell is not as > noticable. at the turn of the season when the a/c is used. The mold has > had > enough time to reproduce and spread. The A/C actuall helps keep it cold > and > wet. the ideal living conditions for mold. What if you just left the van running in your driveway with the heat on for a while every couple months in the summer? -Scott |
#10
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It does help but it doesn't kill the bacteria and mold. it's just not hot
enough and so it will come back as soon and it repopulates. |
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