Bad smelling air through vents.

I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
to clean it out?
--
Thanks in advance.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:25:42 -0600, "Mark T." >
wrote:

>I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
>bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
>away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
>drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
>up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
>to clean it out?

Pour bleach through your air vents ( the ones in front of your
windshield ). Let it sit there for a while before you flush it away
with plain water.

Lg

"Mark T." > writes in article > dated Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:25:42 -0600:
>I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
>bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
>away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
>drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
>up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
>to clean it out?

Is it a car chemical smell such as gasoline or antifreeze, or a mold smell?

If you were running the AC the last day you drove it before parking it, it
could be from condensate sitting there so long.

Bleach will definitely kill mold, but pouring it in the top vent like that
other guy said sounds a little risky to me -- who knows where it will come
out? (My first guess would be the bottom vent by your feet so at least
protect the carpet if you do this.)

A safer way to try to kill mold would be to get the engine good and hot by
driving the car, then park it and turn the heater on hot/recirculate (on
American cars recirculate is called "Max AC") and spray an airborn
disinfectant such as Lysol Room Deodorizer, then close the door and leave it
running for 20-30 minutes.

-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:25:42 -0600, "Mark T." >
wrote:

>I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
>bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
>away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
>drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
>up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
>to clean it out?


Just taking a guess, but if you ran the a/c at all, via the a/c
button, or using the defroster, some mosture can remain on the coils.
Being a dark place, some mold/mildew might be growing and stinking up
your ducts.

So, turn off your a/c and run fresh air through your ducts before
shutting off your engine.

imho,

Tom @ www.CarFleaMarket.com

Lawrence Glickman wrote:

> On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:25:42 -0600, "Mark T." >
> wrote:
>
>
>>I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
>>bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
>>away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
>>drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
>>up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
>>to clean it out?
>
>
> Pour bleach through your air vents ( the ones in front of your
> windshield ). Let it sit there for a while before you flush it away
> with plain water.
>
> Lg
>

And just WHERE do you think the bleach is going to go? Almost certainly
not down to the evaporator coil where the mold/mildew is actually
growing! And even if it did, chlorine bleach is a really good way to
corrode the fins right off it.

I would put the blower on "high" "recirculate" and spray Lysol (or
equivalent) disinfectant spray into the return air intake wherever it
may be located- that way the mold-killing stuff actually gets carried
through the coils, and it isn't corrosive.

I agree with Lysol as a disinfectant to kill odors and also a product
called Febreeze works 'really' well on odors with no nasty aftersmell
like lysol, not sure about it as a disinfectant, you would have to read
the label. It will kill wet dog and sneaker smell instantly and it
doesn't come back though, so likely it kills good too....

http://www.homemadesimple.ca/febreze/en_CA/index.shtml

I would stay far far away from any liquid like bleach.

They need to be sprayed in the fresh air intake for the heater with the
AC on full or if you know where the flapper door is for the
recirculating air, you can spray most in there with just some from the
outside air with the fan on full. You need to cycle the AC and Heater
on high as you spray so every air route gets some.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's


"Mark T." wrote:
>
> I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
> bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
> away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
> drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
> up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
> to clean it out?
> --
> Thanks in advance.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 19:31:07 +0000 (UTC),
(Spud Demon) wrote:

>"Mark T." > writes in article > dated Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:25:42 -0600:
>>I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
>>bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
>>away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
>>drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
>>up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
>>to clean it out?
>
>Is it a car chemical smell such as gasoline or antifreeze, or a mold smell?
>
>If you were running the AC the last day you drove it before parking it, it
>could be from condensate sitting there so long.
>
>Bleach will definitely kill mold, but pouring it in the top vent like that
>other guy said sounds a little risky to me -- who knows where it will come
>out?

The same place rainwater comes out when it runs off your windshield.
Hopefully that isn't on your feet 8-))))

> (My first guess would be the bottom vent by your feet so at least
>protect the carpet if you do this.)
>
>A safer way to try to kill mold would be to get the engine good and hot by
>driving the car, then park it and turn the heater on hot/recirculate (on
>American cars recirculate is called "Max AC") and spray an airborn
>disinfectant such as Lysol Room Deodorizer, then close the door and leave it
>running for 20-30 minutes.
>
>-- spud_demon -at- thundermaker.net
>The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 17:20:02 -0600, Steve > wrote:

>Lawrence Glickman wrote:
>
>> On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 12:25:42 -0600, "Mark T." >
>> wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I have an 84 Chrysler New Yorker and when I turn the air on, the air has a
>>>bad smell coming through the vents for the first few minutes then it goes
>>>away. Now I did have the car setting up for a while (almost 2 years) and
>>>drove it very seldom during this period. So is there something that builds
>>>up in the duct lines when you let a car sit up? Is there anything I can do
>>>to clean it out?
>>
>>
>> Pour bleach through your air vents ( the ones in front of your
>> windshield ). Let it sit there for a while before you flush it away
>> with plain water.
>>
>> Lg
>>
>
>And just WHERE do you think the bleach is going to go?

Out a drainhole under the car door.

> Almost certainly
>not down to the evaporator coil where the mold/mildew is actually
>growing!

How do ya know that?

> And even if it did, chlorine bleach is a really good way to
>corrode the fins right off it.

Nah, not if you RINSE IT WITH A GARDEN HOSE THOROUGHLY AFTER LETTING
IT SIT FOR 5 MINUTES. Which I did mention, but you didn't.

>I would put the blower on "high" "recirculate" and spray Lysol (or
>equivalent) disinfectant spray into the return air intake wherever it
>may be located- that way the mold-killing stuff actually gets carried
>through the coils, and it isn't corrosive.
>
Well whatever.

Lg

On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 19:30:55 -0500, Mike Romain >
wrote:

>I agree with Lysol as a disinfectant to kill odors and also a product
>called Febreeze works 'really' well on odors with no nasty aftersmell
>like lysol, not sure about it as a disinfectant, you would have to read
>the label. It will kill wet dog and sneaker smell instantly and it
>doesn't come back though, so likely it kills good too....

Will it take away the odor if there's a dead chipmunk in his duct
work?

>http://www.homemadesimple.ca/febreze/en_CA/index.shtml
>
>I would stay far far away from any liquid like bleach.

Yah, bad idea. Might kill the fungi, and you know that fungi might be
on the EPA Protected Species List.

>They need to be sprayed in the fresh air intake for the heater with the
>AC on full or if you know where the flapper door is for the
>recirculating air, you can spray most in there with just some from the
>outside air with the fan on full. You need to cycle the AC and Heater
>on high as you spray so every air route gets some.

All in all, not a bad idea. Depends how _bad_ the infestation is,
IMO.

Lg

The smell sure wouldn't go away after a couple minutes of use if there
was a dead rodent in there.

I would avoid 'any' liquid like bleach because it will not go into
aerosol and get all through the system, it will only clean the drain
out....

Hey nothing wrong with a clean drain, but....

Mike


Lawrence Glickman wrote:
>
> On Wed, 16 Feb 2005 19:30:55 -0500, Mike Romain >
> wrote:
>
> >I agree with Lysol as a disinfectant to kill odors and also a product
> >called Febreeze works 'really' well on odors with no nasty aftersmell
> >like lysol, not sure about it as a disinfectant, you would have to read
> >the label. It will kill wet dog and sneaker smell instantly and it
> >doesn't come back though, so likely it kills good too....
>
> Will it take away the odor if there's a dead chipmunk in his duct
> work?
>
> >http://www.homemadesimple.ca/febreze/en_CA/index.shtml
> >
> >I would stay far far away from any liquid like bleach.
>
> Yah, bad idea. Might kill the fungi, and you know that fungi might be
> on the EPA Protected Species List.
>
> >They need to be sprayed in the fresh air intake for the heater with the
> >AC on full or if you know where the flapper door is for the
> >recirculating air, you can spray most in there with just some from the
> >outside air with the fan on full. You need to cycle the AC and Heater
> >on high as you spray so every air route gets some.
>
> All in all, not a bad idea. Depends how _bad_ the infestation is,
> IMO.
>
> Lg