Air Conditioner Odor

I had always been vaguely aware of products intended to get rid of air
conditioner odor, and I had read about some kits that allow you to
install a fitting on the side of the evaporator housing so you can
inject a foam-disinfectant directly. I asked at a local parts store
about such a kit, and instead was shown a small spray can of stuff
designed to be sprayed into the heater air intake -- at the base of the
windshield -- seemed like it was worth a try, and was only $7, so what
the hell, I gave it a try.

Short story: It works well. If you have odors coming from your air
conditioner, get over to your local Car Quest and ask for the little can
of stuff (I'm sorry, I don't have the name or part number with me now)
and give it a whirl.

Three things: (1) Remove the cabin air filter first, and spray directly
down into the blower. If you don't, all of the spray will simply end up
in your filter -- you'll get the scent, but the disinfectants will never
get to the evaporator and kill off the mildew. (2) The can recommends
spraying for 10-12 seconds. I naturally assumed that spraying for 20
seconds would be twice as good -- maybe it is, but if you do, the scent
is overpowering, like 55 gallons of cheap after-shave dumped into the
car. Go with 10-12 seconds first, and if it doesn't work well enough,
do it again in a week, after the scent has abated somewhat. (3) I'll
bet your cabin air filter needs replacement, too -- mine was filthy,
covered with dirt, leaves, seeds and all manner of crap, and had been
nibbled by mice. $34 for the Bosch replacement filter at Auto Zone, $28
at NAPA. Steep, but filled with activated carbon, and it's worth it!

I bought a can of airconditioner cleaner from home depot. and used it on one
of my window units in my house. It had some mildew in a styrofoam duct I
couldn't get at. Worked the same way. I,m getting ready to do the blower in
my Toyota. Some odors there too. Thanks.
"Brian Running" > wrote in message
...
>I had always been vaguely aware of products intended to get rid of air
>conditioner odor, and I had read about some kits that allow you to install
>a fitting on the side of the evaporator housing so you can inject a
>foam-disinfectant directly. I asked at a local parts store about such a
>kit, and instead was shown a small spray can of stuff designed to be
>sprayed into the heater air intake -- at the base of the windshield --
>seemed like it was worth a try, and was only $7, so what the hell, I gave
>it a try.
>
> Short story: It works well. If you have odors coming from your air
> conditioner, get over to your local Car Quest and ask for the little can
> of stuff (I'm sorry, I don't have the name or part number with me now) and
> give it a whirl.
>
> Three things: (1) Remove the cabin air filter first, and spray directly
> down into the blower. If you don't, all of the spray will simply end up
> in your filter -- you'll get the scent, but the disinfectants will never
> get to the evaporator and kill off the mildew. (2) The can recommends
> spraying for 10-12 seconds. I naturally assumed that spraying for 20
> seconds would be twice as good -- maybe it is, but if you do, the scent is
> overpowering, like 55 gallons of cheap after-shave dumped into the car.
> Go with 10-12 seconds first, and if it doesn't work well enough, do it
> again in a week, after the scent has abated somewhat. (3) I'll bet your
> cabin air filter needs replacement, too -- mine was filthy, covered with
> dirt, leaves, seeds and all manner of crap, and had been nibbled by mice.
> $34 for the Bosch replacement filter at Auto Zone, $28 at NAPA. Steep,
> but filled with activated carbon, and it's worth it!

a can of lysol (cheaper?) also works well for this.

"Brian Running" > wrote in message
...
>I had always been vaguely aware of products intended to get rid of air
>conditioner odor, and I had read about some kits that allow you to install
>a fitting on the side of the evaporator housing so you can inject a
>foam-disinfectant directly. I asked at a local parts store about such a
>kit, and instead was shown a small spray can of stuff designed to be
>sprayed into the heater air intake -- at the base of the windshield --
>seemed like it was worth a try, and was only $7, so what the hell, I gave
>it a try.
>
> Short story: It works well. If you have odors coming from your air
> conditioner, get over to your local Car Quest and ask for the little can
> of stuff (I'm sorry, I don't have the name or part number with me now) and
> give it a whirl.
>
> Three things: (1) Remove the cabin air filter first, and spray directly
> down into the blower. If you don't, all of the spray will simply end up
> in your filter -- you'll get the scent, but the disinfectants will never
> get to the evaporator and kill off the mildew. (2) The can recommends
> spraying for 10-12 seconds. I naturally assumed that spraying for 20
> seconds would be twice as good -- maybe it is, but if you do, the scent is
> overpowering, like 55 gallons of cheap after-shave dumped into the car.
> Go with 10-12 seconds first, and if it doesn't work well enough, do it
> again in a week, after the scent has abated somewhat. (3) I'll bet your
> cabin air filter needs replacement, too -- mine was filthy, covered with
> dirt, leaves, seeds and all manner of crap, and had been nibbled by mice.
> $34 for the Bosch replacement filter at Auto Zone, $28 at NAPA. Steep,
> but filled with activated carbon, and it's worth it!

Brian Running wrote:
> I had always been vaguely aware of products intended to get rid of air
> conditioner odor, and I had read about some kits that allow you to
> install a fitting on the side of the evaporator housing so you can
> inject a foam-disinfectant directly. I asked at a local parts store
> about such a kit, and instead was shown a small spray can of stuff
> designed to be sprayed into the heater air intake -- at the base of the
> windshield -- seemed like it was worth a try, and was only $7, so what
> the hell, I gave it a try.
>
> Short story: It works well. If you have odors coming from your air
> conditioner, get over to your local Car Quest and ask for the little can
> of stuff (I'm sorry, I don't have the name or part number with me now)
> and give it a whirl.
>
> Three things: (1) Remove the cabin air filter first, and spray directly
> down into the blower. If you don't, all of the spray will simply end up
> in your filter -- you'll get the scent, but the disinfectants will never
> get to the evaporator and kill off the mildew. (2) The can recommends
> spraying for 10-12 seconds. I naturally assumed that spraying for 20
> seconds would be twice as good -- maybe it is, but if you do, the scent
> is overpowering, like 55 gallons of cheap after-shave dumped into the
> car. Go with 10-12 seconds first, and if it doesn't work well enough,
> do it again in a week, after the scent has abated somewhat. (3) I'll
> bet your cabin air filter needs replacement, too -- mine was filthy,
> covered with dirt, leaves, seeds and all manner of crap, and had been
> nibbled by mice. $34 for the Bosch replacement filter at Auto Zone, $28
> at NAPA. Steep, but filled with activated carbon, and it's worth it!

I have seen a similar spray, but it worked differently.
You have to start your engine and wait until the aircon blows out cold
air (put it at the coldest setting).
You then have to set the system into recirculation mode. After that you
place a spray can on the floor of the car, behind the passenger or
drivers seat. 'open' the can and it starts spraying, quickly close the
door and leave it for 15 to 20 minutes.

Remco

In article <lSNHg.2920$rT5.1045@fed1read01>, says...
> a can of lysol (cheaper?) also works well for this.

I was just thinkin' that $7 was a lot for a can of Lysol

FWIW, I've noted that if the AC is slowly losing it's charge, one of the
first things I notice is the smell before the cooling. I'm guessing the
couple degrees it doesn't cool isn't enough for me to easily tell, but
it's enough for whatever slime grows in there to tell...

Mark
'95 Jetta GLS

> a can of lysol (cheaper?) also works well for this.

I suppose it would -- I bought the Car Quest product (which, by the way,
is called "PM") only because I was in there looking for the product for
which you mount the fitting on the evaporator housing. I don't know if
I could handle the smell of Lysol in the car, though, it reminds me of
being violently sick with the flu when I was a kid, and my mom would
spray the stuff everywhere.

In article >,
says...
> I don't know if
> I could handle the smell of Lysol in the car, though, it reminds me of
> being violently sick with the flu when I was a kid, and my mom would
> spray the stuff everywhere.

Leave the windows open when you do it. The odor goes away quickly.

That, or hang a pine tree from the mirror

Mark
'95 Jetta GLS

In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Mark Randol wrote:

>In article >,
says...
>> I don't know if
>> I could handle the smell of Lysol in the car, though, it reminds me of
>> being violently sick with the flu when I was a kid, and my mom would
>> spray the stuff everywhere.
>
>Leave the windows open when you do it. The odor goes away quickly.
>
>That, or hang a pine tree from the mirror

I think that something which kills the mold would be better. Adding
a "pine tree" does not reduce the smell. I wonder if chlorine bleach
would be good for the purpose.

> I think that something which kills the mold would be better. Adding
> a "pine tree" does not reduce the smell. I wonder if chlorine bleach
> would be good for the purpose.

Anything you spray into the blower comes out of the cabin vents in
pretty large quantities, so I guess I wouldn't use anything that could
damage materials, especially fabrics.

In article >, se
says...
> In rec.autos.makers.vw.watercooled, Mark Randol wrote:
>
> >In article >,
> says...
> >> I don't know if
> >> I could handle the smell of Lysol in the car, though, it reminds me of
> >> being violently sick with the flu when I was a kid, and my mom would
> >> spray the stuff everywhere.
> >
> >Leave the windows open when you do it. The odor goes away quickly.
> >
> >That, or hang a pine tree from the mirror
>
> I think that something which kills the mold would be better. Adding
> a "pine tree" does not reduce the smell. I wonder if chlorine bleach
> would be good for the purpose.

You mean, like Lysol?

http://www.lysol.com/solutionsfinder.shtml

I think brunning was talking about the Lysol smell being a "sick smell".
I was suggesting that he either leave the windows open when treating the
AC, or hanging a pine tree to cover the smell.

Clorine bleach might work if it were sprayed in, but you've got the
potential for bleaching the interior if droplets make it through. *I*
wouldn't do it.

Mark
'95 Jetta GLS