My AC smells.

So my AC smells like stinky socks.

First it was my 4runner that smelt like stinky socks. A couple weeks later, my tundra smelt like stinky socks also. What's going on? Both vehicles are 2015. We moved from Orange County to Vegas and I think it has something to do with the heat. Sometimes it smells sometimes it doesn't. But most of the time it does.

Has anyone dealt with this?

 

I have the same issue in AS. What do we do?

 

AZ stupid auto correct.

 

I have tried this several times and the smell is still there.

 

Also checked cabin filter in both vehicles and it was pretty clean.

 

Been here my whole life.. never heard of this

 

Hmmm....stinky socks in with the CAF...I know what I'm doing to a few coworkers trucks tomorrow

 

I seen some stuff in auto car section of Walmart for this, is some sort of air-sol product that you place near a/c intake and you set off like a bug bomb with a/c on, doors shut and you out of car. It kills bacteria. Sorry I don't remember name or have picture.

 

Just google some stuff. Will give it a try. Mold and bacteria is the cause.

 

Here you go brother! I'll give it a shot tomorrow.

https://www.quora.com/Why-does-my-cars-air-conditioning-smell-bad

 

I had this problem last summer and No matter how long I ran it on fresh air it still stank. .. now this summer there is no smell....yet.

 

I've noticed a wet towel smell if the AC is on, the outside humidity is fairly high and the system is in recirculation. It's happened a couple times with the Tundra and my previous car which was an 05 Acura RL. After a day or two the offending smell goes away.

 

My uncle had a dead mouse in vents of his Trooper once.

They had to take the system apart to clear it.

 

OP is your truck garage kept? If so I'd check for critters, run the AC w/ the recirculating off for a couple days, leave it outside.

Hopefully one or all of these things help

 

What I do is shut my a/c off a few minutes before I get to where I am going. This way the evaportor has time to dry. Its moisture in plenum from the a/c system. They make sprays to help with the smell but I believe the correct way is to clean the evaporator with vinegar and if that doesn't correct the smell to replace the evaporator. Also make sure your drain isn't blocked, blocked drains won't allow water to escape the ac housing.

 

Thanks fellas! I will give everything a shot. I'll keep you inform of the outcome.

Where is the evap located?

 

Better than any commercial product AND cheaper, is to fill a spray bottle with a bleach solution and with the air flow on recirc, spray the solution into the intake down under the glove box until the duct tubing is lightly coated. This kills mold and fungus effectively.
We've had mice and rats nesting before and they leave a real stench, a bit worse than dirty socks, lol

 

My home AC did that last year and my tech called it "Dirty Sock Syndrome". I figured he was just messing with me, but I guess its a real thing. You probably won't replace your coil like the article states... but atleast you arent alone.

https://asm-air.com/airconditioning/dirty-sock-syndrome-what-is-it-dangerous/

 

I have this problem in all my Vehicles if I shut them off when I've been blasting the AC... now I turn the temp up a minute before I shut off the truck to keep from getting condensation in my vents and don't have the problem.

 

This is what I used on my old 4runner when I had this problem. It is likely due to bacteria/mold build up in the evaporator. It is best practice to turn off the air re-circulator a few miles before turning the truck off, so that it dries it out. The drain hose can also be clogged, doubt that would happen on both vehicles but it is possible. You can just put a screwdriver down the drain hose to clear the mold out of the hose. Toyota has a service for this issue, they are charging like 120$ for it.

https://www.grainger.com/product/4L...7877!&ef_id=WO_FXQAAASm9eAeX:20170606150437:s

 

My first step by turning the AC off a couple miles before my destination has helped a lot. There is still a little bit of smell but it's barely there. My next step will be the Lysol/bleach trick.

 

my 17 smells like stinky socks. i thought it was mice, but have had no signs of mice for 8 monthes. i park it in an overhang daily. I can't figure it out. 21k on her. Pisses me off, but like Pa says, better to be pissed off then pissed on. I changed out the Cabin air F, no difference. i spray lysol in the intake fresh linen ( nice smell, i prefer my f-ing new car scent), (sometimes with C Filter removed, sometimes with) and it still stinks. I can see water dripping from above the tranny when ac on, so its not clogged. Seems like a poor design. Im considering a condensor clean on the system. i still have to figure out how that works if i do it myself. Do a favor and write to the NHTSB on how it smells like shit and maybe enough people can get a recall on all the vehicles. 54k for a vehicle and 21k it smells like crusty a hole. let me know if you figured this out, i would love to know and apply your knowledge to fixing my vehicle.

 

I used to do A/C work in dealerships and a fleet shop. When you start getting to musty odor like this change the cabin filter. But when you do, spray some Lysol into the case toward the evaporator. Mold builds up on the evaporator face from the constant sweating and catching dirt that goes past the cabin filter. This should clear up the odor.

 

Tag this thread, my wife’s car was getting this funky smell in the summer. We haven’t used the AC since it’s freaking cold right now. Im gonna do some of the advise here, when its start smelling or when it does in the summer. Thanks fellows.

 

The way I find it easiest to do is remove the cabin filter. Put the cover back on. Turn blower on High, not on recirculate. Spray Lysol into the vent on the right side of the cowl outside by the wiper. Be sure the doors or windows are open. This generally knocks it out.

 

1. If your truck has a cabin filter remove it. 2. Get Lysol and spray it into the filter housing. 3. Spray Lysol into all air vents. 4. Make sure the condensate drain-line is clear. 5. After letting the Lysol sit for a few minutes turn the ac on high and spray into the return vent under the dash for about ten seconds then install a new filter. If you can’t find the return, open for fresh air recirculate (button) and spray into the cowl outside were the wiper blades are. Lysol kills bacteria and mold. You may have to repeat the Lysol.

 

Moved back to California and never had that issue again. LOL

 

On my 2001 some years ago, I pulled my blower fan to fix a squeaking fan motor. I was surprised at how grungy the blower fan was. I cleaned the fan and sprayed it with Lysol. I also sprayed Lysol directly into the evaporator. No more stinky smell after that.