Horrible Smell From Cold Air Fan.......sometimes!

[Collsey]

Hi again,

Has anyone else had a horrible, musty smell when using the cabin fan for cold air? Sometimes it seems to work well with no smell, the next it is terrible. Both external and recirculated air, but hardly noticeable when air con switched on.

I removed the pollen filter (only after advice on here, the instructions in the manual are pathetic), but there was no difference using the blower with no filter, still stinks.(the filter is very slightly grubby)

Is there another filter somewhere? It smells like something has crawled into a tube and died, it is really horrible.

Any advice greatly appreciated, in the meantime will keep opening the windows!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Sounds like you need the air conditioning sanitising. Various places, including your Toyota dealer, can do an air conditioning refresh (not re-gas) for around £15, or you could try one of the do it yourself options - see:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=air+conditioning+cleaner&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Aair+conditioning+cleaner

[Collsey]

Thanks FROSTYBALLS, for your quick reply. I will try and do it myself first and see if that does the trick.

[craggle]

I have the same issue and intend to clean it myself one day.....

I bought one of those cans from Halfords that you stick in the car while it's running with the air con on then close the doors and walk away for a while so it gets circulated around the car.

I've had the can to do the job for ages but haven't found the time just yet.... :)

Craig.

[Guest]

I used one of those cans in November 2013 (Auto Glym) and have to say it worked very well. It has recently started to smell occasionally. Our Air-Con smelled musty, so as the air-con was still working really well (and amazingly still is), I got one from a local car parts shop and the citrus smell was far better. Not expensive, but not cheap, yet cheaper than having your air-con refreshed or recharged. You spends-ya-money, ya-takes-ya-choice. If I recall rightly, you leave the engine running, with the air-con on, set it off and close the door. Depending on where you live in this wonderful country, don't walk away from the car.

[alan333]

If I recall rightly, you leave the engine running, with the air-con on, set it off and close the door.

And remember to set the heater intake to recirc

[TomdeGuerre]

... and leave the pollen filter out until the aerosol has done its stuff. Then you can fit a new one.

If it (the smell) comes back you might have a blocked air-con drain tube - see attachment

[sparrow2]

I use "Comma Air Con Cleaner" every year or so too. This thread reminded me that it was about time to do it again. I tried "Click and Collect" at my local Halford's branch but they did not have one in stock and I would have to have made a 30 mile round trip to get one from the nearest Halford's branch with one in. I ordered one on Amazon instead which made it rather more expensive because of the postage. However time is money as they say and the round trip to get one would have taken about an hour and a half. It arrived today at the office and I used it at lunch time in the office car park. Read the instructions carefully though. The instructions for this one tell you to recline the front passenger seat forward and set it off behind that seat. I imagine the logic here is that in that position the spray has the best chance of totally dispersing in to the air without hitting anything and thus maximising the amount that goes into the air conditioning system. I did not like the smell in the car when I drove home but from past experience that smell will wear off in a couple of days and then it will not smell of anything at all.

[Cyker]

I find I get this if I switch off the car without letting the air-con air itself out.

Now, I usually try and switch off the air-con when I'm within 5-10 minutes of my destination but leave the fans running on fresh-air (Not recirc; That just makes it worse!) to clear any residual moisture out of the system by the time I get to where I'm going.

If I don't do this, then when I fire up the car next there is a nasty damp/musty smell from the vent system.

[craggle]

Well, This thread reminded me that I still had this job to do so did it last Saturday.

I placed the aerosol in the cup holder in between the seats, seemed about the middle of the car to me. I started the car, turned the heater temperature down to minimum, pressed the re-circ button, turned the blower up a bit, pressed the aircon button and waited until it was flowing nice cold air. I then pressed the top on the aerosol, exited the car and closed the door.

Leave it running for at least 10 minutes, I think I did about 15 minutes by the time I'd finished what I was doing then open the doors, turn the engine off and let it vent for a while.

First few trips were a bit chemically smelling but it has cleared now and the musty smell seems to have gone.

Craig.

[GRB]

One tip I was given (and works) take cabin filter out and clean out. Spray a small amount of the air on cleaner into the housing before fitting the new filter. Can be done just don't press the spray to latch position or you can't stop it.

Then follow procedure for the air con clean

It does work done it on several cars now

[Allan75]

Apologies for bringing up this very old thread, but my Yaris has recently started having the exact same problem and I was wondering if the OP solved the issue?  I have used several different makes of air con cleaning spray, but none of them have any lasting effect - the musty smell (which varies in intensity from feint to completely unbearable!) inevitably returns and, as with the original post, it is most obvious when the air con is off (I too also tested it without the air filter, and the smell was still there).  I've considered that something could be wrong with the air con unit itself, but then again it still produces cold air without problems..

The smell also came out of nowhere.  The car had sat barely used for a really hot week a while back, and when I started using it again the smell was there... it's a tad irksome.  Any help or advice greatly appreciated!!

 

Allan

[GRB]

Have you removed the filter and sprayed in the housing? Smell can be caused by bacteria growing in the system pipes and housing so a good dosing in the housing and any vents is useful. Fit new filter and use the air con cleaner in normal way

hope this helps👍

[Allan75]

Well I've tried your suggestion, GRB, and it seems to have worked (touch wood!).  Thank you!

[dezign-iq]

Just a quick one on this - and apologies if I am going off topic or if someone can point me to another post...

I am getting a horrible smell inside the cab of my IQ - it is more like a burnt smell. I only started noticing it when my wife saif my daughters clothes smelt like smoke and I also have to say that I have felt nauseous after a couple of long drives. I have not long had the car long and I didn't notice any adverse smells at first as the lovely valet smell was still fresh. But now that has worn off there is definitely a fuel / burning smell.

I have tried a few things to get rid - changed to recirc, turned fans off, opened the windows (which does clear it) etc. But it keeps coming back. 

Anyone else had this problem? Any ideas?

Any help much appreciated.

Jon

2009 IQ2 1.0

 

[dash]

Is the tailgate seal intact? Just wondering if exhaust fumes are getting in the car...

 Dave

[dezign-iq]

Thanks dash. Yeah - I just double checked it and all looks fine to me - but it definitely smells like exhaust fumes.

Any more ideas?

 

[Soeley]

I wonder if one of the rear vents behind the bumper is stuck open and not flapping shut and allowing the exhaust fumes in?

This is the location of the vents:

 

[Baddi]

It could be the Positive Crankcase Ventilation maby cracked rubber hose or PCV valve dirty or stuck