OT ? Foul odor emanating from my car air conditioner

Posted by Nate Nagel on October 9, 2009, 10:05 pm

aemeijers wrote:

> Jim Yanik wrote:

>> dnZ2d@giganews.com:

>>> Nate Nagel wrote:
>>>> Walter R. wrote:
>>>>> This may not really be OT in AHR, after all, my car is parked in my
>>>>> garage, part of my home. Maybe this is stretching it? :-). I don't
>>>>> know where else to ask.
>>>>> I drive a 1993 Chevy Lumina with 100,000 miles. Runs better than new.
>>>>> Lately, when I turn on my air blower in any mode, such as heating,
>>>>> air conditioning, vent, it produces a blast of foul smelling air.
>>>>> After a minute, the bad smell disappears.
>>>>> Googling for this misbehavior points to mold produced by stagnant
>>>>> water in the a/c evaporator.
>>>>> I have tried disinfectant spray in the air-intake vent but now the
>>>>> car smells of perfumed dirty socks.
>>>>> Does anyone know of a simple way to get rid of this stink without
>>>>> tearing the car apart?? Seems to be a common problem and thus of
>>>>> common interest.
>>>>> Thanks, and my apologies.
>>>> Have you cleared the evaporator drain? if you haven't done that
>>>> then anything else you do will be pointless
>>>> nate
>>> In case that doesn't mean anything to you, what he is referring to is
>>> a little tube that comes out to daylight somewhere to the rear of the
>>> right front wheel well. If you are lucky, applying compressed air to
>>> it will result in all the stagnant water flowing out. Note that 'out'
>>> may be the carpet of the front passenger seat, so lay some old towels
>>> out first. DAMHIKT.
>>> Hey, it ain't too different from a fubar'd dishwasher or washing
>>> machine drain, and we talk about those all the time on here.
>>> --
>>> aem sends...

>> applying compressed air to a blocked tube may result in the plastic
>> hose splitting and needing replacement.

>
> So what is the alternative solution? Clip the end off a bicycle brake
> cable and thread it up there? Serious question- the answer I always see
> in the books and hear on 'Car Talk' is to blow it out with air. I agree
> you probably want to start with the lowest pressure you can rig up.
>
> --
> aem sends...

i usually shove a piece of THHN or whatever similar that I have handy up
the tube rather than resort to the air. Also good for clearing sunroof
drains on old VWs...

nate

--
replace "roosters" with "cox" to reply.
http://members.cox.net/njnagel

Posted by Stormin Mormon on October 9, 2009, 10:38 pm

If the tube is some what rigid, use a shopvac. Maybe vacuum
the clog out.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

In case that doesn't mean anything to you, what he is
referring to is a
little tube that comes out to daylight somewhere to the rear
of the
right front wheel well. If you are lucky, applying
compressed air to it
will result in all the stagnant water flowing out. Note that
'out' may
be the carpet of the front passenger seat, so lay some old
towels out
first. DAMHIKT.

Hey, it ain't too different from a fubar'd dishwasher or
washing machine
drain, and we talk about those all the time on here.

--
aem sends...

Posted by The Daring Dufas on October 10, 2009, 2:57 pm

Stormin Mormon wrote:

> If the tube is some what rigid, use a shopvac. Maybe vacuum
> the clog out.
>

I clear AC drain lines all the time with a shopvac. It's
a lot less messy than blowing them out. Never underestimate
the power of something that sucks. *snicker*

TDD

Posted by Jim Yanik on October 9, 2009, 9:41 pm

> This may not really be OT in AHR, after all, my car is parked in my
> garage, part of my home. Maybe this is stretching it? :-). I don't
> know where else to ask.
>
> I drive a 1993 Chevy Lumina with 100,000 miles. Runs better than new.
>
> Lately, when I turn on my air blower in any mode, such as heating, air
> conditioning, vent, it produces a blast of foul smelling air. After a
> minute, the bad smell disappears.
>
> Googling for this misbehavior points to mold produced by stagnant
> water in the a/c evaporator.
>
> I have tried disinfectant spray in the air-intake vent but now the car
> smells of perfumed dirty socks.
>
> Does anyone know of a simple way to get rid of this stink without
> tearing the car apart?? Seems to be a common problem and thus of
> common interest.
>
> Thanks, and my apologies.
>

My 03 Sentra SpecV's air vent smells like an ashtray,the cabin air filter
is missing,too.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
localnet
dot com

Posted by ransley on October 10, 2009, 7:42 am

> This may not really be OT in AHR, after all, my car is parked in my garag=

> part of my home. Maybe this is stretching it? :-). I don't know where els=

> to ask.
> I drive a 1993 Chevy Lumina with 100,000 miles. Runs better than new.
> Lately, when I turn on my air blower in any mode, such as heating, air
> conditioning, vent, it produces a blast of foul smelling air. After a
> minute, the bad smell disappears.
> Googling for this misbehavior points to mold produced by stagnant water i=

> the a/c evaporator.
> I have tried disinfectant spray in the air-intake vent but now the car
> smells of perfumed dirty socks.
> Does anyone know of a simple way to get rid of this stink without tearing
> the car apart?? Seems to be a common problem and thus of common interest.
> Thanks, and my apologies.
> --
> Walterwww.rationality.net
> -

Try sticking a piece of wire up the AC drain hose, does trapped water
drain out? Get a Turkey Baister and squirt water up the hose and see
if it all drains back out, then fill it full of denatured alcohol and
squirt it up the AC hose, clamping closed the hose with vise grips for
maybe 60 minutes will help the alcohol to to work. Bleach kills mold-
mildew quicker, in minutes, but now your vent system will stink for a
month+ like bleach, alcohol doesnt leave much of a smell for real
long, but I dont know how really effective it is. Bleach makes the
system unuaseable for days in summer, I know, once I poured it into
the vents. Now that its cold it could be unusable for a week or more.
There are chemical poisons to kill mold , but you will also breath
them driving.

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