As the summer heat begins to close in our vehicle’s a/c should be front of mind. We rely on our air conditioning systems to help keep us comfortable on those hot days. Have you ever turned on the a/c in your vehicle and noticed a bad or off-putting smell?
Here are 3 possible reasons for the bad smell in your vehicle’s A/C:
A clogged evaporator drain could cause a rotten smell in your air conditioning.
As our a/c systems run in hot and humid conditions they create moisture. As the heat is being removed from the air in your cabin the humidity condensates on the evaporator core and drips into a drain. Sometimes algae can develop in the drain and cause a clog. Along with the potential for an in cabin water leak many times you can smell an off putting moldy smell.
A dirty or contaminated cabin air filter can cause a bad smell in your a/c.
Most modern vehicles have a in cabin climate control system air filter. This filter keeps your under dash heater and air conditioning components clean as well as removes contaminates from the air in your car. If your filter is dirty and full of pollen, leaves and other debris it can defiantly cause a bad smell. In some instances we find rodents nests on top of cabin filters causing all sorts of bad smells.
A refrigerant leak could cause a chemical type smell.
If you have a leak in one of your in cabin air conditioning components it could cause a bad smell. Clients sometimes report a harsh chemical smell right when the a/c blower starts after sitting over night. The smell of refrigerant in your cabin is a definite sign you are having a problem.
Off-putting or bad smells are often a sign of a problem with your vehicle and the mechanics at Tim’s are here to help!
