Bad Smell

[Mr Magoo]

I have an unpleasant smell coming from the air vents on my 2007 Vibe. It can be best described as a stale beer smell. Anyone have this problem, any solutions?

[Caretaker]

"Smells" like you have pollen/mold/mildew buildup from junk depositing in your air intake ducts. First, take out your glove box and change your cabin filter (if you have not already done so. Next, roll down all your windows, turn your engine on, turn your fan to the highest setting, and take a can of Lysol (the regular stuff) and spray it into the air intake vents. This will eliminate your problem.

[Sublimewind]

Stop the kids from spilling beer all in your car??

[ColonelPanic]

Welcome! The lysol trick mentioned above will help but I can't guarantee it is a permanent fix. I had the same problem and while it helped, it was difficult to get rid of entirely. If it's bad enough, the dealers can take apart the A/C stuff in the dash and use some magic spray to coat the evaporator with that will kill all of the mold and bacteria that are causing the odors. The key is to not allow your car to be parked with water in the A/C system. A short time before you get to your destination, switch off the A/C and just let the fan blow. That will help dry out the eavporator and hopefully limit the amount of water that is in the system when you're parked. It makes the last minute or so of your drive a little uncomfortable but 3 years of doing that with my current car and I have none of the stench I had with the Vibe.

[Sublimewind]

Quote, originally posted by Sublimewind »Stop the kids from spilling beer all in your car?? I was playin BTW..

[Mr Magoo]

Excellent. I will try the Lysol method. How hard is it to get to the evaporator coil?

[djkeev]

Hi,You can also purchase a spray designed for Home Air Conditioner coil cleaning. It's available at many big box stores.I'd be leery of Lysol, I find the smell of that far worse than that of "stale beer"!! I agree with the idea of using the car "dry" for a period of time. AC use produces moisture. The only fix may be to access the AC coil and clean it well, it isn't something that will magically go away, the little fins may be encrusted with mold and slime. There really isn't an easy way to take care of this. Mold will live on even in a dry environment until moisture is returned and then blossom again!That smell is the out gassing of a growth, yeast if you will.Just a thought to scare you, legionaries disease breeds in a very similar environment that you have buried in your dash! Not sure if it has ever been documented in an automobile though it is well documented in conventional air conditioning systems.Dave

[djkeev]

Hi, againIf you chose to spray in a "cleaner" introduce it from the vents in front of the windshield (outside), the blower fan should be on high and it will suck in the mist and distribute it onto every part of the fresh air /ac/ cooling system.Dave

[Mr Magoo]

I wonder if an ozone generator used in the car would kill the offending bugs?

[Caretaker]

Well, I've done the Lysol thing and it worked perfectly and lasted too. Yes, you will have to like the Lysol smell, but it is a cheap and effective solution. Try it.