So... I have a weird smell. .

Hey Fam,

Every time I turn my AC on ...it smells like old popcorn mixed with mold. Been noticing it for a week or so now. Just right in the beginning, but then the smell fades away as the air blows. I’ve turned my truck off with the AC still on for a while now when I park.. and I’m wondering if this has done something where fluid has built up.


Truck has 5K miles on her. And she’s been babied.

Warranty at dealer ? Or is this something I can fix.

 

Bring it to the dealer or start by checking your cabin air filter

 

Thats an interesting one. Do you eat in your truck?

Like graybaldtaco said is check your cabin filter , if its fine, next step is to go see the stealership.

 

remove cabin filter.
see if that helps

 

No eating , or smoking.

baffled because the truck is so new ...

 

I’ll try the cabin filter. Seems to be located in glove box.
Thanks brotha

 

Yes you dooo doooo

 

I smoke captain blacks in my truck once in a while and after a year, still has new car smell, even when turn on the ac/heater fan.

Definately something is wrong.

Good luck man

 

Growing mold on the condenser?

 

People who think the cabin air filter fixes this have no idea what is actually happening.

There are a lot of threads on this all over TW, including those I have started myself.

The air conditioning systems in these trucks do not drain well. On top of that, they default to have recirculated air when the air conditioner runs, which is a way to keep the entire system cooler, and therefore, grow more mold.

Mold grows on the actual condenser coil as well as deep within the tubes. I am *incredibly meticulous* about turning off my air conditioner, running hot air through it, and never using recirc unless it's 100+ degrees outside. Even I have the stench problem. There are some aftermarket solutions but they are not ideal, in my opinion, because you have to drill into the water box, fill with foam, and drain. I don't consider this a fix, as I think the real answer is to get the actual condenser coil out, and clean that. I've just yet to see anyone write up how to get down deep in there, and the dealership fails to comprehend the words I've posted above.

Best of luck, hopefully someone chimes in.

Run your HEATER on recirc for a long time, burn up those bacteria, and be sure to blow dry, clean air out of your AC minutes before you turn it off. When cold air sits in the system, mold grows.

Here's a thread I previously created on this topic:

https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/has-anyone-cleaned-their-ac-coil.519905/

 

cabin air filter, and have them do a coil cleaning for the AC unit. AC coils tend to condensate (drips of water under vehicles on humid days with AC running).. some water always remains on the coils, and if it doesnt evaporate quickly it can attract dust, and over time it will start to grow mold... they will remove your cabin filter, and spray some deodorizer/sanitizer spray that stays on the coil, and kills everything growing on it, including most of thesmell.....nature of the beast... systems have to be cleaned every once in a while, some areas of the US more than others.. rest of the problem gets flused out the AC drain.. (make sure the drain is'nt clogged either... rodents like to crawl up or in them, and make nests... condensation builds up, and can smell nasty/moldy... also check that cowl vents are clear of debris... this is the fresh air intake for the cabin...

 

The way I prevent this is running hot air on my AC.. and turning it off some blocks before getting to my destination... my wife always runs ac I’ve cold and she has that smell...

every morning I run defrost for about 5 min on my way out... then ac knob around 10am position... I hardly use my ac on max air or lower than 9am position... my truck is white.. that helps...

 

It's more than likely mold growing on or around your evaporator coil behind the dash. The condenser coil is actually up by your radiator. Either way, it's a bad design if it allows moisture to collect in the ductwork and turn sour.

 

Those fucking engineers...

 

So many weird little component names in AC. I can never keep em straight

 

Man it's a new vehicle, go to dealer, have them clean the a/c system. 5K miles and this is not normal.

 

That's the smell of a dead mouse and mold, keep looking and I bet you find it.

 

Gee, is there no end to the petty problems that plague our Tacos ?

 

this is a problem for EVERY vehicle ever made... cant be prevented, but the access to clean it could definitly be easier... older cars you just removed the blower motor for access/cleaning... newer cars you have to remove the dash to access any of it other than the filter that typically sits behind the glovebox (remove glovebox door to remove/replace filter)...