AC smells like old socks / cat piss

My AC smells like cat piss when running from inside and through the fans. Anyone know solutions/problem of this?

 

Changed the air filter recently?

 

cabin filter

 

A cat really did piss in your A/C

 

Mouse found a new home? Maybe start looking around for some mouse turds as well.

 

Evaporator core is leaking. Freon smells really bad.

 

You need to dry off the evaporator coil before you shut 'er down for the night.. but if there is odor then there is organic matter on it and you need to clean the coil.

$18 nextzett 96110515 Klima-Cleaner Air Conditioner Cleaner - 10 fl oz

https://www.amazon.com/nextzett-96110515-Klima-Cleaner-Conditioner-Cleaner/dp/B0002Z2MKO

Once you get it clean, run the vent without AC on for a minute before you shut it down each day.

 

Make sure your drain line is clear.

 

I had something similar. What I found was that there was spanish moss that had collected on the cowling (just below windshield). After a week it has broken down into smaller particles. I washed my truck. Smell was still there. I changed the cabin air filter (found behind the glove box) and the smell was still there, but not as bad. One of the techs at my local dealer said to spray lysol (not fabrese) on the filter and run the a/c for a few days only on outside air (not recirculate). If a little helps a little, a lot should help a lot, right? So I sprayed some lysol around the outside air intake, inside the cab and checked the drain line.... come to find out that the drain line was partially clogged by a mud-dabber bee. A coat hanger took care of the mud and I was able to get it up in there far enough.

The next day NO smell was visible and my truck did not smell like lysol, probably because I rode with the windows down. Another thing the tech told me was that if it was really hot outside, before I cut the truck off, to turn off the "recirculate" switch a minute or so early. This keeps the stale air from collecting in the cabin, and if you have a dark colored truck will allow at least some of the heat to escape.

Where I live, some of the older cars have had their back glass blown out because of the heat...or at least that is what has been suspected. Good luck.

 

Ya i was out of town for a month and had to leave my truck in the driveway, so it might have collected some rotting leaves under the hood. I cleaned them out but the smell is still there. Might check the filter and what JCruiser said.

 

Both my wife's mini and my Tacoma get this. At the dealership, they just remove the filter and spray Lysol into the cabin intake while the system is running to kill mildew in the system, so that's what I do and it works well.

 

$19 FJC 5914 Foaming Evaporator Cleaner - 16 oz.

https://www.amazon.com/FJC-5914-Foaming-Evaporator-Cleaner/dp/B002EAKX88

$15 Lubegard 96030 Kool-It Evaporator and Heater Foam Cleaner

https://www.amazon.com/Lubegard-96030-Evaporator-Heater-Cleaner/dp/B0007PHD0S

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KUhBUxa904

There are many foams available...

 

Update: had a small unwanted critter (lizard or something) that made its way onto my ac filter fan and had died. I had left my truck for a few weeks while I was on a trip. If anyone has a similar smell always check the filter behind the glove box!