AC system in 2022 Tacoma - musty mold smell?

I feel like I'm the only one with the opposite issue; I can run the A/C on recirc all day with no smell but as soon as recirc is off and fresh air is coming in it's god awful musty. Also only happens when it's above ~50*. I've hit the system with Ozium a couple times and it doesn't last long. I've swapped the cabin filter I think three times now as well.

 

Odd. Maybe the sequence/programming of the actuators was reversed for you truck, Re-circulate button is actually fresh air intake.

 

Bring it in I bet the AC is not charged. Had this exact problem on my 2014 and there was zero refrigerant in the system, they balanced it and it smelled fine and worked great the rest of the time owning it.

 

If you remove the blower motor, you can sneak a bore scope camera up into the HVAC intake behind the dash and see if there is anything in there?

 

Do you guys drive with your HVAC system off until needed??
Mine is always on...on the lowest fan speed, fresh air blowing into my face, all year round.
Never experienced any foul smell in all of the vehicles I've owned, and I have a few.

 

It does make a difference where you live - warm/humid, hot/dry, use A/C often/not.

I have a 2017. I live in eastern Pennsylvania. The problem shows up every year when I first use the A/C in the spring. It happens when the A/C hasn't been run for six months(even though it is used during defrost mode). I get a huge god awful blast of mold stench. This past winter I kept the blower running all season to help. It did not help. I have become more sensitive to mold in recent years. Immediately my sinuses burn and I feel pain in my ears. My daughter has a immune deficiency illness and is very sensitive to mold.

The cabin filter has nothing to do with the mold problem. Spraying a lysol type product will only mask it and won't clean/kill it. Not using recirculate does help. But it is not a cure. I've noticed people in a warm climate report they don't have the problem as much. That is probably because they use the A/C year round( system is constantly flushing), or, they live in a hot dry climate where very low humidity doesn't create moisture.

I cannot feed the cleaning tube up the drain hose due to a 90 degree connection at the top of the hose. I have to remove the blower and blast foam evap cleaner in the system a couple of times to keep it clean. Either way; Once mold gets in there, it is impossible to kill it. It will grow back. My dealership says they do not use the Toyota refresh kit.

Toyota - You know You have a problem.

 

I take it eastern Pennsylvania probably has similar weather to Germany and I have the same problem. I've changed out the Cabin Filter three times, used the Toyota Refresh Kit (the one that is carried here, its not the same two step as in the US) and lysol in the intake vents, and tried fogging the inside. It won't go away! I've owned GM, Chrysler, Mazda and VW products and this is by far the worst offender. I always switch it off prior to arrival and it still happens. Idk if any progress was made on that class action suit but damn do they need to do a TSB or something for it