Bad smell from air vents

[shawnee]

Hey everyone,

So I’ve been noticing a weird moldy smell from the air vents every time I turn on the AC, mostly when the recirculating function is turned off. I changed the cabin air filter, and the smell is still there. Is there anything I can do to solve this issue?

Best,
Shawnee

 

[sm1ke]

Might be worth a shot.

How to Get Rid of Musty Smell From Car Air Conditioner - Consumer Reports

Get rid of musty AC smells in your car with simple DIY tips—clean vents, replace filters, and disinfect the system.

www.consumerreports.org

I occasionally get the moldy smell too, but it's very brief and doesn't always happen. I've been meaning to do this but it just keep slipping my mind.

 

[virgilaunt]

I strongly recommend this product:

Nextzett Cleaner (formerly Einszett)

I've used it before on a different vehicle and it works really well. Smells damn good too. Please note though that recommended use entails the removal of the blower or whatever way you'll get access to the coils, which is what the product/foam is meant to be applied on.

 

[shawnee]

Might be worth a shot.

How to Get Rid of Musty Smell From Car Air Conditioner - Consumer Reports

Get rid of musty AC smells in your car with simple DIY tips—clean vents, replace filters, and disinfect the system.

www.consumerreports.org

I occasionally get the moldy smell too, but it's very brief and doesn't always happen. I've been meaning to do this but it just keep slipping my mind.

So under the left wiper arm (while facing the vehicle) are a couple of holes; it’s visible upon opening the hood. Is that considered the plenum? Should I spray the Lysol disinfectant spray into those holes?

 

[morenar]

So under the left wiper arm (while facing the vehicle) are a couple of holes; it’s visible upon opening the hood. Is that considered the plenum? Should I spray the Lysol disinfectant spray into those holes?

Did you ever find out where exactly to spray into? I am wanting to do the same thing on my CX-9.

 

[PTguy]

I haven't done the treatment, but I'd set the controls for outside air intake, the fan speed on high, and look and listen and feel for a place near the base of the wipers where the air is being pulled in. Then follow the directions. Or maybe set the air intake to recirculate, fan on high, and look under the dash for the place the air is being pulled in.

Also be sure the AC evaporator drain pan is draining and not clogged with goo. Some have success pulling the stuff out by connecting a shop vac to the drain tube, somewhere under the car under the foot area of the front seat area that should drip water from the drain tube. If the shop vac doesn't get the job done, it may be time to blow it clear with compressed air or an aerosol compressed air duster can.

A cabin air filter with activated charcoal may capture some smells, but it's not a replacement for killing the mold in the evaporator.

 

[ashram]

I strongly recommend this product:

Nextzett Cleaner (formerly Einszett)

I've used it before on a different vehicle and it works really well. Smells damn good too. Please note though that recommended use entails the removal of the blower or whatever way you'll get access to the coils, which is what the product/foam is meant to be applied on.

I know this thread is old but did you ever actually use Nextzett on your Mazda? I bought it but I am not sure how get access to the coils.

 

[shawnee]

I didn’t use that method. Instead, I bought Lysol disinfecting spray and sprayed it into the cowl vents while running the fan on the highest setting. If I remember correctly, I also had the temperature set to the highest. I repeated the process twice, and the smell disappeared. Since then, I’ve continued doing it every six months, and the smell hasn’t returned.

 

[GFrosty]

I know this thread is old but did you ever actually use Nextzett on your Mazda? I bought it but I am not sure how get access to the coils.

I used two cans of the Kool-It product. Inserted the hose up the HVAC drain spout (on my CX-5 located at the left side of the front passenger foot well). Allowed lots of crud to get emulsified and drain out. Then went for a drive with the A/C on "high" for a little while. The moderate stink of the chemical was gone before too long. And the musty, moldy smell was gone from the A/C.

Now, since I didn't take apart the dash to get at the coils, I can only go by the product's description and the fact that the brownish gunk-filled fluid came out heavily the first time, noticeably less the second can, and that the smells disappeared.

Haven't yet gotten to it, again, this year, but I will soon do another zap, this time perhaps using a spray disinfectant through the intake air vents.

G

Post in thread 'Unclog A/C drain and remove musty smell easily'

May 17, 2024

first off you guys are awesome!
My 2019 (54k miles) started doing this the last week or two and this video greatly helped.

I did notice the hose is slightly different on the 2018 as it didn't have that retaining clip on the top part of the drain hose.

View attachment 306240


I was able to get the kool-it line all the way into this hose and emptied the can into the line.
had some discolored fluid leak out of it into a container while I let it sit for 15 minutes so you could tell it was definitley cleaning it out.

After starting the car up it appears the smell is greatly reduced / gone but...

• GFrosty