A/C Smells like death

[ozzy4355]

For a few weeks now whenever I turn on my A/C it smell like something died in my vents. I changed my cabin air filter, still stinks, I found a dead bird in my radiator, removed that, still stinks. Anyone have any clues on how to get the stink out or where another furry friend might have croaked in my car.

 

[mndanielsncsu]

I had the same problem and it seems to be pretty common with T4R's. If you use your A/C, your are supposed to turn off but let the fan run for 2 minutes before you cut off your vehicle to get rid of any condensation. If you don't, it begins to form a mold or mildew that makes it stink. I researched some solutions on here and other websites and found that most dealerships use a product called BG Frigi-Clean to flush out the system and get rid of the odor.

I ordered some last summer and did it and haven't had any problems since. I still don't cut my A/C off before turning the car off. I'm just lazy and figured I'll buy more BG if the smells comes back.

If you buy it, they suggest you drill a hole into your evaporator housing and screw in a fitting. I wasn't comfortable doing that, so I just bought a longer hose and ran it up through the A/C condensation drip line that's near your front passenger tire. Worked without any problems.

Here's a link:
Buy Frigi-Clean® and Frigi-Fresh® | BG Frigi-Clean® and Frigi-Fresh® AC products | Frigi-Clean® and Frigi-Fresh®

 

[VNT]

thanks for the tip

 

[Mark86]

I usually run my compressor every week and never ride with recirculate on. After I started doing this, no more stinky AC.

 

[JohnsD90]

Baking Soda clears smells well, idk if you could dump it in vents though, maybe change the air lines.

 

[MikesToy]

This why i spray my cabin air filter with my personal cologne so it'll freshen inside.

 

[004Gunner]

Supposedly you can spray lysol to clean the vent system. It can stain vinyl though so you will need to test a spot before spraying it in the recirculating vent.

 

[mndanielsncsu]

To effectively clear the odor, you need to make sure your cabin filter is clean, use the BG or another brand foam in the evaporator and spray something through the vents. The BG kit comes with the evaporator foam and a lysol type spray that you spray through the vent intake that is under your hood at the base of the windshield. That kit or a comparable one are well worth the $30 or whatever they cost.

 

[Uneek]

About 5-10 minutes before arriving to your desintation and shutting off your 4Runner, keep the AC running and in fresh air mode. (I put it in recirculating mode when using the AC, because it's more efficient to cool down cooler cabin air than the hotter ambient air.) It'll allow the evaporator a chance to dry out.