A/C wet dog smell

R

RobD

Member
Evening all,

So, with the warmer weather I'm getting a musty, wet dog smell when the A/C is on. I presume that I have a dirty evaporator and there appears to be more than one cleaner on the market.

My questions for you folks are:

1) if you've used any of the evap cleaners, which one did you have success with?

2) where did you inject the cleaner?

And any other general ideas or impressions that you have regarding cleaning the evap.

Thanks in advance.
 
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Change your cabin air filter! It’s behind the glove box. Fixed mine, and mine was bad. It smelled like a lake on a hot summer day .


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Bossman said:
Smell from a/c help!!

4th gen mold smell??

Stench/Smell from A/C vents

https://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/180630-stank-$$-ac-smell.html
Click to expand...

I appreciate the links. However, most recommend Lysol, which appears to be a short-term solution. The use of an evap cleaner is preferred.

I was hoping for feedback from people who have used the foaming evap cleaner and where they had injected it into the system. I guess I'll bumblef*ck my way through this one.

Thanks folks.
 
RobD said:
I appreciate the links. However, most recommend Lysol, which appears to be a short-term solution. The use of an evap cleaner is preferred.

I was hoping for feedback from people who have used the foaming evap cleaner and where they had injected it into the system. I guess I'll bumblef*ck my way through this one.

Thanks folks.
Click to expand...

Rob, there maybe some other replies from members who have had the same issue and has used an evap cleaner, but your question has only been on the forum for less than 24 hours a very short time to get the answer you seek, you have to give it some time for the right people to see your question if it's a occasional issue with 4th Gens.

I'm guessing this is not a common issue most have with their T4Rs or you would of had some replies from people who has had the same issue, I wish I could answer your question but I haven't experienced such an issue with my T4R.
 
I used an evap cleaner. Honestly I would try it if your stuff smells bad. I ended up using a toyota 'AC refresh' kit I got off ebay. I injected the foam via the AC drain line under the car. I'd make sure the line is clear first, meaning there's a little puddle underneath your car after driving around with your AC on for awhile. I didn't have an AC smell, but the foam drained out looking pretty gross.
 
AuSeeker said:
Rob, there maybe some other replies from members who have had the same issue and has used an evap cleaner, but your question has only been on the forum for less than 24 hours a very short time to get the answer you seek, you have to give it some time for the right people to see your question if it's a occasional issue with 4th Gens.

I'm guessing this is not a common issue most have with their T4Rs or you would of had some replies from people who has had the same issue, I wish I could answer your question but I haven't experienced such an issue with my T4R.
Click to expand...

I am very familiar with how the forums operate and how long replies can take. My response was to the helpful individual who posted links regarding Lysol, etc., but did not address the two questions I had asked. My original post was very specific.

I have gotten one reply regarding going through the drain hose, which is more the type of info that I was after. I don't plan on going through the vents, since it is not the recommended method for the foam. Some videos on the subject recommend drilling a small hole in the heater box. I'd prefer to avoid that if I can, but if someone had tried that, I'd be interested in how well it worked. Some discuss going through the squirrel cage.

Once again, my questions are specific to the use of a foam cleaner, not about what the source of the smell is (I've narrowed it to the evaporator), nor were they about Lysol.

I appreciate the help, don't get me wrong.

I was just hoping that the answers were "I used the foam through the...and it worked out well."
 
simple said:
I used an evap cleaner. Honestly I would try it if your stuff smells bad. I ended up using a toyota 'AC refresh' kit I got off ebay. I injected the foam via the AC drain line under the car. I'd make sure the line is clear first, meaning there's a little puddle underneath your car after driving around with your AC on for awhile. I didn't have an AC smell, but the foam drained out looking pretty gross.
Click to expand...

Thank you, sir. This is what I was looking for. I will see if the hose is blocked and go from there.
 
AuSeeker said:
Rob, there maybe some other replies from members who have had the same issue and has used an evap cleaner, but your question has only been on the forum for less than 24 hours a very short time to get the answer you seek, you have to give it some time for the right people to see your question if it's a occasional issue with 4th Gens.

I'm guessing this is not a common issue most have with their T4Rs or you would of had some replies from people who has had the same issue, I wish I could answer your question but I haven't experienced such an issue with my T4R.
Click to expand...

I also think my "thanks, folks" may have been interpreted as being sarcastic. I assure you that it wasn't. I truly mean to thank those people who have gone out of their way to answer the questions.
 
Forgot to add, if you search Toyota AC refresh kit on YouTube, there’s a Toyota video with instructions on how to use it.
 
My 4R had an odd odor in warm weather only when we got it and we used a product called OdoBan. We liked it as an interior deodorizer. The smell eventually went away after several different approaches including OdoBan, baking soda, etc.

Obviously it’s a much different product than the evap cleaner but just wanted to put it out there in case you or anyone else reading this thread might find it useful at some point, just as I was unaware of evap cleaning kits and now plan to try one.
 
Bossman said:
Post # 12 in the fourth link I provided suggests/recommends the Toyota A/C Power Foam Evaporator Cleaner & Refresher (Step 1 of 2) and ConditonAire (Step 2 of 2).
Click to expand...

Yeah, I ended up using an evap cleaner from AutoValue. Got some dark fluid out of the drain tube and the air smells minty now. Just have to see how long it lasts.

Thanks for your help.
 
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