TOYOTA OWNERS! Here's How To Fix and Prevent AC Bad Smells
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
- Dear Toyota and Lexus Owners. Nothing ruins your summer like AC bad smells. In this video we talk about ways to prevent them from happening
And if you already have a bad smell, we'll also talk about how to fix it and prevent it from happening again.
Prevention is key when it comes to bad HVAC odors in your car. Try these simple tips to keep your AC Smelling fresh and healthy!
TCCN Automotive Inc.
Toyota and Lexus Specialist Repair
Visit www.tccnautomotive.com to schedule your appointment today.
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#thecarcarenut #tccnautomotive #toyota #lexus
0:00 Intro
0:40 Why Do They Smell
3:06 Why Certain Models Get This Smell
4:46 What to do if your car AC Smells Bad
6:11 DIY Guide to fix it
12:51 How to Prevent It - Auta a dopravní prostředky
You are my freaking hero. My wife’s new Corolla got this. We took it to dealership (Lowe Toyota in Warner Robins) and they said they had never heard of this kind of problem and even tried to blame it on an accident!! that showed up in error on car fax. Literally, they did more work not to work than just addressing it. God I wish you were local.
Yea don’t you just love it when some mechanic say “wow, that’s the first time I’ve ever heard of something like that happening.” Because they know it’s a tedious job that requires attention to detail to resolve it. And they just want to make it go away with a minimal amount of effort.
Lol funny story because acura tried to tell me my engine vibration was caused by an accident because they could tell the door was repainted. It was repainted because of scratches not an accident. They will look for any excuse to not fix things.
I am a professional car electrician, I love your jobs
Much Respect brother
Man are you located near the state of Delaware?
Man are you located near the state of Delaware?
@@davidrivas1174He’s in the Chicago area.
I have always run my Toyota’s with AC off on the last 1/2 mile to my house for this exact reason! 30+ years now. Nice to see the explanation and details, thank you!
Absolutely! I do the same thing and I’ll go back and forth from recycle to fresh air. In the city and at lights or if I need it to quickly cool down I’ll put it on recycle but then while I’m driving especially at high speeds I’ll put it often back to fresh air.
I wondered why we’ve never had this problem but then learned me changing the charcoal cabin filter yearly and leaving it on auto 72 is probably why!! Thanks for another educational video!!
I use to to this every 2 years ( thats as long as it lasts for me). I was tired of spending 70$ CAD everytime to get this done. So I started to pull the cab air filter and spraying Lysol into the blower which ends up on the evaporator. ( done on high speed) with the AC on. It works like a charm and 1/100th of the cost. Also my RAV dosent smell overpowering for a few weeks.
Thanks for this! My Camry got stinky a few years back, cleaned the evaporator with that spray and changed the cabin filter. Now, I always shut off the AC within a mile or so before arriving home, allowing the fan to help dry out the evaporator box. No more musty odors, "the war department" thinks I'm nuts for doing this.
If you live in a dryer climate, like I do, I just make sure to not let it run on recycled AC the last 15-20 minutes of the drive, and that also seems to work fine. Cheers.
@@chrisbaty3824 I AGREE!
I live in Palmdale Ca which is a dry desert. A couple miles from home, turn off A/C leave fan on high with the control on fresh (not recirc) air and one window slightly open.
WORKS GREAT!
An important note: If your driveway is at an incline, back your vehicle into your driveway. The condensation builds up and will drain slowly but sometimes pool and contribute to mold/spores. This allows the condensation to drain as much as possible.
Our import shop uses a very similar product made by BG Automotive. The foam dissolves any mildew and spores in the evaporator. It works very well in our Southwestern Summer heat.
BG seems to make good products
You always have very very informative videos brother wish we had a mechanic like you in south carolina. God bless you very very much
Your channel is big blessing for me I am a mechanic and I been working for my self for over 20 years and I am learning new things from you all the time. I am also teaching young teenager and I tell them they must watch your videos before they can come to work in my shop. Thanks alot for the hard work for sharing knowledge.
I park my car turn the AC off and let the fan run with the AC off for a few minutes. Especially after a long trip! In my area its usually not that hot so I usually switch to fan only for a few minutes before I get home. This always made sense to me since I'm a residential HVAC guy. Good to know I was doing the right thing!
I change my car's cabin and engine air filters every year on my birthday.
Yearly gift for my car and me.
You read my mind. I was looking for this video from you yesterday. I am trying to prevent smells I knew of the Toyota kit, but wanted to see you do it so I know I’m doing it right
Yes u can use ac cleaner kits on other brands
Nice tip on not using the re circulate, I live in south Alabama and the heat and humidity can be brutal sometimes.
I like what you say at the end "May the Lord bless you and keep you" 👍🏾. People are scared to say things like that nowadays, for fear of 'offending' someone/ group.
I thought I was knowledgeable about automotive AC, but thank you, I DID find this video helpful and I DID learn something new! Namely, the tip on Auto Mode programming preventing this problem, drying out the evaporator in the last minutes of driving, and the available cleaning kit. Very helpful for my new-to-me 2020 Tacoma and my 215k 2007 RAV4. Thank you for another excellent video applicable to all us Toyota/Lexus owners who live between the Arctic and Antarctic Circles! 😅
Running the A/C with fresh air in a humid climate is a horrible idea unless the goal is to condense as much water as possible in the evaporator coil and hope the condensate runoff provides a flushing action. I agree 100% with his suggestion to turn the A/C off 5 (or more) minutes from home and keep the air circulating. That's really the only way to dry an evaporator coil.
That’s a really good point!
Running A/C on recirculate all the time is a terrible idea.
@elonmusk should program this into Teslas.
@@TidewaterC Depending on the climate but in the warmer places it should always be on after the car is relatively cool.
@@TidewaterC *Might work OK in the Tidewater area (Chesapeake, VA) but come to Florida and see how that works for you. Cheers!*
I've been looking for this video for a long time. Excellent timing, I planned to clean the AC tomorrow. Thank you.
Very good presentation on how and why the A/C smells and how to correct the problem 😊 nicely done ✅
I was doing this yesterday, but didn’t think about pulling the cabin filter first. I wish your video came out 24 hours earlier ! I also thought that it was good to cycle through all vents , including windshield defroster. Now I have little oily spots inside my windshield. Thank you AM , you always have good advice and information. Keep those videos coming.
MY 2011 AVALON LIMITED LOVES YOUR CHANNEL ❤❤
This video is super useful because I have had three Toyotas and bad smell problems in all three.
In my 2012 Altima that I have owned since new I have NEVER had a bad smell coming from the air conditioner. I also par k my car in my garage every night. Sounds like a Toyota problem to me.
@@josephkelleher8820 That’s exactly what he mentioned: czcams.com/video/xb0fDfzV41I/video.html
You are good at your work. Thanks a lot for always making a video for many of us in Africa. I came across your channel only in few days ago but trust me am learning a lot to run my small shop.
great informative video! I have a 2014 GS350 with this same issue but i never knew why. I did research and found to at least sometimes use the fresh air function instead of recirculate, which does help eliminate the mildew smell. I bought my GS used, and i have seen the carfax report which shows the first owner brought the car in for service MULTIPLE times to have the AC checked and cleaned. I bet he sold it because of this issue! his loss is my gain, I bought it with 39k miles, now have 97k nearly trouble free miles on it!
Extremely useful. Cleared up many questions on the subject.
WOW!!! Thank you, Thank You! This is the First Vid on this matter that actually makes perfect sense! You really know what to do and you are great at showing reality....esp. the prevention methods......
I was just wondering about this last night and you magically release a video on the subject :) Thank you and keep up the great work!
Good prevention comment! With both of my Prius, a 2003 and a 2009, I would smell the sour, vinegar smell coming out of AC vents, usually a few weeks into hot weather. So, I got in the habit of always running the fan only for about 3 minutes to dry the evaporator, as I approached home. Never had any smell 👃since. Oddly, with my Subaru or Nissan autos did I have any issues of odors.
I find it amazing how DIY Toyota’s are and can be. I own a ‘21 Corolla and I’ve done a few things to it myself and this will be my next thing to do.
Thank you so much for your videos!.
Thanks CCN - another great video. I actually traded my 2014 Camary after 2 years because of this. The first summer was fine, then the second had the moldy smell. I get frequent sinus infections and didn’t want the risk. I tried the Lysol method, but didn’t fix it, the dealer said they had not heard of it, but said they could clean the system for 100 bucks. Of course when I did an internet search, I noticed it was a common problem, and recurring, so I got an Accord instead. 6 years so far and no smell and always on recirculate. I’m sorry, but this is unacceptable for Toyota, they should redesign the system to drain better. I never had this problem until I got the Camary.
BTW - so glad I found your channel, very informative, great delivery, and great sense of humor. Keep the reviews coming, I’m hoping to get a new ride in 24.
Thanks Ahmed for another excellent review.
What I like about my Lexus ES 300h is that with the Auto function on it detects pollution so if your behind a car with a lot of fumes it will automatically switch to recirculating mode then once the air is clear it will switch back to fresh air mode,love it,this avoids having to keep fiddling with it and forgetting it in Recirculating mode.
Everything that you shared is definitely sound, and makes sense except for one major item. We can agree to disagree that in Florida the summers are so humid. I’ve always used recirculate and only recirculate. Otherwise you’re bringing in the humidity inside the vehicle and you’re not getting maximum cooling and dehumidification. The one thing I do when I cut the car off is I make sure that the AC is reset back to fresh air so that you’ve got some flow through ventilation to help dry up the evaporator and reduce any smells.
You are the most considerate, kindest person I've never met, I love your show, I love the way you teach, and most of all I love applying your knowledge to my 2010 Scion XB you have saved me thousands of dollars on suspension alone, I learned why my car burned oil from you, now it burns no to a little bit of oil because I change it using great oil and filter often, never longer than 3000 miles, you rock, and may God bless your family
Thank you so much for this video. I have this problem with my Tundra. I will follow these steps. Love your videos!!!
Very informative as always. Always learning something new from watching your videos. Thanks AMD.
Agree on your recommendations . I do it for years because it's just makes sense.
Thank you, AMD
Great information about a problem that most people might have experienced during car ownership,
I learned about this with my 2000 Lexus GS300. You made another wonderful video showing how to replace the evaporator and had a great opportunity there to show where the mold and bacteria live and where the foam would go in and clean everything out. Since my GS300, I have always used the charcoal filters and changed them every year and a half, and mostly always use fresh air in all my cars when using A/C, and like others mentioned here, turn off the A/C while driving home the last 20 mins to help air dry the evaporator box. What I also do at the end of the summer season, when I know that I won't be using the A/C as much, I take out the filter and turn on the fan to high, and spray in some basic Lysol Spray for a few minutes into the cowl intake to help kill off any active bacteria in the pathways and evaporator box. I do the same process of using Lysol on my windows A/C units to help kill off the musky smell that sometimes accumulates as well.
As always, another great instruction video on how to fix and prevent AC bad smells. I have had this problem on one recent vehicle I had. I would like to know if you can use the Toyota cleaning kit on other makes of vehicles such as Chevrolet, Ford, etc.
Yes u can use them on any brand,
why it happens is natural plus not changing filters which causes moulding etc etc
@@hiteshadhikari Thanks for the helpful info!
JUST WHAT I NEEDED THANK YOU!!
Just started having a bad odor on my 2020 Camry! Good video as always AMD, greetings from SoCal
Awesome Video, you are the ultimate teacher, thank you.
I have a Buick and you are the best, I have been racking my head to figure this out thank you!
Another amazing video!
Long live and prosperous. You have touched many lives.
I wish I had a physician like you. You would also make a great doctor! Excellent explanation and presentation.
Thanks AMD. This is exactly what I do to my cars with auto a/c. Set them to 72 and be done with it. But kids don't listen, they get in the car and manually adjust to 65 in summer. I told them it will take the same time and fan speed to get to your comfort zone, but no one listens. I will forward this episode to them. Thanks.
Mr. Ahmed, thank you. Your video provided information I wasn’t aware of. I look forward to more.
I'm 60 with a 2022 camry XSE. Just when I thought I knew how ac's work you taught me something new. TY!
Thank You Again AMD! I never realized that you need to turn off recirculate mode on the A/C to prevent excess moisture build up. Your Channel is awesome!
My Toyota dealer recommended this at my last maintenance visit, worked great.
AMD you are the Toyota guru! Thanks for all you do to educate and inform.
True That!
Thank you for your excellent and very thorough videos.
AMD, Thank you for this video! I have bought this kit for my 4Runner in the past and applied the cleaning foam and deodorant completely in the wrong way - all in one shot. I thought I just wasted my money because I did not get the best results. I will try it again in the future with your instructions and suggestions!
This such an important video for GX owners. This exact thing happened in my 22 gx. I only used recirculate and max ac, the perfect recipe for this happening along with the fact that the GX ac is an older design. I traded it in for a 23 gx so could get the off road package and I wondered if the smell would happen again and now know it would have. I just went
and put all settings like Mr Nut instructed and I'm looking now into some kind of AC for
my garage or at least a dehumidifier. Thank you so much and God Bless!!!
I've been doing the preventative method for a long time, glad to be validated.
Great information and advices. Thank you!
Thank you for the detailed explanation. You are the best!
Excellent Tutorial, Thank You for sharing the knowledge.
I used this on my volvo, worked like a charm!
Thank you AMD this video was sorely needed.
I’ve used this product on two different cars. It truly works! I’ve tried other off the shelf products, none of them work as good as this kit.
Thank you so much for the tips on air conditioning care.
I have a RAV4 XLE 2022 and had exactly the same situation. A strong moldy smell start coming when turning on the ac. So, I went to the Toyota authorized service center for a scheduled 24,000 km servicing and mentioned this problem. The technician found moldy cabin filters but they did not replace them with a charcoal filter. I always run AC in auto mode at 20'C and recirculate the air and park my car in the underground parking lot. This video has some really very helpful tips & tricks and I will follow those tips and tricks and will definitely share the video with my fellow Toyota user friends.
Amazing video! Just had the same issue with our Tesla.
This was highly informative. Love your channel, thank you!
Amazing video and information. I love it. Thank you
Thanks for sharing this video. Makes absolute sense. I had a lot of "oh that's why" moments while watching.
Thank you so much for making this video!!
Good info, I have a 23 R4 Hybrid. I will always use auto now that I watched this info. I was playing with the recirc button and turning off the AC a few blocks from home
Thanks for sharing. Good information!
Excellent pointers ADM!
Thanks for the info AMD!
Great advice! Just ordered a 4 stage carbon plus filter from Amazon for my 2004 Lexus LS430. Fortunately I do not have an odor problem but it great to know how to prevent it!
We can send you a box of odor problems if you would like.
Thank you do much for your videos and also I was just questioning if I should turn AC off before shutting down vehicle, than you for answering that question.
Absolutely excellent summary and solution. Maybe explain what re circulation function means as many don’t know. Hope all is well Stephen
Thank you for another great video!!
Excellent advice! 🏆
Very informative video. Thank you.
Great video. Thank you.
I spray lysol in my intake cowl. Then run ac on high with windows down to air it out for a couple of minutes works every time.
Yeah, I did that to my car, and the ventilation baffles got stuck. All the AC came out the floor vent.
Pull the cab air filter and spray into the blower - it works way better.
Thank you for tip and tricks in the video.
Unfortunately I can't afford to turn off the A/C 5 mins away from the house, since I living in Houston TX and lately the temp has reach over 105F.
I do leave all of my car climate control in auto setting, funny you mentioned the temp control. I put mine at 68 during summer and 72 during winter.
Please keep put up great education video. Thanks
Well, like always I just learned something new! Thank you!
Ive owned 4 Toyotas and live in FL and store my vehicles in a garage and Never had this problem. But i was always told to shut off the AC but keep the fan running the last couple min home.
Thank you very much for another great and informative video
Great information about AC maintenance
I love your directions
This man is a legend. I have this issue with my Lexus is300h.
Excellent video ,I just did this works perfectly
Great advice. My 2020 camry hybrid had that smell bought the kit online and followed your advice to the T and worked great. Only struggle was dam this car sits low to the ground. Rhino ramps only lifted car a bit but was about to get to hose to spray up the drain hose. Thanks you were a great help 👍
Thank you ! Very helpful
I am a professional watchers of your videos and You Are Awesome.
Great info for any car brand.
Mr. @TheCarCareNut,
You channels are awesome !
Thank you
Omg thank you so much. This worked perfect on my Toyota 2001 corolla. When popping the vent back in, it worked better for me to fit in one side first (forward facing rather than downwards like he instructed) then popping in the other side with the aid of the screwdriver as OP noted. 🎉
Love your video when talking about common issues not necessary repairs. This one seems not a DIY as I have to raise the car up. I usually just use Lysol spray on to air filter compartment (filter removed) with fan a high speed. Seems to work.
Just purchased a used Prius and the smell was horrible. My allergies went nuts. Grateful to know this is an issue with my car and how to remediate the situation. LOVE YOUR VIDEOS!
Did you get it fixed?
Good tips. Re circ on and off. 68-74°F Also, I remove my cowl and clean out all the leaves and debris.
Thank you AMD your a blessing to us all car care nuts
Ingenious way of using the A/C drain to access the condenser!
I have LEXUS LS 430 2003 I always have that problem thank you for the information
Sehr schön und umfassend erklärt, und auch vielen Dank für den Tip, den Schaum durch den Ausslass zum Condenser zu sprühen…
That GSF is stunning!