Skip01

So before i started stripping my project car i tried the A/C and it blew not cold and smelled like a wet dog.

I searched a bit but couldnt find anything definite, and now that i got the dash out i wanna make sure i get this fixed while im here.

Friend of mine said the dryer is culprit, and i also checked the blower inside....it doesnt look dirty.

But , idk if this is related, when i took my windshield cowl off to replace i noticed a bunch of mildew on this lil flap that goes inside to the car, i scraped it off but it fell inside....i wonder if that was a part of it as well?

Any other suggestions to clean or replace?

Ill prolly just replace all the stuff underhood, i want it blowing ice when im done

HondaGuy951

iTrader: (2)

it probably was that mildew. get that cleaned up and see what happens

Former User

Sounds like the A/C evaporator behind the glove box may also be filled with stinky stuff, though it would have to be removed for cleaning.

gen_x_dad

Agreed.

If you don't have the time to open up the evapourator box assembly, you can do a couple things to try and remedy the situation in the meantime

1. Ensure the evapourator drain tube is clear by blowing it out with compressed air. While this is not the most effective way of clearing it, it can allow you to drain out water which was previously trapped inside and very likely caused the odour issue.
2. Purchase an air conditioning system treatment spray. We use Wurth Air Conditioning & Heating System Treatment at the dealership at it has worked great for us. One bottle should suffice for treating the system several times.
   
3. Spray the treatment into all the dash vents as per the directions on the can. While it says to use a short 2-second spray, depending on how bad your odour problem is you might want to double or triple this time frame and also allow it to work a bit longer.

These next steps are a bit trickier and require getting under the vehicle using compressed air but they help further to reduce and even eliminate the odour source:

1. Locate the drain tube from the evapourator box
2. Wearing safety glasses or face shield, insert the straw from the can up into the drain tube
3. With someone helping you, have them insert the tip of an air nozzle into the drain tube, ensuring that the straw from the can is farther ahead of the blowgun nozzle. You essentially want to "force" the treatment up into the evapourator box with the compressed air, as the pressure from the can alone is not enough to get it all the way up the tube
4. Pinch the drain tube with your thumb and index finger to seal it around the can straw and air nozzle
5. Begin to spray the treatment and have your assistant work the air nozzle with enough pressure to drive the treatment up into the evap box. Don't go full bore with the air though. You aren't trying to blow a hole in the evapourator nor are you looking for the treatment to start pouring out of the dash vents
6. When you are finished, some of the treatment will drip out so make sure you are not under the drain tube when you remove the straw and air nozzle
7. Allow the treatment to work for a bit then turn on the system to run it through all the vents.

It is up to your own personal discretion how long you want to fire the treatment into the evapourator box. I had a car come in from a body shop that belonged to an older retired customer and it always sat for a long time in between drives. The A/C system was quite musty but appropriate for the age of the vehicle. I sprayed the treatment into the vents with the can for about 5 seconds each vent, then used a steady 10 second spray up into the drain tube and allowed it all to work itself in for about 10 minutes. I've used this process on two vehicles at work with really musty evapourator boxes and both times the customer was pleased with the result .

Bear in mind, this is not to replace a good thorough troubleshooting and/or cleaning of the inside of the evapourator box, especially if there are other more serious problems afoot in there. However it will bide you some time and can cut down or even eliminate the smell if you can't afford/don't have the time to have the evapourator box opened up and looked at .

Skip01

OK cool...ill look into that, my dash is out the car so ill try to locate the evap box.

Anyone got any pics?

That cone filter that would be behind the glove box appears too be clean...but ill see how it mounts in and take it out if i can

gen_x_dad

Oh I didn't know the dash was out (sorry if you mentioned it and I missed it). Your job is much easier now and you can probably open up the evapourator box to inspect it without much trouble. Sorry man I don't have any pics offhand (if I was at work I could copy and attach the page from the online manual) but the evapourator box will be somewhere near the middle or off to the side behind where the glovebox would be.

My other vehicle for daily and Daddy duties is a 2004 Element EX and they are notorious for debris and moisture buildup in the evapourator box which causes quite the olfactory aroma LOL.

That is the reason why evapourator boxes are often dubbed the "swamp box"

Skip01

Thanks for the help guys, it was evaporator core. I bought a new one and blower motor, cleaned the rest. We'll see if that works.

Wonder if I can spray the crap outta the core with febreeze so it'll smell nice always?