So guys I bought my FJ about 5 months ago and I have noticed that when I use the AC, I get a bit of a funky/musty smell for a while. it is not horrible but it is noticeable. It does not do this with the AC off on any hot or cold settings though....
Anyone else get this and is there a way to eliminate it or clean something in HVAC area under the dash?
Yep, there's a cabin air filter behind the glove box. If you search there's a thread here that shows how to change it.
When I change mine there's always leaves and other organic matter in it, contributing to the smell.
Also, I had a mouse get in there, a common problem (again, there are threads to this on the Forum). The mouse actually got stuck in the blower motor, which is right below the cabin filter, so you may want to make sure there's nothing in the blower motor that could be producing the smell (again, there's a thread here somewhere that shows how to drop the motor, it's simple...).
There are deodorizer sprays for the cabin filter that you can purchase or a charcoal cabin filter.
And if in a rural area, I'd suggest getting some pest poison or repellent to put somewhere near the firewall on the passenger side too. Mice and other pests looooove those air filter housing areas. I've seen people use Dove soap in a sock and tie it up someplace on the right side of the engine as a repellent too.
Leaving it on Re cir will cause a lot of the stinky foot smell. I installed this kit & it helps. Also turn off the AC before you get home & let the air blow over the the coils to help reduce moisture that molds & smells. I also use Lysol white rain remove the Cabin air filter & spray it in while the A/C is on & running & will also the mold build up & remove the smell
Might just want too try running the fan w/ AC off a for minute before shutting down the car. Might just be some left over moisture and starts smelling like mold..... But also could be a dead mouse in the cabin filter as noted above
I always heard that you don't want to shut the car off with the AC running because it leaves moisture in the system which causes the funky smell. Instead you should run just the straight fan for a few minutes before you turn the AC off to get rid of the moisture. Not sure how true that is, but I follow this rule and have never had a funky smell.
If the cabin filter is dirty/moldy it would stink on both heat or cold.
If it's only smelly when the AC is on, then your AC intake system needs disinfected.
I bought my FJ used a couple of years ago during the summer. It had a moldy smell to it when it was hot out. I cleaned the AC evaporator, housing and replaced filter. Long story short, the pad under the floor mat near the rear door was damp and smelled bad. I removed all of the floor mats and dried everything out real well. Sprinkled baking soda on the pads and reinstalled. No more smell.
Order the Toyota A/C refresh kit off of Amazon. The dealer is a little more. 2 cans. Spray one in the air intakes outside and the other is a foam for the drain tube. Works great. I had the same problem.
The hood vent near the passenger window by the antenna, it connects to a fresh air drain. In addition to changing the filter it does not hurt to dump a ton of Lysol down that way. Helped mine just keep it off the paint (maybe funnel drip it in).
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