This video may be 9 years old, but man what you taught me WORKS LIKE A FRICKIN CHARM!!! I just did this now and man am I glad the that stinkin' sock smell is gone.
Dude, I've been trying to get rid of the foul odor for ages. I even forbode my wife to ride in the car bare feet to see if it got better. Nothing worked, until I saw your video. Thanks, worked like a charm!!!
Also, there are drains at the bottom of the air conditioning/heat vents that sometimes get plugged up and cause all of the condensation moisture to get trapped in the ducts and also rain water can get trapped. you can actually have several inches of water sitting at the bottom of your vents causing all kids of mold, mildew issues. Find out where the drains are and blast compressed air back through the vents to try and unplug them.
This totally worked!!! I had the most foul rotting fish smell coming from my AC. One treatment with the Lysol spray and the next morning the smell is completely gone. It took a total of about five minutes. You are my HERO.
I had been having this problem with a mildew smell each time I used my air conditioner and couldn't figure out why until I viewed your video! Thanks to you, NO MORE MILDEW SMELL!!!!!!! It was driving me crazy, and now it's fine, thanks again!
Another trick to keep this from happening too often, is to turn off the AC about a block or so from coming home, to let the system purge itself of all the cold air. The air will still be cold enough for a short time after it's turned off, but doing this will balance the climate within the vents, giving your system a fresh start next time.
I'm in AZ. I just started getting the smell. Can I just turn on my fan with fresh air setting on and let that blow for awhile if it's not to hot? As I'm typing yhis I've had my blower going for quite a few minutes. Please answer. Thank you.
Thank You for posting the simplest, cost efficient solution to this "funky smelling" problem. Since (fabric seats) my car has had this problem for years, I've just accepted to live with it during the summer (east coast)... so, was excited to give this a try. I went a little further by also removing the cabin air filter before starting. Thus, as explained in the video, ran thru all vent buttons (even defrost & recycle)... A/C, then Heat, then back to A/C one more time, then turn off the A/C button, but have the fan running at different speeds for a minute or two, so as to dry excess lysol. Left it with open windows overnight and drove it today and FINALLY, no mildew smell at all. Awesome!
Thanks for this. Did it two years ago and worked wonders, smell has just started to return so reapplied and all ok again. Use dettol all-in-one disinfectant spray here in the UK.
Totally worked! Thank you! My Odyssey was smelling like dirty gym socks and I was looking for a solution, thank you for your video, I used the disinfectant Lysol and the smell went away almost immediately. My husband is amazed cause I fixed it hahaha
This video really helped me a lot. I have a 2014 Hyundai Elantra and the smell had been there for a couple weeks i just never got around to fixing it. and in case anyone is wondering, I used Lysol and it worked PERFECT. Fixed the smell within minutes. Great video!
sir, i didnt find the holes he was talking about for sucking in the air input,, is it the same place as in the car in this video ? " i got elantra 2014 "
This is very helpful. I've been dealing with this same problem with a 2012 certified pre-owned car that I purchased in July. I have had it back to the dealership 3 times and the smell keeps coming back. I just picked it up again yesterday after a so-called treatment by a professional company. Possibly this is what they did. I haven't noticed the smell return yet. I do want to mention that the salesman at the dealership had the audacity to say that the person that did the treatment on my car said that items I had in my car were contributing to this problem. Like the air freshener that I hung because of the odor. Also, laundry detergent that I had in my trunk. I have never heard anything so ludicrous in my life. The noticed the odor the day after I purchased the car. I was insulted by the implication that I was that stupid and made sure he knew it.
Your awesome for showing us an expensive product that wouldn't always be readily available and then show us a very common product that is similar and much cheaper. thank you
Turn off the a/c a few minutes before you stop and leave the fan on to dry out the evaporator. That way there is no moisture left to allow mold to grow.
German car program suggested the same thing, but how do you know the distance if you don't know the destination. If it's to a known distance-- then good luck to remember the shutting off the A/C every time.
I’ve been dealing with the foul odor, for over a year worried about taking it to the shop. I will be doing this today as soon as I get home from work! I hope it works. Thank you!
Another important step is to remove the cabin air filter before performing the procedure in this video, so that the spray doesn't end up saturating the filter before it gets to the evaporator, where the mildew smell is likely trapped due to the buildup of condensation. Remember to replace the cabin air filter frequently with a quality replacement; For odor control, find a cabin filter that uses activated carbon.
I did the same with ozium. It's used to reduce airborne bacteria and smoke and odor eliminator. Definitely smells better than lysol too. Has more of a fresh car scent.
This video was very helpful! I would also like to say be sure that it isn't your car battery that is causing your A/C to smell. When your battery life has reached the end...it causes corrosion. The build up of the corrosion on the battery smells really bad...like rotten eggs. Just a FYI for the people who are not really knowledgeable about cars.
This seriously saved me. It rained heavy where I live and the AC from my car smelled like the Wuhan fish market. Nearly bought a new car because I thought she was toast. I ended up replacing the cabin filter and bombing the hell out of it a number of times and BAM! I’m probably just ignoring a major issue but this’ll do for now. Thx!
My car had a sweaty smell when starting the air con. Did the above process but used Glen 20, its also like Lysol. It worked straight away. I'll see if the odour comes back in the next few weeks.
The mildew is able to stick to the AC evaporator because as it cools condensation forms and facilitates mold growth. One way to help prevent this problem is to turn on the A/C with the thermostat on hot, this will circulate air through both the heater core and the A/C evaporator, allowing the heat to dry the condensation and prevent the mold from growing in the evaporator and other parts of the interior ducting. If the A/C is not turned on, the air will not flow through the A/C evaporator. Ideally you should turn the thermostat to heat for a minute or two before turning the climate control off if you've run the A/C during the drive.
Several years ago I had a 2005 Chevy Silverado that I drove a delivery route in....spending up to 6 hours a day behind the wheel. It would get pretty funky by about July/August, I spent the other half of my time sweating and dragging hoses in the heat, then sitting on cloth seats. For a time I thought it was me, haha. Then I talked to the guy at the auto parts store and he handed me the first product (or similar) in this video, and it WORKED. So now every summer I always do this to my vehicles.
Thank you. I was told at my Honda Service Center that there was nothing they NOR I could do...and they were quoting the big guys at Honda. I need a new place to take my car for service!
I work in HVAC. Doing this only masks the smell temporarily. Buy a foam cleaner to clean all the mold and grime from the evaporator. The freshness will last longer and your AC will cool a lot better too.
Thanks for confirming that Lysol was the way to go. You saved me a trip and some cash. I also just so happened to have the Linen scent as well. I gave mine a little extra as it was starting to smell like a sewage plant. Funny how it went from 0 to sewage in a little more than a couple days. Should be perfect in the morning.
A vehicle produces a terrible odor due to the air conditioner's ventilators and filters being roasted or even fried, from the chemicals in air fresheners (or whatever was sprayed in the vehicle) that's being sprayed into the air ventilators. Over time, the chemicals somewhat roast or oxidize the filters, and it produces that roasted, mildew, putrefaction kind of scent. So next time, if you would like for your vehicle to have a nice scent; do not spray inside of the vents. I'd say, the best idea is to powder your carpets and seats, a little. Should be good from there. Good video, btw. Thanks.
@@happii-132 Keywords: IF and COULD BE, I didn't say I knew for sure what your situation was since you didn't necessarily say when the smell does kick in heavy
Hey thanks brother this was really getting to me. All my old cars never had this problem I always leave cracks of air in all windows same with in my house but just bought Volvo with this problem. The dealership auto place didn’t do anything of substance to help the previous owner. I replaced the cabin filter in 20 mins. Will be five mins next time. I’m doing this also I’m gonna do it every day for a week. I’m glad I kept my old car now this is unbearable.
Thanks for the video! I took the plastic off and sprayed it onto the passager side airway. Tons of debris was lurking around the area. The smell is 60% gone but i still have to do the driver side cleaning/spraying
Someone showed me this - thanks for it - and a possible addition is that if you can stand it, when you're a couple minutes from the end of your drive, crank up the heat full blast in the car to speed the drying of any foul stuff.
Excellent, I was told to change in my interior filters (2011 Mazda 2). Did that, still a bad smell. Only after I use the air conditioner. Will give this a try! Thanks.
Our 05 Odyssey had weak window seals on the rear doors which allowed our cedar elm’s tiny leaves to slip past and build up mold at the bottom of the inside of the back doors. Not only the smell but a constant condensation inside the windows. Normally we use an ozone machine to clean the ac vents but it was very temporary with the van.
I will give this a try killing the germs is a must. Thanks Much. I usually put dryer sheets in the side door pockets or a couple under the seats. I buy the men's sport fragrance one. Inside the Jeep smells great. When the fragrance fades I toss out the old in put in new. Cheap and easy
This is a good vid however if you have suffered mold poisoning in your life at sometime (like me) you probably know your car makes you sick as well and that harsh chemicals also make you sick as well (multiple chemical sensitivity) you can also pour/spray undiluted distilled white vinegar (yes it smells strong but it airs out pretty easily) and it kills the mold and the brown muck will drain out the evaporator drain outlet, put in a new cabin filter and the musty smell will go away and blow out the air system on high for a little while and the vinegar smell will go away as well.
Tyler Finvold Great suggestion! Chemicals in Lysol do concern me. I'm just unsure if pouring a liquid mixture of vinegar and water will do any damage to something electrical? Not versed in car anatomy so that's why I hesitate. Even watching him spray into the vent was kind of questionable for me only due to being unsure.
they sell small (6 oz?) aerosolizers for kitchen use (turn your fancy olive oil into a cooking spray) that should work! Pampered Chef has one and your fancier online kitchen stores like Sur La Table.
I followed this procedure with a product that Seventh Generation makes that uses thymol as a disinfectant - totally non-toxic and non-allergenic. It worked really well. i held the spray can about 6 inches away from the intake vent and sprayed for 20 seconds. www.seventhgeneration.com/disinfectant-spray?v=2536
That said, the mildew smell in my (newly purchased 2015 corolla) AC was moderate - not too strong. I'll see if the smell returns during the next week. but so far, so good.
A friend (The GM at a very large car dealership) said they use a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide in it. H2O2. Same procedure as the video. Kills everything biological in the vent system and stops the smell. I've also used an ozone generator O3 also kills everything biological in the vehicle, but leaves a funky electrical/metal smell for a while.
Motip aircon cleaner is completely different from this method, some say it works better because evaporator is the cause of smell and foam removes all the crap out of it, i'm going to try that one, they actually tell you to remove your cabin air filter to allow free flow, what you're basically doing is spraying air freshener spray into the vents which all gets caught by cabin air filter, thanks for video anyway.
A few critical steps were missed...1st step should be to remove the cabin air filter. Everything that you sprayed was trapped by the cabin air filter and never made it to the evap coil, defeating the whole purpose. 2nd is the temp should be set to LOW, not 67. If you want to get the heater core too, then do a separate spray with the temp on HI.
Glad this helped. When it comes time to changing the filter in the Odyssey, check my video 'Honda Odyssey Replace In Cabin Air Filter (2007 - 2010)', and you can save a bunch of money doing it yourself.
Good post. Thank you. I used a product called Valvoline Professional Series Air Conditioner Odour Eliminator here in Australia. Followed your method. Made a noticeable difference, need to do it again in a month or two.
Works great with any spray that eliminates bacteria or mold and yes removed cabin filter before the process . & repeat with both cold n warm temperatures and make sure it comes from in and not to out
Amazing tutorial! I had a smell coming from my 2015 genesis and the dealership couldn't fix it. I watched this, spent $5 on lysol and it fixed everything. Thanks!
My way is the best way .Cheap anti bacterial spray "lysol " etc . Remove cabin filter .Wash it out etc . Then do not replace it .Then turn heater on FULL .use the spray in the passenger footwell area only .With the system on re circ . run it for about 15 mins . use all the can . make sure the filters are dry. , replace . tel the world you followed my guide and you are a God
Thanks for the video. One question: My car dealer said the smell was due to my filter and I need to change it. Should I be doubtful, or is there something to this?
You can try changing the filter and see. It needs to be changed every 20k miles anyways and its an easy 5 min job on most cars. However usually the smell is nothing to do with the filter.
I used Lysol Disinfectant in the past on my BMW 325i. I would also follow it a little later with some sprays of Ozium Original Pump Air Freshener (New Car Scent) from Walmart. This year, my 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5SV is starting to smell when I shut the A/C off and just use the blower. I have Lysol, just need to buy some Ozium.
2015, WTH!!! Me near Minneapolis with car in pretty dry underground parking garage for almost 4 years, that has helped postpone the vent smell this long. After my treatment, no more smell when A/C is shut off an blower left on high. Since I mostly kept on recycled air because colder and stronger airflow, I don't think cabin filter needs to be changed. But then again, It might be that time again. The other day, I bought some Lysol disenfectant with "Lavender" scent. I will reapply with that and also set up a 3 or 6 month reminder on my iPhone. Baby is arriving on 9/15/2016. Almost 4 years and car is still like new, but don't need any foul odors coming through the vents.
Do you know I keep my vehicles in a garage so it surprised me that they smelled it. I didn’t realize that would actually cause the problem. Thank you for your help. But this Lysol product is just so hard to find… but I will try my best. 😜
Because the car's HVAC system has multiple blend doors for heat and cold air. Cleaning both cold and hot will allow a more thorough cleaning of all the ducts.
i used to use that and what they used at the dealership which was a hospital disinfectant and didnt work to long or great. Zep comes to mind .Could sure tell you used it though lol. Yuck. ozone works too but takes longer and i dont like breathing it. When i bought my car in 97 it had the bad smell even being a 97 used when i got it because the condensor is so small. . I'm very sensitive to stuff like lysol and other cleaners too. Now i mist colloidal silver or run mms through it. i'll just pour silver water into it too. MMS ao-chlorite , sodium hypochlorite even calcium hypochlorite will work too . From the pool shop. Will kill all the smell mega too and last years too ! in wa. state anyway where i only use air condition 1/3 of year. Very cheap in the long run too . Side note ' mms reversed my wasting from acute phnol poisening and multip[ul system atrophy when i was giving 3 years to live around 03 . thanks though. Your time is much appreciated !
other videos I saw said to spray inside the actual vents from inside the car... you not mentioning that means you don't think all that is necessary? I got a 07 VW Rabbit yesterday and it's definitely dealing with this issue. I need to take care of it.
My AC was having a musty smell a few minutes doing startups. I read a possible fix his to run the fan with the AC off for a period of time. Apparently, this drains something that is the cause of my particular issue. I drove around for about an hour with the fan on but AC off. Now, AC no longer has a musty smell upon startup
Good tips! I sprayed it into the intake differently on my vehicle (MB E350) and didn’t do the heater part but in the end we’re doing the same thing - like the crack the window suggestion although mosquitos love to get in my car at night even when garaged! God bless Texas. :-(
My husband smokes in the garage so cracking the window is not an option for me. I plan on using a silica pouch inside maybe under a seat, and see how that fairs.
I have a 2008 Chevy Malibu that has this problem. I took it to AutoXpress a month ago and they sprayed something in the vents. It was fine until this week, the smell is back and stronger than before.
The smell is mold and bacteria from the mildew in the vent system. Spraying stuff into the vents from the inside of the vehicle will not kill the bacteria. You should try what I showed in the video as this will spray disinfectant in through the air flow intake. If it's really bad, repeat my steps 2-3 times. Also try to follow the tips I provided at the end of the video.
If your AC evaporator or Heater core is covered in debris, it could have mold or odor-producing material on it. Check "realfixesrealfast" for a general idea of what needs to be cleaned. Then check youtube or google for the locations of those components on your vehicle. Stay gold.
Should I remove the cabin filter before spraying? I’m just thinking if there is a possibility that cabin filter might absorbs all the disinfectants before it circulates.
This once again proves why UA-cam is one of the greatest inventions of all time. Thank you!
This video may be 9 years old, but man what you taught me WORKS LIKE A FRICKIN CHARM!!! I just did this now and man am I glad the that stinkin' sock smell is gone.
Glad the video helped you. Have a great weekend!
@@dial2fastcan't find Ultra Shield
Dude, I've been trying to get rid of the foul odor for ages. I even forbode my wife to ride in the car bare feet to see if it got better. Nothing worked, until I saw your video. Thanks, worked like a charm!!!
forbode my wife to ride in the car bare feet ..... ROFLMAO!!!
lmao
LOL
omar castro lmaoooo man you're hilarious
omar castro Boric Acid found in cheep bug powder will fix stinky feet. Rub some on the feet before putting on socks for about a week.
Also, there are drains at the bottom of the air conditioning/heat vents that sometimes get plugged up and cause all of the condensation moisture to get trapped in the ducts and also rain water can get trapped. you can actually have several inches of water sitting at the bottom of your vents causing all kids of mold, mildew issues. Find out where the drains are and blast compressed air back through the vents to try and unplug them.
This totally worked!!! I had the most foul rotting fish smell coming from my AC. One treatment with the Lysol spray and the next morning the smell is completely gone. It took a total of about five minutes. You are my HERO.
I had been having this problem with a mildew smell each time I used my air conditioner and couldn't figure out why until I viewed your video! Thanks to you, NO MORE MILDEW SMELL!!!!!!! It was driving me crazy, and now it's fine, thanks again!
Another trick to keep this from happening too often, is to turn off the AC about a block or so from coming home, to let the system purge itself of all the cold air. The air will still be cold enough for a short time after it's turned off, but doing this will balance the climate within the vents, giving your system a fresh start next time.
You obviously dont live in texas 🤣
@@gsRt5 nor Arizona🥵
@@gsRt5 clearly don't know real heat. He had me confused. We get heat all year in Texas lol
Logically you're right...
I'm in AZ. I just started getting the smell. Can I just turn on my fan with fresh air setting on and let that blow for awhile if it's not to hot? As I'm typing yhis I've had my blower going for quite a few minutes. Please answer. Thank you.
Thank You for posting the simplest, cost efficient solution to this "funky smelling" problem.
Since (fabric seats) my car has had this problem for years, I've just accepted to live with it during the summer (east coast)... so, was excited to give this a try. I went a little further by also removing the cabin air filter before starting.
Thus, as explained in the video, ran thru all vent buttons (even defrost & recycle)... A/C, then Heat, then back to A/C one more time, then turn off the A/C button, but have the fan running at different speeds for a minute or two, so as to dry excess lysol.
Left it with open windows overnight and drove it today and FINALLY, no mildew smell at all. Awesome!
Very good to hear. Thanks for sharing your experience!!
Sir, is it ok to use other disinfectant spray brand like dettol? Co'z it hard to find lysol in some places.
Thanks for this. Did it two years ago and worked wonders, smell has just started to return so reapplied and all ok again. Use dettol all-in-one disinfectant spray here in the UK.
Thanks for that, we have Dettol not Lysol in Australia too but I was worried it may not be the right thing so cheers!
Totally worked! Thank you! My Odyssey was smelling like dirty gym socks and I was looking for a solution, thank you for your video, I used the disinfectant Lysol and the smell went away almost immediately. My husband is amazed cause I fixed it hahaha
Very good to hear. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Tell your husband you took the whole engine out and clean them. Every part of the engine. Lol
This video really helped me a lot. I have a 2014 Hyundai Elantra and the smell had been there for a couple weeks i just never got around to fixing it. and in case anyone is wondering, I used Lysol and it worked PERFECT. Fixed the smell within minutes. Great video!
Thanks for your feedback!
having problem with the same car
sir, i didnt find the holes he was talking about for sucking in the air input,, is it the same place as in the car in this video ?
" i got elantra 2014 "
This is very helpful. I've been dealing with this same problem with a 2012 certified pre-owned car that I purchased in July. I have had it back to the dealership 3 times and the smell keeps coming back. I just picked it up again yesterday after a so-called treatment by a professional company. Possibly this is what they did. I haven't noticed the smell return yet. I do want to mention that the salesman at the dealership had the audacity to say that the person that did the treatment on my car said that items I had in my car were contributing to this problem. Like the air freshener that I hung because of the odor. Also, laundry detergent that I had in my trunk. I have never heard anything so ludicrous in my life. The noticed the odor the day after I purchased the car. I was insulted by the implication that I was that stupid and made sure he knew it.
Rvtanks. Black
Your awesome for showing us an expensive product that wouldn't always be readily available and then show us a very common product that is similar and much cheaper. thank you
Wow! You're a life saver man! I work for Uber and I needed to fix my ac-heater stinkiness like really bad! Thank you!
I'm jealous of all who have seen this before me, but I'm still VERY satisfied with your help, thanks.
This actually works! Make sure to pull your cabin air filter first if your car has one! Also, don't go overboard. It only needs 30-45 seconds.
Too late for me. I went over board with the spray. But I got rid of the mildew smell. Haha
Turn off the a/c a few minutes before you stop and leave the fan on to dry out the evaporator. That way there is no moisture left to allow mold to grow.
German car program suggested the same thing, but how do you know the distance if you don't know the destination. If it's to a known distance-- then good luck to remember the shutting off the A/C every time.
I have a new Volkswagen Jetta and apparently German cars do this automatically after you’re parked the fan blows for another 10 minutes or so
@@huebelschmecker5879 0
@@huebelschmecker5879 is it to much to let your car run a few minutes after you park?
I do this every single time I use the A/C but the past few days, I have a horrible moldy, mildew smell in my truck...
I’ve been dealing with the foul odor, for over a year worried about taking it to the shop. I will be doing this today as soon as I get home from work! I hope it works. Thank you!
Did it work good?
Another important step is to remove the cabin air filter before performing the procedure in this video, so that the spray doesn't end up saturating the filter before it gets to the evaporator, where the mildew smell is likely trapped due to the buildup of condensation. Remember to replace the cabin air filter frequently with a quality replacement; For odor control, find a cabin filter that uses activated carbon.
what if my nissan350z doesnt have a cabin air filter
@@Ceez350 than your just breathing in all the pollution and debris and dust from outside. Lol car manufacturers that dont add them suck!
Do you think an AC flush service would get the smelly smell out of my AC. Is your car lowered?
@Cesar Ramirez Jr how many inches did you lower it
@Cesar Ramirez Jr Do you have any problems with that
I did the same with ozium. It's used to reduce airborne bacteria and smoke and odor eliminator. Definitely smells better than lysol too. Has more of a fresh car scent.
Ozium is awesome!
This video was very helpful! I would also like to say be sure that it isn't your car battery that is causing your A/C to smell. When your battery life has reached the end...it causes corrosion. The build up of the corrosion on the battery smells really bad...like rotten eggs. Just a FYI for the people who are not really knowledgeable about cars.
god bless u young man.my fix it guy says $900 to replace the entire unit vs your $5 fix. I don't know how to thank u.
90percent Glad my video was helpful! Thanks for your comment!
@@dial2fast You need a new "fix it guy" really soon.
This seriously saved me. It rained heavy where I live and the AC from my car smelled like the Wuhan fish market. Nearly bought a new car because I thought she was toast. I ended up replacing the cabin filter and bombing the hell out of it a number of times and BAM! I’m probably just ignoring a major issue but this’ll do for now. Thx!
laughs in 2020 at him saying you can easily find Lysol at your local store lmao
I know! Thinking right now how many stores I'm gonna have to drive to today to find some 🥴
I got 10 cans of Lysol from Costco last month.
Me, in 2020, trying to find Lysol to do this to my car... 🙃
Just hit 4 stores. Maybe tomorrow.
😂😂😂
My car had a sweaty smell when starting the air con. Did the above process but used Glen 20, its also like Lysol. It worked straight away. I'll see if the odour comes back in the next few weeks.
The mildew is able to stick to the AC evaporator because as it cools condensation forms and facilitates mold growth. One way to help prevent this problem is to turn on the A/C with the thermostat on hot, this will circulate air through both the heater core and the A/C evaporator, allowing the heat to dry the condensation and prevent the mold from growing in the evaporator and other parts of the interior ducting. If the A/C is not turned on, the air will not flow through the A/C evaporator. Ideally you should turn the thermostat to heat for a minute or two before turning the climate control off if you've run the A/C during the drive.
Thank you for this tip!
Cars with manual controls, just turn a/c button off 90 seconds before arriving and turning car off. Manual controls ftw!
This is what my manual said also.
Is this procedure can’t harm the whole ac unit in the long run if turning thermostat on hot to cold everytime i use the car?
I did that. It didn't help. On the very next day all cabin smelled like dirt.
THIS ACTUALLY WORKED LIKE A CHARM!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Several years ago I had a 2005 Chevy Silverado that I drove a delivery route in....spending up to 6 hours a day behind the wheel. It would get pretty funky by about July/August, I spent the other half of my time sweating and dragging hoses in the heat, then sitting on cloth seats. For a time I thought it was me, haha. Then I talked to the guy at the auto parts store and he handed me the first product (or similar) in this video, and it WORKED. So now every summer I always do this to my vehicles.
You are so awesome my wife drives everywhere in her car with recirculation on. Thank you so much for the video and great instructions.
+Nicholas Thurman Thanks for your comment.
Thanks so much! I've been doing this procedure for the a/c, but this video taught me to use the same for heat. Thank you
Thank you so much for this video!!! My car REEKED. It came out of nowhere and was unbearable. This fixed it instantly!
Thank you. I was told at my Honda Service Center that there was nothing they NOR I could do...and they were quoting the big guys at Honda. I need a new place to take my car for service!
Thank you sooo much. I am a do it yourself kind of girl and I sure do appreciate this informative video - I am off to purchase the Lysol 😌
Thanks for your comment.
Excellent video! And I looking forward to trying this. I have NO QUESTIONS as you were very clear and concise on each step. WELL DONE!!!!!
Beth Fischer Thank you Beth!
I work in HVAC. Doing this only masks the smell temporarily. Buy a foam cleaner to clean all the mold and grime from the evaporator. The freshness will last longer and your AC will cool a lot better too.
I turn off the ac for two three minutes before before I reach my destination and turn the temperature up. That helps a lot.
Thank you darling!!! Brand new car and the AC smelled like a construction site, sweat and dirt 😂
Youre the only one that said run it through the heat side. Good advice!!!!
Does that change the path of the spray by turning it on heat mode..after ac mode?
Worked like a charm.. My air didn't smell bad but it sure did give it a fresh scent with Lysol..
Thanks for sharing your experience.
Thanks for confirming that Lysol was the way to go. You saved me a trip and some cash. I also just so happened to have the Linen scent as well. I gave mine a little extra as it was starting to smell like a sewage plant. Funny how it went from 0 to sewage in a little more than a couple days. Should be perfect in the morning.
+1HerculePoirot did it work for you?
+Sweetheartbabez It worked very well. It will work even better if you were to use a straw (think WD40) and spray into it to get it down in the vent.
1HerculePoirot Ok thanks for the tip!
I recommend also to inspect or replace the cabin filters and use a carbon impregnated filter.
I cant believe I paid money for someone at the dealer to this this LOL! Thank you for your video now I know... and knowing is half the battle! :)
It was actually a Honda mechanic that showed me this fix. Hope it will help you with your car.
G I JOE, A real American hero, G I Joe is there! I loved that cartoon!
Thanks man!! 04 civic owner here 🙋🏻♂️
I would say to change your cabin air filter first, change your engine air filters, then do this method. Clean everything. 🤙🏽
A vehicle produces a terrible odor due to the air conditioner's ventilators and filters being roasted or even fried, from the chemicals in air fresheners (or whatever was sprayed in the vehicle) that's being sprayed into the air ventilators. Over time, the chemicals somewhat roast or oxidize the filters, and it produces that roasted, mildew, putrefaction kind of scent.
So next time, if you would like for your vehicle to have a nice scent; do not spray inside of the vents. I'd say, the best idea is to powder your carpets and seats, a little. Should be good from there.
Good video, btw. Thanks.
It wouldn't hurt in the least to replace the cabin air filter along with the Lysol
I just did that in the smell is still lingering. It got better after the cabin filter was replaced but it just got back to smelly horrible.
@@happii-132 It could also be your carpeting if you haven't cleaned it in a while or at all
@@jalenfoster4131 how do you know I haven't cleaned it at all?? 🤣🤣 The smell only comes when I turn on the A/C
@@happii-132 Keywords: IF and COULD BE, I didn't say I knew for sure what your situation was since you didn't necessarily say when the smell does kick in heavy
Thank you! Quick solve to an issue that has been going on for awhile
Bets video on UA-cam! So happy! Thank you!
Hey thanks brother this was really getting to me. All my old cars never had this problem I always leave cracks of air in all windows same with in my house but just bought Volvo with this problem. The dealership auto place didn’t do anything of substance to help the previous owner. I replaced the cabin filter in 20 mins. Will be five mins next time. I’m doing this also I’m gonna do it every day for a week. I’m glad I kept my old car now this is unbearable.
You learn something neweveryday! Works great!
thanks amor for the video it really does help i did my sister 🚗 and my wife 🚗 this weekend my 🚗 and my brother are going in for the same treatment👍
Thanks for the video! I took the plastic off and sprayed it onto the passager side airway. Tons of debris was lurking around the area. The smell is 60% gone but i still have to do the driver side cleaning/spraying
Thanks for the great video. I have bad allergies and this helped a lot!
Bill Krebs Thanks for your comment!
Someone showed me this - thanks for it - and a possible addition is that if you can stand it, when you're a couple minutes from the end of your drive, crank up the heat full blast in the car to speed the drying of any foul stuff.
Very helpful. Thank you! I'm going to do this to my Son's car as well since summer is quite a beast down here in Tampa, FL!
Excellent, I was told to change in my interior filters (2011 Mazda 2). Did that, still a bad smell. Only after I use the air conditioner. Will give this a try! Thanks.
If the smell is really bad, you might need to do this procedure several times.
Yes, I see this, as it has come back but not as bad. Will do it a couple more times before I look another solution.
Our 05 Odyssey had weak window seals on the rear doors which allowed our cedar elm’s tiny leaves to slip past and build up mold at the bottom of the inside of the back doors.
Not only the smell but a constant condensation inside the windows.
Normally we use an ozone machine to clean the ac vents but it was very temporary with the van.
Watching this during corona viris pandemic, can’t do this cuz there’s no way I’m getting lysol rn😩
Same +1
@@changchengxue4008 try MICROBAN , I got it from Walmart plus it's citrus scent....
same
ozonate dude
I will give this a try killing the germs is a must. Thanks Much. I usually put dryer sheets in the side door pockets or a couple under the seats. I buy the men's sport fragrance one. Inside the Jeep smells great. When the fragrance fades I toss out the old in put in new. Cheap and easy
such a girl :)
Hello. Do you help me, how I can fix error p2279 on Honda Odyssey touring 2007?
This is a good vid however if you have suffered mold poisoning in your life at sometime (like me) you probably know your car makes you sick as well and that harsh chemicals also make you sick as well (multiple chemical sensitivity) you can also pour/spray undiluted distilled white vinegar (yes it smells strong but it airs out pretty easily) and it kills the mold and the brown muck will drain out the evaporator drain outlet, put in a new cabin filter and the musty smell will go away and blow out the air system on high for a little while and the vinegar smell will go away as well.
Tyler Finvold Great suggestion! Chemicals in Lysol do concern me. I'm just unsure if pouring a liquid mixture of vinegar and water will do any damage to something electrical? Not versed in car anatomy so that's why I hesitate. Even watching him spray into the vent was kind of questionable for me only due to being unsure.
Not a great idea unless you can find some way to aerosolize the vinegar....
they sell small (6 oz?) aerosolizers for kitchen use (turn your fancy olive oil into a cooking spray) that should work! Pampered Chef has one and your fancier online kitchen stores like Sur La Table.
I followed this procedure with a product that Seventh Generation makes that uses thymol as a disinfectant - totally non-toxic and non-allergenic. It worked really well. i held the spray can about 6 inches away from the intake vent and sprayed for 20 seconds. www.seventhgeneration.com/disinfectant-spray?v=2536
That said, the mildew smell in my (newly purchased 2015 corolla) AC was moderate - not too strong. I'll see if the smell returns during the next week. but so far, so good.
Not guarantee.. to get rid of all the smell but it is one of the method or remedy to try.
I have done this many times to many different vehicles.
You can check ultrashield website and order from them. I got mine awhile back from a Honda dealer (but it's not a normal item sold at dealers).
A friend (The GM at a very large car dealership) said they use a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide in it. H2O2. Same procedure as the video. Kills everything biological in the vent system and stops the smell. I've also used an ozone generator O3 also kills everything biological in the vehicle, but leaves a funky electrical/metal smell for a while.
Ozium is the best spray I've ever used, if you dont mind leaving the area for a while.
Motip aircon cleaner is completely different from this method, some say it works better because evaporator is the cause of smell and foam removes all the crap out of it, i'm going to try that one, they actually tell you to remove your cabin air filter to allow free flow, what you're basically doing is spraying air freshener spray into the vents which all gets caught by cabin air filter, thanks for video anyway.
A few critical steps were missed...1st step should be to remove the cabin air filter. Everything that you sprayed was trapped by the cabin air filter and never made it to the evap coil, defeating the whole purpose. 2nd is the temp should be set to LOW, not 67. If you want to get the heater core too, then do a separate spray with the temp on HI.
I know my cabin filter needs to be changed, but this worked until I can get it done. Thanks
Glad this helped. When it comes time to changing the filter in the Odyssey, check my video 'Honda Odyssey Replace In Cabin Air Filter (2007 - 2010)', and you can save a bunch of money doing it yourself.
Thank you!! VW wants a small fortune to treat this.
Thank you so much. Just did this and it worked!
Good post. Thank you. I used a product called Valvoline Professional Series Air Conditioner Odour Eliminator here in Australia. Followed your method. Made a noticeable difference, need to do it again in a month or two.
I have a 2013 sonata. I noticed the smell was coming from the ac vents today. I will buy the lysol today. I hope i can easily locate the vents.
Works great with any spray that eliminates bacteria or mold and yes removed cabin filter before the process . & repeat with both cold n warm temperatures and make sure it comes from in and not to out
Awesome thank you, works like a charm! I'm so happy that I didn't need to come out of pocket!
+Carla Massa Thanks for your comment!
Beautifully simple solution!
Awesome, thank you. My car now smells like mango and hibiscus, but better than what it did. Thank you very much.
Amazing tutorial! I had a smell coming from my 2015 genesis and the dealership couldn't fix it. I watched this, spent $5 on lysol and it fixed everything. Thanks!
+John Henry Very good to hear, it was a Honda dealer that taught me this many years ago. Different dealer, different know how.
I got a 2015 Genesis also...I going to try it today.
do we remove the cabin air filter before spraying lysol so it can properly reach the evaporator?
My way is the best way .Cheap anti bacterial spray "lysol " etc . Remove cabin filter .Wash it out etc . Then do not replace it .Then turn heater on FULL .use the spray in the passenger footwell area only .With the system on re circ . run it for about 15 mins . use all the can . make sure the filters are dry. , replace . tel the world you followed my guide and you are a God
Thanks for the video. One question: My car dealer said the smell was due to my filter and I need to change it. Should I be doubtful, or is there something to this?
You can try changing the filter and see. It needs to be changed every 20k miles anyways and its an easy 5 min job on most cars. However usually the smell is nothing to do with the filter.
Awesome! Thanks! I'll go to the auto shop and pick up some spray to clean the smell as you instructed and see how it goes.
I always use Liqui Moly, clima cleaner!!The perfume is great!!!But first take the filter out!!
Should we remove the cabin air filter first before doing this?
Yes you can remove the in cabin filter first. If the filter is due to be changed, go ahead change it.
Awesome video! I bought UltraShield bc of you!
Thanks for your comment!
I used Lysol Disinfectant in the past on my BMW 325i. I would also follow it a little later with some sprays of Ozium Original Pump Air Freshener (New Car Scent) from Walmart. This year, my 2013 Nissan Altima 3.5SV is starting to smell when I shut the A/C off and just use the blower. I have Lysol, just need to buy some Ozium.
my 2015 Nissan has some real funky smells when the AC is off and the fans are blowing. I might try your process instead of taking it in.
2015, WTH!!! Me near Minneapolis with car in pretty dry underground parking garage for almost 4 years, that has helped postpone the vent smell this long. After my treatment, no more smell when A/C is shut off an blower left on high. Since I mostly kept on recycled air because colder and stronger airflow, I don't think cabin filter needs to be changed. But then again, It might be that time again. The other day, I bought some Lysol disenfectant with "Lavender" scent. I will reapply with that and also set up a 3 or 6 month reminder on my iPhone. Baby is arriving on 9/15/2016. Almost 4 years and car is still like new, but don't need any foul odors coming through the vents.
was your 325 E90 model 2008 on? where is the air intake?
Did it work?
My car been smelling weird for a few weeks thought I'll give this a try hopefully the smell will go away for a while.
What about using something like Microban or a Clorox spray? Can you use something similar as long as you follow the same steps for safety?
Suggest removing the cabin filter before spraying the disinfectant, and replace cabin filter with a new one.
Should you turn the a/c off when going to heat mode? The video shows the a/c is still on when turning the temp up/
Do you know I keep my vehicles in a garage so it surprised me that they smelled it. I didn’t realize that would actually cause the problem. Thank you for your help. But this Lysol product is just so hard to find… but I will try my best. 😜
Thank you! Question, why do you say to spray again after switching it to heat?
Because the car's HVAC system has multiple blend doors for heat and cold air. Cleaning both cold and hot will allow a more thorough cleaning of all the ducts.
You just cover the smeel of mold or mildew , you have to clean the evaporator, (no easy )but different for each car, but can be done
i used to use that and what they used at the dealership which was a hospital disinfectant and didnt work to long or great. Zep comes to mind .Could sure tell you used it though lol. Yuck. ozone works too but takes longer and i dont like breathing it. When i bought my car in 97 it had the bad smell even being a 97 used when i got it because the condensor is so small. . I'm very sensitive to stuff like lysol and other cleaners too. Now i mist colloidal silver or run mms through it. i'll just pour silver water into it too. MMS ao-chlorite , sodium hypochlorite even calcium hypochlorite will work too . From the pool shop. Will kill all the smell mega too and last years too ! in wa. state anyway where i only use air condition 1/3 of year. Very cheap in the long run too . Side note ' mms reversed my wasting from acute phnol poisening and multip[ul system atrophy when i was giving 3 years to live around 03 .
thanks though. Your time is much appreciated !
other videos I saw said to spray inside the actual vents from inside the car... you not mentioning that means you don't think all that is necessary? I got a 07 VW Rabbit yesterday and it's definitely dealing with this issue. I need to take care of it.
My AC was having a musty smell a few minutes doing startups. I read a possible fix his to run the fan with the AC off for a period of time. Apparently, this drains something that is the cause of my particular issue. I drove around for about an hour with the fan on but AC off. Now, AC no longer has a musty smell upon startup
Good tips! I sprayed it into the intake differently on my vehicle (MB E350) and didn’t do the heater part but in the end we’re doing the same thing - like the crack the window suggestion although mosquitos love to get in my car at night even when garaged! God bless Texas. :-(
Thanks for sharing your experience!
My husband smokes in the garage so cracking the window is not an option for me. I plan on using a silica pouch inside maybe under a seat, and see how that fairs.
I have a 2008 Chevy Malibu that has this problem. I took it to AutoXpress a month ago and they sprayed something in the vents. It was fine until this week, the smell is back and stronger than before.
The smell is mold and bacteria from the mildew in the vent system. Spraying stuff into the vents from the inside of the vehicle will not kill the bacteria. You should try what I showed in the video as this will spray disinfectant in through the air flow intake. If it's really bad, repeat my steps 2-3 times. Also try to follow the tips I provided at the end of the video.
thanks
If your AC evaporator or Heater core is covered in debris, it could have mold or odor-producing material on it. Check "realfixesrealfast" for a general idea of what needs to be cleaned. Then check youtube or google for the locations of those components on your vehicle. Stay gold.
Hello, can you use any good disinfection household spray?
Thank you sir, car smells great now finally..🙏🏻✌🏻👏🏻
Thankyou! Our newly bought used van smells funky and moldy lol Now I can fix that.
Replace Cabin Filter.
Should I remove the cabin filter before spraying? I’m just thinking if there is a possibility that cabin filter might absorbs all the disinfectants before it circulates.
Yes remove or replace the air filter before doing this service.
If you have cabin filters - you need to remove those first before spraying!