I used my a/c today for the first time since the cold season and it reaked (kinda a musty or moldy smell)! It actually started getting bad at the end of last year. Anyone experience this and is there an inexpensive way of fixing this? Could not find in the search...

 

I've got a 95SE and my a/c does the same thing when I first turn it on but then it seems to go away after a few seconds, can someone help us to fix this?

 

There is a product that dealers use that you spray into the air intake for the HVAC system. You spray it in over the period of like half an hour with the A/C running full blast, and it will kill the smell. I don't remember what it is called, but I'm sure if you called a few dealers (any brand) somebody would tell you.

The best way to prevent smells is to use the A/C often. I never turn mine off - I feel like the car gets stuffy without it, and it keeps the windows from fogging up when it is cold. When I worked for Honda service, the advisors told everybody to leave it on most of the time.

 

It calls for disinfecting your system. Bacteria residing within your circulation system is often responsible for foul smelling odours.

 

I think the recollecting ducts that recycler the air make the other parts of your a/c smelly. Stagnate air is lousy, just don't recirculate the air and I think you'll be ok. If you want to remove the smell, after driving your car: Shut off the engine, turn the fan on and turn the temperature to the hottest setting. Then spray Lysol or any other alcohol based spray into the induction for the vents (located underneath the driver's side windsheild wiper.) Let the fan go until your engine temperature is cooled down (about 5 minutes). Smell should be gone for good. Just don't recirculate the air as much.

 

Cool. Thanks for the the tips. Obviously I want to save a little money and the dealer wants to charge my around 2 hundy to fix this problem. If Daniel Martin reads this, what do you think (damn you seem to know a lot of stuff).

 

when you run your a/c the pipes that send the cold and moistened air condenses on the pipes. Best thing to do is to run some hot air for a few min before you shut off the car. Therefore, it helps dry the tubes and reduces the smell. If you already have the smell, try to use some windex (ammonia) and spray it into the intake ducts for the a/c while the heater is on full blast. There are some other substances that can work but windex is the least offending smell in my personal opinion.

 

Thanks guys for your help I try to fix that problem tomorrow. ______________________________ 95 Deepevergreen SE auto. No mods yet but there on the way; 95 Tan Pathfinder 4X4 XE.

 

sorry guys i screwed up. i meant to Thank this "topic issue" so Thank you again for this info and more power to maxima owners :-)

 

I've heard that DWD2 works well. http://www.texasdistribution.com/
I've never had the odor problem, and have never used DWD2. Therefore this is offered as a point of information, not a personal recommendation.