You’re stuck in traffic on a hot day and the air pouring from the dashboard vents stinks. Not good. Sitting inside a car that smells bad is no better than sitting in a hot, sticky car. Unfortunately, nasty odors from the air conditioner (AC) system are a common problem.
Many things can cause air from the vents to have an unpleasant (and unhealthy) odor. Here are the most common causes.
How does Car AC Works?
An automobile air conditioning system cools the air inside your vehicle through a simple four-phase cycle. The refrigerant flows through several components, changes from high to low pressure, and from a liquid to a gas.
As a low-pressure gas, the refrigerant absorbs and expels heat and moisture from the passenger compartment, cooling the air. The moisture it removes is the water you generally see dripping under your car when the AC is running and operating normally.
Why Does Car AC Smell?
Your vehicle’s air conditioning system can either condition air from outside the vehicle or condition the air that’s in the vehicle by recirculating it through the system.
If the source of a strange odor exists near or inside your car, then your air conditioner essentially channels that smell straight through your vents and into your face!
Strange, sudden odors coming through your AC from inside or outside your vehicle can usually be resolved by removing or driving away from the odor. But if your car AC smells like vinegar, gas, mold, mildew, or even like it’s burning, there may be cause for concern.
Your AC Smells Like Gasoline
While your cabin air filter does a good job of filtering out dust, debris, and other harmful materials, it’s not quite strong enough to filter out stronger smells like gas. If your vehicle is leaking gas, there’s a good chance that the smell of gas will get sucked into your cabin through the air conditioning.
A gas leak can be very dangerous. If you smell gas in your AC, it’s best to shut off your car immediately and contact mechanics to take your fuel system inspected and repaired if necessary.
Your AC Smells Like Mildew or Mold
These smells are usually due to dirt, dust, and debris buildup in the under-hood air intake vent, trapping water and moisture on the AC evaporator and in the evaporator case. All kinds of nasty gunk (germs, mold, mildew) can fester and grow in that wet, trapped debris.
Although you can flush the AC evaporator case through the vehicle’s air intake with a household disinfectant and clean the ducts with an anti-bacterial spray, this is best left to the pros.
They use commercial-grade bacteriostats and microbial to kill and eliminate spores and other contaminants that cause foul smells from an AC system.
If you do not see clear water dripping from under the middle of your car when the AC is running, it means the AC evaporator case drain hole is clogged with leaves, pine needles, debris, or sludge.
Check your owner’s manual to pinpoint the drain location. Some vehicles have a small rubber hose located at the bottom of the firewall near the middle of the car.
To clear it, take a 12-inch piece of a wire coat hanger with a 1/4-inch 90-degree bend at the end and carefully insert just the bent end of the wire into the hose.
Twist the wire back and forth and pull out any gunk clogging the drain. If the drain hole is under your car, let your mechanic clean it out. Thoroughly disinfect the AC case after clearing the clog.
A clogged AC drain can also cause water to leak into the passenger compartment, soaking the carpets and producing the perfect environment for mold to grow and thrive.
Your AC Smells Like Vinegar
Are you smelling a pungent vinegar smell when cooling down your car? While this foul odor is undeniable, the source may be a bit tricky to pinpoint. Certain types of molds can cause your car’s air conditioning to smell like vinegar.
Much bigger issues could cause foul odors in your AC, too, such as ozone emissions, which tend to smell vinegary, or leaking battery acid, which has a strong sulfur smell. If a vent and duct cleaning spray doesn’t eliminate your vinegar odor issue, it’s best to have a professional inspect your air conditioning system.
Your AC Has a Burning Smell
A burning smell from your car’s AC is never a good sign. But the type of burning smell can make a difference in how you react! Here are a few common types of burning smells you could smell coming through the AC.
Burning Rubber
You may smell burning rubber if there is an issue with the AC compressor, AC compressor clutch, or a misaligned pulley. Either of these may cause the belt to drag which may cause a burning rubber smell.
Burning Plastic
Electrical shorts, burning wires or hoses, and even excessive dust in the vents can cause a burning plastic smell in your vehicle’s air conditioning.
Burning Oil
Over time, oil can leak from your engine through gaskets, hoses, and even the oil filter. When this leaky oil hits your hot engine or other heated elements under the hood, it can quickly emit a burning oil odor that can blow in with your AC.
In general, it’s safe to assume that any burning smell emitting from your vehicle’s AC is not a good sign. Since each type of burning smell can be caused by a number of issues, it’s hard to diagnose the problem with just your nose.
Your AC Smells Sweet
Can you smell a sweet scent coming from your AC? You might not want to take a big whiff. A sweet scent in your car’s air conditioning could indicate an antifreeze leak in your cooling system.
Ethylene glycol is a component in antifreeze that makes it excellent at lowering the freezing temperature of the liquid. It’s also the same substance that gives antifreeze its strangely sweet scent.
Leaking coolant can be detrimental to your vehicle. If you smell something sweet in your car’s A/C, it’s vital to have your vehicle brought in immediately for a Complete Vehicle Inspection.
The Last Word
Never use caustic drain cleaners to flush your AC case. You’ll ruin expensive and difficult-to-replace AC components. Avoid running your AC only in “recirculate” mode. Recirculate mode prevents fresh outside air from entering the AC ducts. Fresh air can help dry out excess moisture.
As part of your basic maintenance plan, with the engine off and key “on,” run the AC blower fan for a minute or two to help dry out any moisture remaining in the AC case. Also, check with your dealer’s service department. Some manufacturers offer an “after-run” kit that allows the AC blower motor to run a minute or two after turning off the car.
