Interior Mold Smell

[imported_MP525i]

hey guys,



i have a lady at my church who came to me and asked what she could do with her interior. she said there is a mold smell coming out of the vents. she tried getting the car detailed before and nothing fixed it.



would you know how to classify this problem as well as a fix?



thanks!



-mike

[AeroCleanse]

I would use a steam cleaner and blast the steam down the vents until it comes out of the other vents.

[MBurnickas]

Air conditioner condenser is probably holding water, you need to drill a hole in the bottom of it, but that still only works 50 percent of the time. It`s "possible" it is condensation just in the vent lines. Try taking the disinfectant lysol cans, you know the blue ones you buy at Costco in a three pack. Run the air conditioner as you spray about half the can all over the vent opening - usually at the top of the hood. This will put lysol all through your vent system. Usually this is a temporary fix, but after you try this and report the results, you can try the next fix. The bottom line is that as long as their is a moisture problem in the vents, anything you do will be temporary. What`s the make and model?

[BigJimZ28]

I would use a steam cleaner and blast the steam down the vents until it comes out of the other vents.

that could be how the mold got there in the first place:nixweiss



to get rid of the smell you must remove the mold



replace the cabin air filer

run the heat on high

spray 1/2 a can of Lysol Disinfectant Spray



if you are lucky that will take car of it

[MBurnickas]

I should say don`t drill the hole without asking the manufacture for the correct fix. Sometimes the drain hole is clogged, that will also cause this. Unfortunately many car makers put the drain on the side of the condenser instead of the bottom, this allows for some water to build up, and that`s usually where the problem is. Chevy is notorious for this, but by far isn`t the only make with this problem. Heater problems are usually associated with a sweet smell (from anti freeze leaking) and would lead to excess condensation on the interior including windshield. I`d say 99% sure this was caused by air conditioner, and minutely possible a leak in the vent system that has allowed moisture in.

[Domas]

1Z Einszett Klima-Cleaner? (worked out to me...)

[AeroCleanse]

that could be how the mold got there in the first place:nixweiss



to get rid of the smell you must remove the mold



replace the cabin air filer

run the heat on high

spray 1/2 a can of Lysol Disinfectant Spray



if you are lucky that will take car of it

A steam cleaner would kill the mold.

[BigJimZ28]

A steam cleaner would kill the mold.

true



but the steam COULD condense in the vents and make it easy for new mold to grow



not a problem on most cars that are drove enough with the heat/ac on

but on a 2nd car that is not driven much or is only used on short trips

that little bid of moisture could be the part of the problem

[AeroCleanse]

true



but the steam COULD condense in the vents and make it easy for new mold to grow



not a problem on most cars that are drove enough with the heat/ac on

but on a 2nd car that is not driven much or is only used on short trips

that little bid of moisture could be the part of the problem

While anything is possible, I`ve never heard of it actually happening.

[MBurnickas]

Steam wont kill the mold in an auto air system, no offense. That would only work if the mold was very close to the nozzle, impossible to treat a vent system with steam. In fact it would make it worse, your just adding warm water to an organism that prefers warm water. A concentrated dehumidifier would work better than adding warm steam.

[AeroCleanse]

Steam wont kill the mold in an auto air system, no offense. That would only work if the mold was very close to the nozzle, impossible to treat a vent system with steam. In fact it would make it worse, your just adding warm water to an organism that prefers warm water. A concentrated dehumidifier would work better than adding warm steam.

No offense, but you incorrect.

[MBurnickas]

No offense, but you incorrect.

Do you know of any shop or manufacturer that treats auto vents with steam?

[AeroCleanse]

Do you know of any shop or manufacturer that treats auto vents with steam?

I know a lot that use steam to clean and disinfect vents. I can`t see a reason why a manufacurer would need to treat vents.

[MBurnickas]

I know a lot that use steam to clean and disinfect vents. I can`t see a reason why a manufacurer would need to treat vents.

Usually when you buy a new car it comes with a warranty, if there is a mold issue due to the air conditioning system they need to treat it. It`s their responsibility because it is their own design that is the problem. In fact they do it all the time, and several manufacturers have TSB`s that address this issue. None of them use steam. Anyhow, I respect your opinion and I`m not into making this an argument, so I would suggest the original poster do some research, especially before using steam.

[AeroCleanse]

Unless you already have a steam machine, then I`d use Lysol and spray it down the air intake in front of the windshield (not the engine air intake). As mentioned before, you need to make sure the air conditioning drain is clear. If the condensor is full of water, no matter what you do, you wasting your time.