Smell from AC

[John Pal]

I have a 2006 ES330. The other day when I turned on the AC strong odor came
out of the vents. It's still there.
The best way to describe the smell is "urine". I checked under the hood to
see if any little critters might have been hit. Nothing!
Any thoughts...
Thanks

[Ray O]

Post by John Pal
I have a 2006 ES330. The other day when I turned on the AC strong odor came
out of the vents. It's still there.
The best way to describe the smell is "urine". I checked under the hood to
see if any little critters might have been hit. Nothing!
Any thoughts...
Thanks

If you are in the Midwest where we have a lots of rain lately, it may take a
while to air out the system. There are products designed to eliminate
smells, like FeBreeze and Ozium. BG Frigi-Fresh, available only through
service shops, works well, as do some foaming products.

Make sure that the drain hose under the passenger side of the dash is routed
through the opening in the floor and not pulled out.

If the car is still under warranty, ask the dealer.

[satmech]

Post by Ray O

Post by John Pal
I have a 2006 ES330. The other day when I turned on the AC strong odor came
out of the vents. It's still there.
The best way to describe the smell is "urine". I checked under the hood to
see if any little critters might have been hit. Nothing!
Any thoughts...
Thanks

If you are in the Midwest where we have a lots of rain lately, it may take a
while to air out the system. There are products designed to eliminate
smells, like FeBreeze and Ozium. BG Frigi-Fresh, available only through
service shops, works well, as do some foaming products.
Make sure that the drain hose under the passenger side of the dash is routed
through the opening in the floor and not pulled out.
If the car is still under warranty, ask the dealer.

Also, check the cabin filter.

[njbok]

It was suggested to me years ago by a Lexus tech, that the best way to avoid
such A/C odor was to ALWAYS keep the system on "AUTO". That way air is
virtually always flowing thru the system when the car is on. Like your home,
just set it to the most comfortable temperature for you.

Once, however, you get mold/mildew on your cabin filter, well then at that
point you'll have to lose that filter to lose the smell.

The first time I had that smell years ago on my 98 (when I used to shut the
A/C off and on manually), I took it to Lexus. When I got the car back the
smell was gone. I was happy, but much later found out that they had just
removed my (probably moldy) cabin filter altogether. I put one back in, but
since then I've always kept my system on "Auto". No more smelly system.

Post by John Pal
I have a 2006 ES330. The other day when I turned on the AC strong odor came
out of the vents. It's still there.
The best way to describe the smell is "urine". I checked under the hood to
see if any little critters might have been hit. Nothing!
Any thoughts...
Thanks

[mcbrue]

Hmmm ... do you always follow the old folk wisdom sayings such as
"Don't pee in your own pool"?

Another thing to look for is little cat tracks on your car. Perhaps
you should leave flour around your car to make sure that any cats
climbing up leave tracks. That will also make it easier to track them
to their homes so you can have a little discussion with their owner
about the cost of new cabin air filters.

On the other hand, if you were recently divorced, you may need to look
for different sized foot tracks on your car.

Good luck and happy hunting!

[CFL]

Post by John Pal
I have a 2006 ES330. The other day when I turned on the AC strong odor came
out of the vents. It's still there.
The best way to describe the smell is "urine". I checked under the hood to
see if any little critters might have been hit. Nothing!
Any thoughts...
Thanks

See if the A/C drain is clogged. It happens on my 2007 IS. The dealer
has a spray to help rid the car of the order. It is a Toyota part. You
may need to change the cabin filter after the treatment.