Musty smell from defroster vents

dinosaur1

I'll take a pic

dinosaur1

Here is how mine looks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGE9Y...e_gdata_player

dinosaur1

I checked from the outside underneath and mine isn't clogged.

dinosaur1

I'm curious to find out why the musty smell only happens sometimes.

DrHicks

Does it change, based on where you have the main airflow going?

dinosaur1

Both of our suv's have the same issue '05 Highlander & '08 Rav4. Only bad smell comes out "at times" when we have the defroster on. Same thing in the winter and summer.

DrHicks

Boy I don't know.

Have you gotten onto any specific Toyota Tech Forums? I've got an old Volvo I'm rebuilding, and I've found priceless information and advice on a couple Volvo forums.

dinosaur1

Yep some other forums are also helpful.

Billy_Bob

The tube could be clogged up inside. There are metal refrigeration coils inside the compartment where the drain tube leads, so don't stick any sharp metal objects up there!

But maybe a length of small 1/4 inch plastic tubing could safely be inserted up the drain tube to clear any blockages up inside.

Then odors come from wetness and bacteria or mold. Get rid of the wetness and that goes away...

Car air conditioning / heating systems have two modes of operation. Fresh air or recirculate. When set to fresh air, the intake outside the car at the bottom of the windshield allows fresh air to enter the car. You may also need to crack a window to allow the fresh air to enter.

In recirculate mode, the outside vent is blocked off. The same air recirculates in the car and along with that mold and bacteria if present.

Some people ALYWAYS have it set to recirculate. Add to that a blocked drain tube, then you get a good situation for bacteria and mold to grow.

But switch to fresh air, crack a window, and run it like that for awhile without defrost or A/C on, then that will help to expel the bacteria/mold and dry out the A/C coils inside the car.

FYI - Those coils take moisture out of the air when the A/C or defroster is running because they get cold. Like a cold glass of water gets moisture on its outside.

Next "disinfectant spray" (like Lysol) kills bacteria and mold. This is sold in grocery stores in the cleaning supplies isle.

Once the coils are dried out and the car aired out with fresh air, place it back in recirculate mode....

In recirculate mode, air enters the car's HVAC system from an intake vent under and behind the glove compartment on the passenger side.

So roll up all the windows, turn the fan on high and recirculate, then spray disinfectant spray in that area under the glove compartment. And spray entire inside of car. Then let it sit over night.

Then in the morning roll down a window. Let the car air out. And switch to fresh to air it out.

From then on switch to fresh every now and then. Fresh air is good for you!

dinosaur1

Where and how do I spray it under the glove box?

dinosaur1

So I'm understanding that I should avoid recirculate mode? I like to use it when stuff from the outside stinks like a car exhaust, skunk, etc....

To be honest the inside musty smell comes as goes. It hasn't smelled now for about 3 weeks.