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Air Conditioning Smell

22K views 30 replies 22 participants last post by  mx71 
#1 ·
I have something strange going on with my A/C, it works fine but it stinks. I use the outside air vent all the time and it's fine but when I switch on the A/C I get this weird smell. I can't really describe it but it's only when using the A/C. When I turn it off it slowly goes away using the regular vent.
 
#4 ·
get this, should be interesting. I called the dealer and told them about the smell. He said they can run a deorderizor throught the system. He said it takes about an hour.

I have no idea what to expect but the fact that they even have this process tell me there must be an ongoing issue.
 
#6 ·
get this, should be interesting. I called the dealer and told them about the smell. He said they can run a deorderizor throught the system. He said it takes about an hour.

I have no idea what to expect but the fact that they even have this process tell me there must be an ongoing issue.
If there is a mold growing there this will only temporarily cover the smell.

Another reason for mold growing could be that drain got clogged, however unlikely on vehicle this new.
 
#7 ·
I have an Overland with 200 miles on it and have noticed a strange odor when the heat first came on as opposed to the A/C. Like the original poster stated, it's hard to describe but something of a chemical smell and not antifreeze. It's as if some plastic or sealant is being heated and outgassing and it only lasts for a few minutes after it comes on.

I may try to run the cabin temp at a high setting for a while to bake it out.
 
#11 ·
Mine is definitely not the A/C filter or drain line. I checked that right away and the smell was not the usual sour odor of the bacteria having a party in the culture medium.

The cabin filters have been accessed via the firewall on previous generation WK's. I usually pulled a weather trim strip off (that used a friction attachment) and that revealed the access to the compartment where the filter resides. It's always been on the passenger side.
 
#12 ·
If this smell is coming from the exhaust, it should have an odor similar to rotten eggs or possibly ammonia. It should also be more noticable at the rear of the vehicle (for obvious reasons).

If it is from mold/mildew somewhere inside the A/C system, it should smell like that (mold or mildew).
 
#14 ·
My liberty had a smell when I bought it back in july. Running the air on full blast driving from NJ to NC is was very noticable, but by the time I made the return trip the smell had worn out. My guess was too much frion (sp?) by the time I made it to maryland it was wet around the vents and the air was coming out white.
 
#19 ·
Air Conditioning Odor, particularly when you first turn the A/C or Defroster "On" is caused by mold/mildew on the Air Conditioning Evaporator fins. Once established you can't ever truly get rid of it completely; but it can be "managed." There are a number of companies that make various aerosol products that can be sprayed into the air inlet (at the base of the windshield) that generally do three things: 1.) They kill most of the mold/mildew, 2.) They tend to leave a coating behind that impedes the reestablishment of mold/mildew and 3.) They usually have a deodorant as well to mask some of the odor. Usually an application is good for about a year.

Depending on how hard it is to physically get to the evaporator core itself; spraying it with regular household bleach will do the trick and works extremely well (just like it does in your bathroom at home). Many manufacturers (and some enterprising technicians) have determined just exactly where to drill a hole in the Evaporator Housing so that they can insert a small diameter (1/8" - 1/4" diameter) wand. Then using one of those hand pressurized Bug Sprayers that you can get at Home Depot or Lowes they insert the wand into the Evaporator Housing and hose down the Evaporator Core first with Bleach and then after a half hour or so with clean water. The downside is that you do get a slight Bleach smell for a short time. This is all done with the Blower Motor turned completely "OFF" and turning the dash controls to "Off" may not always actually be 100% "OFF." On some vehicles, particularly those with Automatic Temperature Controls the blower motor is always running albeit slowly. This is because slightly pressurizing the interior of a car reduces wind noise around the windows when the vehicle is moving . . . but I digress. What is really important is that you definitely do NOT want to simply spray bleach into the air inlet. You will be spraying the interior of the car (and anyone sitting in the car at the time) with bleach. This is NOT GOOD and it can generate all sorts of interesting patterns on your seats, carpeting, etc. It will not make friends with anyone in the car at the time either,
 
#21 ·
They have odorless organic sprays on the market now for foul smelling cabin odors.But cabin filter replacement should be first to see if that is causing it.Bleach will kill mold as well,just gonna be difficult to get a liquid into evap housing,thats why they use aerosols.
 
#24 ·
I am having the same issue on a 2015 Cherokee. I was able to follow the instruction provided in this thread to pull the filter off and it is very dirty. The only gravel we ever drive is a one block strip on the way to my daughters school. I plan to take it in to the dealer. This seems like a silly issue to be having and if that filter should be replaced more often it should have been put in a place that is easy to get to with instructions in the owners manual.

Has anyone had to pay out of the pocket for any of this work or has it been covered under the warranty?

I also agree with the statement that it is a sweet smell. It is a lot like the smell of soap at the carwash. It only seems to happen when the car is first turned on and then it goes away.
 
#28 ·
I am having the same issue on a 2015 Cherokee. I was able to follow the instruction provided in this thread to pull the filter off and it is very dirty. The only gravel we ever drive is a one block strip on the way to my daughters school. I plan to take it in to the dealer. This seems like a silly issue to be having and if that filter should be replaced more often it should have been put in a place that is easy to get to with instructions in the owners manual.

Has anyone had to pay out of the pocket for any of this work or has it been covered under the warranty?

I also agree with the statement that it is a sweet smell. It is a lot like the smell of soap at the carwash. It only seems to happen when the car is first turned on and then it goes away.
Hi LovinJeep,

The air filter would not be something warrantable, but if there is an issue with your A/C, something like that would likely be covered under your 3/36 basic warranty. If you need any assistance once the vehicle is at the dealership, reach out!

Kori
Jeep Social Care Specialist
 
#25 ·
all filters are always consumables and not a warranty item...

if you are a car wash person you need to ALWAYS put it in recirc mode so it does not draw that nasty reclaim water vapor in thru the cabin filter...if you forget once you are screwed with that filter.
 
#27 ·
Cabin air filter is behind the glove box. My money is on that depending on how many miles you have. It's supposed to be changed every 20-30,000. Open the glove box, disconnect the little strut, bend in the fins that keep the glovebox from overextending. There's a little access door you need to unclip to get at the filter. I use the FRAM carbon filter and they do the job.

http://www.wk2jeeps.com/wk2_cabin_air_filter.htm
 
#29 ·
I am curious about this too. The wife just got a new GC Limited and has noticed a "bitter" smell. I haven't noticed it yet, but my sniffer isn't as good as hers. I really don't think what folks are describing here is any kind of mold. That's not what it smells like, it dissipates, and it's a brand new vehicle. In fact, hers was on the show floor.
 
#30 ·
Mine had an odor from the time it was new until I started using the charcoal filter. Now it never has an odor. The odor was always worse in the summer when running the air all the time. Not so bad in the cold weather, but I did notice it.
 
#31 ·
In the summer, it's a result of shutting your car off with the a/c running. There is moisture still sitting on the a/c coil when shutting it off, and it doesn't have a lot of choices on where to go, so it just stays in the ducting. Not a design flaw, just simple physics.
 
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