User 051420

Hey all-
I've been aware of this issue since the day after I got my car, and it makes me INSANE! When it's really humid outside or really super hot and I turn on my A/C, I get this disgusting smell of wet cigarettes. So I assume the previous owner was a smoker.

Luckily, the rest of the car doesn't smell at all.! Is there any way to "wash" my heating a/c system without tearing it apart?

Thanks for everyone's help!

Bob_98SR5

gap,

my wife's camry has this musty, sometimes urine-ish smell coming out of her AC unit on humid, hot days.

the only *effective* fix that i know of is a procedure where they drill a small hole into your AC condenser unit and spray some kind of chemical in there to kill the smell. my dealership sells the service for $100 but i'm sure its an easy DIY. if only i could remember the name of the product.

by the way, i've tried spraying in fabreeze, etc in through the AC ducts from inside and not, but no go.

another good tip is to leave your AC vents *open* (not recirc) after getting out of your vehicle. this is especially true after you've used the AC. this will allow any trapped condensation to vent out instead of festering and allowing for mold, etc to grow in there.

if the previous owner was a smoker, you have to find a shop that has an ozone machine. basically its an overnight procedure where they hook up a machine through your window to remove the offending smells. some owners go a step further and shampoo the entire inside of the vehicle.

there ya have it. go to it, man.

bob

934rnr

Just curious do the 3rd gen's have the hepa air filters built in? I know some nissans do and they are changeable. I also know they make some stuff to get rid of odors in vents most autoparts stores sell it. You just spray it in.

User 051420

Hmm.. Drilling a hole? Yikes! Better than $100 I suppose. I also get that urineish smell.

A month or so ago, I had my aftermarket alarm replaced with another aftermarket alarm, and the guy who wired the siren ran the wire through the outside of the firewall gromet, and not through it! So it leaked (bigtime) my car literally flooded and I grew a nice lawn of mold within 2 days. The smell was unbearable!
The shop eventuallly steam cleaned everything, and replaced the carpet padding. No more smell there. (I do get some HUGE discounts on car audio products now)