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Air Conditioner Startup Smell


micmay

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I have a 07 EB that is 6 months old and has developed a pretty bad smell when the A/C first starts up. I'm a smoker and thought that it might be related but I lease a new Ford every 2 years and this is the first vehicle that has the startup smell.

 

My questions are:

 

Has anyone else noticed theirs doing the same thing?

 

Is this something that might be covered under warranty?

 

 

I've poked around the web and found products to eliminate it but they're only a temporary fix.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

Mike

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I have a 07 EB that is 6 months old and has developed a pretty bad smell when the A/C first starts up. I'm a smoker and thought that it might be related but I lease a new Ford every 2 years and this is the first vehicle that has the startup smell.

 

My questions are:

 

Has anyone else noticed theirs doing the same thing?

 

Is this something that might be covered under warranty?

I've poked around the web and found products to eliminate it but they're only a temporary fix.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

Mike

 

Hi micmay. :D I do not have an Expedition, but I did have a similar problem in my 2001 Cougar, when it was new. Mine was a musty smell when ever I would use the heat. It was caused by a buildup of leaves and debris, under the grille in the cowl area, by the passenger compartment air filter. The leaves would hold moisture and get moldy, then the musty smell would be pulled into the cabin with the fresh air.

 

If yours is a musty smell also, it could be caused by the A/C system drain being clogged, causing a mold or mildew problem in the system. Or, the passenger compartment air vent in the cowl area could have a buildup of debris, in a manner similar to mine.

 

As to whether this would be covered under warranty, the answer would be yes (unless they discover the problem is caused by something like your kids stuffing a dead hamster into the A/C vents, etc, etc :hysterical: ). Have them check it when you bring it in for your next service.

 

Those products, usually an aerosol you spray into the system through the cowl area, they will get rid of the odor. But as you said, it is only a temporary solution to the problem.

 

Let us know how you make out, and good luck. :beerchug:

 

 

PS - Hi Roadrunner. :D It would be better if you would start your own thread for your question. It is not considered polite to hijack another persons thread (I am sure you did not mean to). I would be more than happy to answer when you do. Good luck! :beerchug:

Edited by bbf2530
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I had a secondary related question: When you lease your cars and trade them in, do you get less money back because of the smell of smoke? (assuming you smoke in your car like I do)

 

// not a jab at smoking - I'm trying to quit

 

Just like any other vehicle with A/C, your evaporator coil lives in a dark and wet environment. Perfect place for the developement of smelly bacteria. I've heard that using outside air (don't use the recirculate setting) for the last few minutes of your drive might help the A/C odor. Makes sense because oxygen is one of the best natural cleaners. If you take the vehicle to the dealer, they can hit the coil with a cleaner, but that's a temporary fix. While at the dealer, have them check the drain on the evaporator housing to make sure it's not blocked. If you smoke while you drive, keep the driver's window open a tad and don't use the recirculation setting.

 

As far as smoke smells devaluing a vehicle, I think it would to some degree. However, a good cleaning would take care of that as would placing an ozone generator (ie; sold at Sharper Image) in it overnight. A bowl of ammonia is supposed to draw out odors. I've even heard about placing clothes dryer softener sheets under the seats, if you like that sort of smell.

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What I usually do is start the car, turn the A/C on to Normal so that it is pulling air from the outside at the cowl and then spray store bought Lysol in there and let it circulate for a few minutes and then repeat. The Lysol will likely kill any microbiotic organisms living in the HVAC ductwork and will likely improve the odor.

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Hi Mike. :D Again, you should still be well within the bumper to bumper warranty, so take it to the Dealer and let them see if they can find the underlying problem.

 

You want to do that before you begin any self-help, so that you do not mask the problem and make it harder to diagnose.

 

Once your Expedition is out of warranty, the spray method would be a good (but temporary) idea.

 

Hopefully, it will be something simply remedied. Good luck! :beerchug:

Edited by bbf2530
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I had a secondary related question: When you lease your cars and trade them in, do you get less money back because of the smell of smoke? (assuming you smoke in your car like I do)

 

// not a jab at smoking - I'm trying to quit

 

Hey RR,

I've been leasing and smoking for years and haven't heard a peep when I turn in the vehicle. I actually take real good care of each one I get. I keep them clean inside and out and do all the scheduled maintenance, rotate tires, etc.

 

I also always have a window cracked when I smoke. On my Expy, I've got the electric side rear windows which I also open when I smoke and between that and a cracked side window, I get pretty good airflow through the cabin. Not to say that it still doesn't stink.... I'm trying to quit again....

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My '04 Yukon had the A/C smell problem, which sounds like it's somewhat common in many different vehicles. Normally, I just leave the windows down for a bit until the A/C has run for little while. It's not seemed like a serious problem to me, so I haven't spent much time on fixing it. One time, I did have the dealer look at it and they said they adjusted something that would keep the blower running for a little while after turning the car off so that the system can dry out. It seemed to help a bit, but the smell still comes and goes depending on how long it's been since I last ran the A/C.

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Hey RR,

I've been leasing and smoking for years and haven't heard a peep when I turn in the vehicle. I actually take real good care of each one I get. I keep them clean inside and out and do all the scheduled maintenance, rotate tires, etc.

 

I also always have a window cracked when I smoke. On my Expy, I've got the electric side rear windows which I also open when I smoke and between that and a cracked side window, I get pretty good airflow through the cabin. Not to say that it still doesn't stink.... I'm trying to quit again....

 

I live in a nice climate so I usually have the driver's side window open when smoking. Then after finishing the cig I keep all of the windows open to encourage airflow to "blow the remainder smell away."

 

It doesn't help entirely though -- the smell sticks around unless aired out well.

 

Incidentally: An interesting look at smoking in the car

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I have a 07 EB that is 6 months old and has developed a pretty bad smell when the A/C first starts up. I'm a smoker and thought that it might be related but I lease a new Ford every 2 years and this is the first vehicle that has the startup smell.

 

My questions are:

 

Has anyone else noticed theirs doing the same thing?

 

Is this something that might be covered under warranty?

I've poked around the web and found products to eliminate it but they're only a temporary fix.

 

Thanks in advance for any replies.

 

Mike

 

I have noticed this too. Like a musty sock for about 5 seconds. I am anal about keeping my car clean so I know its not me. Here is a link on the subject.

http://autotechrepair.suite101.com/article...ive_a_c_systems

 

What I have tried and it seems to help a bit. Roll the windows down, turn the a/c on auto and crank the temp up to 90. Make sure hot air is coming out and the a/c light is on the display. Leave it like this for 10-15 minutes. Do this every day for a couple of days and see if that doesn't kill that smell.

 

They also say turn off the a/c a mile or so before you turn off your car and let the fan run to dry out the condenser. Hope this helps.

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I have noticed this too. Like a musty sock for about 5 seconds. I am anal about keeping my car clean so I know its not me. Here is a link on the subject.

http://autotechrepair.suite101.com/article...ive_a_c_systems

 

What I have tried and it seems to help a bit. Roll the windows down, turn the a/c on auto and crank the temp up to 90. Make sure hot air is coming out and the a/c light is on the display. Leave it like this for 10-15 minutes. Do this every day for a couple of days and see if that doesn't kill that smell.

 

They also say turn off the a/c a mile or so before you turn off your car and let the fan run to dry out the condenser. Hope this helps.

Thanks BFB. You described my problem to a "T". The smell is brief but strong. I'll try the stuff you suggested for sure. Luckily, it's starting to get cooler here in Michigan so I won't have to use the A/C as much.

BTW, My brother is a mechanic and he said pretty much the same thing you did. He also said that sometimes the drain hole for the A/C may get plugged and the condensation may pool up creating the odor. But he said that if that were the case, you would most likely have water in the cabin because it would eventually overflow into the passenger cabin.

My goal of posting the question here was to see if there was a TSB or something that confirmed my problem and hopefully identified a fix.

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Thanks BFB. You described my problem to a "T". The smell is brief but strong. I'll try the stuff you suggested for sure. Luckily, it's starting to get cooler here in Michigan so I won't have to use the A/C as much.

BTW, My brother is a mechanic and he said pretty much the same thing you did. He also said that sometimes the drain hole for the A/C may get plugged and the condensation may pool up creating the odor. But he said that if that were the case, you would most likely have water in the cabin because it would eventually overflow into the passenger cabin.

My goal of posting the question here was to see if there was a TSB or something that confirmed my problem and hopefully identified a fix.

 

No problem. I did the heater trick along with just running the vents w/o ac and it has killed the smell 85-90%.

 

Do you know where the drain plug tube is on these trucks?

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Sorry BFB, I don't know where it is... Anyone else know?

 

On the 2003 there were two plastic tubes sticking throught the dash panel (firewall). They are hard molded plastic tubes that are part of the evaporator assembly housing. Make sure they are both sticking through. One tube is for evaporator condensate and the other tube is in case the heater core leaks.

post-11790-1125376374_thumb.jpg

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On the 2003 there were two plastic tubes sticking throught the dash panel (firewall). They are hard molded plastic tubes that are part of the evaporator assembly housing. Make sure they are both sticking through. One tube is for evaporator condensate and the other tube is in case the heater core leaks.

 

Cool, I will take a gander and see what I can find. Thanx

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