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.
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.
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!
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.
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