Re: air conditioning

The smell is from moisture condensing on the evaperator coil, and thingies growing in the moisture. Mildew, stuff like that. Some find that zspraying something like Lysol in the air inlets at the base of the windshield helps, but then it smells like Lysol. :-( You can minimise this by turning the AC off a few minutes before you park; this will dry the coils.

The outside odors are normal; you're drawing in outside air! It's not just a characteristic of Explorers, it's all vehicles. You can turn the AC to MAX, which will recirculate the inside air. Doing this, though, can lead to some pretty stale air inside the cabin on long trips. Not dangerous, as some outside air will still get in, but not much. The cabin isn't airtight. Hope this helps.

Yeh, on a 62 Biscayne maybe.... ;)

In today's sue sue sue society, if there were ANY danger from running on MAX for long periods of time, FORD would disable the feature !

Of course, it depends on where you live, but here in Las Vegas, when it's

This has to do with the fact that you'll eventually use up all the oxygen in the cab and go under, drive off the road, and die.

Really.

Many years ago, my brother was driving my car (there were 4 of us in the car) and we'd been on the road for half and hour, or so, and I noticed that my brother, who was driving, was beginning to get sleepy, and we were beginning to weave around a little.

I tried to tell him to take the AC off MAX, but was so sleepy by then I could hardly manage to talk and get his attention.

We all perked up as soon as I managed to tell him.

(I think we opened a window, too, for a minute.) Middle of the day and we all were wide awake, basically, except that oxygen starvation almost killed us!

I doubt it. They would have to make the AC systems much more powerful if they couldn't put that simple "close the outdoor air flap" system. And that would cost them LOTS more money than the little vacuum motor that closes the flap!

Doesn't work for me! Having the temp control anywhere but on the coldest setting allow air in through both the warming exchanger and the cooling exchanger. It's left there a lot.

IF it is moisture in the cooler that causes the smell, I can guarantee this: mine gets dried out a whole lot, but the next time I turn on the AC -- even MONTHS later, it smells. . . . .

It ONLY happens when I turn on the AC system, which enables the compressor.

What could make that happen?

Condensation. That's where the water on the evap coils comes from.

I should have been a little more detailed; just turning the AC off may not do the trick. It helps if you leave the system set to "Vent", to ensure outside air passes over the damp coils to dry them off. Also, leaving the system at "Vent" when leaving the vehicle also lets outside air circulate over the coils, helping to keep them dry.

And some individual systems still smell. Probably because the drain vent isn't working right, and water puddles at the bottom of the housing.

That's what I meant..... the system is either in "heat" or "vent" for months at a time, with the temp set anywhere from full cold to full hot -- it varies a lot.

The thing HAS to get dried out!

Maybe it's aliens..............

Alan Moorman

Cats dissing in the vents?!?

If so, where's the smell coming from? Water's getting there somehow.

Mexicans? Canadians?