Dirt smell from vents?

Dozerboy

Dozerboy

Detailing Reject
I have a 97 S-10 Blazer and when I turn on my blower fan, I smell a strong dirt smell. There is no vent filter and I know it’s from it sitting at work and living in the country. I tried air fresheners and next to ripping out the ductwork, I don't know what to do. Any ideas how to get rid for the smell?
Thanks
 
Dozerboy said:
I have a 97 S-10 Blazer and when I turn on my blower fan, I smell a strong dirt smell. There is no vent filter and I know it’s from it sitting at work and living in the country. I tried air fresheners and next to ripping out the ductwork, I don't know what to do. Any ideas how to get rid for the smell?
Thanks
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In my 626 there used to be a musty gross smell whe you turned on the air conditioning. We got it checked out and they said it was mold and that there was basically nothing we could do for it. It only last a minute at the most when first turning it on though so it wasn't a big problem.
 
http://www.ultrashield.com/odortreatment.html I can't begin to tell you how good this stuff works. I found out about this stuff when i worked for a ford dealership. It doesn't cover up the smell it actually gets rid of it. Trust me, cough up 15 bucks for a can of this and you will not be dissapointed. :headbang

:edit: oh yeah and if you do decide to get it, make sure to get the baby powder scent.
 
Katieee said:
In my 626 there used to be a musty gross smell whe you turned on the air conditioning. We got it checked out and they said it was mold and that there was basically nothing we could do for it. It only last a minute at the most when first turning it on though so it wasn't a big problem.
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I had this happen to my company truck just use a little bleach and water to kill the mold.



TrueDetailer said:
http://www.ultrashield.com/odortreatment.html I can't begin to tell you how good this stuff works. I found out about this stuff when i worked for a ford dealership. It doesn't cover up the smell it actually gets rid of it. Trust me, cough up 15 bucks for a can of this and you will not be dissapointed. :headbang

:edit: oh yeah and if you do decide to get it, make sure to get the baby powder scent.
Click to expand...

Thanks, I will try this stuff any other ideas?
 
Lysol sprayed into defrost vent while on re-circulate and cool setting. I spray in then let run for a bit. Turn off and spray into the dash vents and run again this has always worked for me but then I live in CA and there is not that much humidity here compared to other parts of the country. That link to the aerosol looks like something that would work well, going to get some
 
In addition to what has already been said, if you're up to it you could remove the plastic at the base of the windshield to expose the intake for the HVAC air. You should spray lysol in there liberally to get rid of the smell and wipe out any visible dirt.

If you're really bored you could make your own cabin air filter. To do this find a flat-looking spot in the intake area, preferably a rectangular spot. Measure the size and make a cardboard mock-up of the area. Go to your favorite auto parts store and find an air filter that's the same shape as, or slightly smaller than the cardboard mock-up. Once you have your filter go back to the car and put the filter in to the space, seal it up with a water-proof caulk. This should eliminate the smell for a long time.
 
tubafeak said:
In addition to what has already been said, if you're up to it you could remove the plastic at the base of the windshield to expose the intake for the HVAC air. You should spray lysol in there liberally to get rid of the smell and wipe out any visible dirt.

If you're really bored you could make your own cabin air filter. To do this find a flat-looking spot in the intake area, preferably a rectangular spot. Measure the size and make a cardboard mock-up of the area. Go to your favorite auto parts store and find an air filter that's the same shape as, or slightly smaller than the cardboard mock-up. Once you have your filter go back to the car and put the filter in to the space, seal it up with a water-proof caulk. This should eliminate the smell for a long time.
Click to expand...
Awsome idea!
 
GM has had bulletins on this problem for a few years now. You can get a product through them specially made for this situation. I have seen it done. Basically what the problem consists on is bacteria growing on the coils of the evaporator. There are a few factors that bacteria need to grow. 1. darkness (its pretty dark in them damn ducts) 2. moisture (condensation from the warm duct work on a summer day and the cool air from the ac make a favorable envioment fro breeding bacteria) and 3 warmth (once the darkness and moisture are present and after the car is shut off and it warms up from the ambient temps, You have just created a perfect breeding ground for bacteria. Ok enough of the Mr Wizard sh*t... The procedure is to drill a hole in the inside of the duct right nextto the evaporator paying attention to how far you drill. Then take the can ( looks like a fix a flat can with the attached hose) and put it into the hole you just drilled with the air on high. The product will start to foam and some will blow out of the vents. Thats a good thing. It means the chemical is reaching every possible point of the ac system. After that is done, there is a perfumed odor eliminator that gets sprayed into the cowl and blows through the vents into the car and kills any smell that was present. I have done this on my Grand am a few years ago and it works great. Costs about $40.00
 
G'day,

A little tip that I find works for me....

Here in Oz it gets quite warm in Summer & using the AC is a must! :shift

An AC techie I know, says to always turn off your AC, 3 - 4 minutes before your trip ends & use the fan only so that the conditions that mould loves, don't get the chance to develop.... helps the duct's I think.

I find if I forget to do this, the next time I use the AC I get that musty smell.... I turn the fan on for a few minutes & it goes....(without the AC)

Some cars have filters that could cause this smell too....

see yaz
 
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