This article is about how to eliminate an unpleasant and suffocating smell from a car air conditioner. The problem most often manifests itself in used cars or after a year of operation. So, what could be the cause of this terrible smell, if you can call it that? And the reason is simple - the reproduction of fungi and bacteria on the evaporator of the air conditioner. The first thing to check is the cabin filter of the car. If it is worth it, then it must be thrown away, just thrown away, not washed or washed, since it may contain a large number of harmful bacteria that cannot be removed. Replaced the filter, the smell remained. What to do next? There is a way out here too. And you do not need to buy any expensive super foams and the like. However, it is worth noting that this method works if the evaporator pollution is not very strong. That is, there is no visible layer of dirt on the evaporator. Although this can be fixed. Let's go in order. First of all, we find where the cabin filter is located and take it out. In some vehicles, the evaporator radiator is visible behind the filter. Illuminated with a flashlight, we assess the degree of its pollution. If it is clean, well, close the filter cover without installing the filter! Next, we need chlorhexidine - this is an antiseptic. Sold in any pharmacy in the form of a solution. For 150 ... 200 grams of warm water, pour 50 ml of antiseptic. We take a regular sprayer and pour the solution into it. Now, we switch the intake of air from the outside, the flow of air into the legs and face. We open wide all the doors and cover the front seats. The air conditioner must be turned off, the temperature at a minimum. Turn on the fan for full power and spray the solution at the air intake. The procedure is repeated two or three times, with a break of 15 ... 20 minutes. At the end of the treatment, we dry the system without splashing anything into it. We check for odors in working order. In most cases, these measures are enough to eliminate all odors. However, if the smell remains, then you can clean the evaporator directly with the same solution, this is done with a toothbrush. The brush is wetted in the solution, then the evaporator radiator is thoroughly cleaned. Rinsing with water is not required. It is recommended to carry out such a procedure twice a year, in spring and autumn. This will get rid of unpleasant odors and eliminate pathogenic microorganisms from the air ventilation system. I would like to add to all of the above that, with very strong contamination of the evaporator, it is necessary to resort to special preparations sold in stores. But it’s also not worth getting carried away with them - it’s chemistry. After treatment with a special substance, it is enough, as I wrote, to take preventive measures twice a year and forget about the “suffocating” air conditioner.
The instructions for classic types of air conditioners (not climate control) contain instructions on how to avoid unpleasant odors from the air conditioner, however, few people pay attention to this. It is recommended that before turning off the engine, for a couple of minutes, turn on the interior heating to full in order to dry the air conditioner evaporator from water condensate. As you know, it is the water condensate on the evaporator that creates the conditions for the reproduction of bacteria, hence the unpleasant smell from the air conditioner.
We'll talk about how to get rid of the unpleasant smell from the air conditioner, when the car owner, out of ignorance, neglected the instructions. The simplest thing is to come to the service and tell about the problem. The intervention of professionals will permanently eliminate the unpleasant odor and lighten the wallet for several thousand rubles. How do they work? There is nothing particularly difficult in professional cleaning, but the procedure is quite laborious. It is necessary to provide access to the evaporator of the air conditioner in order for the action of the cleaner (antibacterial liquid) to be as effective as possible. Often, in order to get to the evaporator, partial disassembly of the front panel of the car is necessary, and removal cabin filter required in all cases. But it is possible to achieve a qualitative result and eliminate unpleasant odors from the air conditioner for a long time using only high-quality cleaning solutions of multifunctional action.
For professional use Liqui Moly offers the latest two-component disinfectant solution Klima-Anlagen-Reiniger 2K with cleaning functions and, most importantly, with a water repellent effect. That is, after using the drug, not only all pathogenic bacteria and fungi will be destroyed, but water will not accumulate on the evaporator, which will significantly increase the duration of the cleaning effect. The Klima-Anlagen-Reiniger 2K is new, but has already been approved for use by Jaguar & Land Rover, confirming the high quality of the product. The advantage of professional cleaning is the duration of the effect, the problem with the smell goes away for at least six months, you breathe fresh air.
However, when cleaning the air conditioner from unpleasant odors and bacteria, you can do without the help of professionals. The Liqui Moly range has custom products for easy use. There is no need to partially disassemble the car. In order to remove the unpleasant smell from the air conditioner, the car itself, or rather its ventilation system, will help. It is enough to place the Liqui Moly Klimafresh aerosol can in the passenger compartment, in the recirculation air intake area (usually at the front passenger's feet) and turn on the ventilation system in recirculation mode. Further, the ventilation system will do everything itself, the aerosol from the cylinder will pass through the air conditioner evaporator, air ducts and the car interior itself. All pathogens will be destroyed in 10 minutes, this is how much the composition is sprayed from the cylinder. A pleasant perfume aroma will remain in the cabin. For details on using Liqui Moly Klimafresh, see the product label or product description on our website.
Using Klimafresh will bring a noticeable effect, you will immediately feel the fresh air and the absence of odors, although of course it is worth noting that the effect of professional cleaning will be a little higher.
We understand the root cause and remove the unpleasant smell of the air conditioner in the car.
The problem of an unpleasant smell the next time you turn on the air conditioner or climate control worries, perhaps, any motorist. Someone is simply not happy with the disgusting smell, while others, in addition, are aware of the harm of this air.
In this article, we will consider the causes of its occurrence, the harmfulness and, in fact, the possibility of its removal.
And it’s worth starting with the fact that the principle of operation of interior cooling (both air conditioning and climate control) is the same, with the exception of temperature control. With air conditioning, you decide what intensity and duration of work you need. “Climate” does everything for you - you set the temperature, and he himself, due to sensors in the cabin, will reach and maintain it.
Where does the bad smell come from?
The air conditioning system is built in such a way that warm air, passing through a freon-cooled radiator, significantly lowers its temperature. This process is accompanied by condensation on the same cooling radiator. A warm and humid environment creates ideal conditions for the emergence and subsequent reproduction of bacterial colonies. This process develops most fruitfully when you were driving with air conditioning or “climate”, and then turned off the car and left.
In this case, the system stopped ventilating, and the condensate and bacteria that had already formed in excess made a feast. The next time you turn on the fan, whether with or without air conditioning, an avalanche of bacteria with incoming air fills the cabin.
What's wrong with this smell?
A lot of things smell bad, but are not harmful. But not in our case. The bacteria we inhale, and even in such a concentration, significantly lower immunity, provoking various kinds of respiratory diseases. It is also worth noting that a sharp decrease in the temperature of the inhaled air, as well as hypothermia itself, is inevitably fraught with at least a cold.
Thus, it is simply necessary to deal with this smell in order to stay healthy.
How to fight him?
The most correct way is to clean the evaporator in order to mechanically remove all deposits and impurities. But for this you have to disassemble part of the machine, which is not very convenient and fast. The most optimal, but, in fact, partial solution will be special sprays for cleaning car air conditioners. They are easy to use and do not require even partial disassembly of the car. They are a soap-chloro-alcohol solution that perfectly disinfects both the evaporator and air ducts.
This solution can be called partial due to only a slight removal of dirt from the evaporator. Yes, the smell will disappear due to disinfection for a couple of weeks, but such a procedure does not remove all deposits, which means that its secondary appearance is inevitable.
You need to understand that timely replacement air filter salon can significantly postpone all of the above problems.
What is this cleaner in practice?
This is a very voluminous can with a long but thin hose. Its length can sometimes reach one meter. At the end is a sprayer.
Easy to use - turn off air conditioner, insert the spray tube into all air ducts one by one - and spray the solution. Dirt from the evaporator will drain through the drain hose under the bottom of the car. Then we let the climate (air conditioner) work for 15-20 minutes at maximum intensity with the recirculation mode turned on. Everything, cleaning is over.
findings
Everyone will make decisions on how to overcome the problem: someone will remove the evaporator and clean everything thoroughly, sparing no time. Others will be forced to resort to the help of a spray. But in both cases, you will not only get rid of the unpleasant smell, but also take care of the health of yourself and your loved ones.
- , 28 Jul 2016
Do you smell bad air conditioner? So it's time to disinfect it.
A modern car is no longer a luxury, but a means for comfortable transportation. The filling of the car provides for all kinds of situations: from safe parking to creating a microclimate inside the cabin. Air conditioning systems or climate control are now equipped with almost any car that comes off the assembly line.
Scientists have established a clear relationship between the situation in the car and driving safety and came to the conclusion that the most comfortable temperature for a person to feel is 20-22 degrees, the humidity level is 30-50%. At temperatures above 30 degrees, the human reaction slows down.
And on a hot day, you can get a heat stroke: therefore, before getting into a car that has been in the sun for a long time, it is better to open windows, doors, blow out hot air, and only then start moving.
Only the air conditioning system can provide a comfortable driving mode in hot weather.
If you feel that the air conditioner has become worse to cool, this is the first sign that it is time to perform diagnostics and troubleshoot the air conditioning system.
However, there are situations when it cools normally, but when you turn on the air conditioner, you feel an unpleasant smell. Most often it occurs due to the accumulated bacteria and fungi. Breathing them is both uncomfortable and harmful - they can cause allergic and colds. Help fix this problem special means for servicing car air conditioning systems.
Air conditioner cleaners contain a special detergent additive package that eliminates various contaminants, including bacteria and fungi.
The air conditioner cleaner provides a pleasant smell, preventing the appearance of an unpleasant "smell".
By eliminating bacteria and fungi, allergic reactions are also prevented.
Household air conditioner cleaners are easy to use. Consider the example of the Wynns Airco-Fresh cleaner (this preparation was created on the basis of the Airco Clean Set (Double Treatment) PN 60605 professional cleanser, which consists of two products: Airco Clean PRE WASH and Airco Clean ANTISEPTIC. However this drug can only be used at service stations equipped with special equipment.Therefore, the manufacturer began to produce Airco Fresh PN30202 in a convenient aerosol package in 2001. Certainly, in terms of its characteristics, it is weaker than a professional product, but with occasional use (once a year) it justifies itself ).
Suitable for use in all air conditioning systems, whether equipped with a dust filter or not. If there is a dust filter, remove it.
The first method of application is through the engine compartment.
Remove the dust filter (fig. 1).
Install auto mode and maximum fan speed (Fig. 4).
Set the temperature control to the cold air position (fig. 3), but you must turn off the air conditioner (fig. 2). For automatic systems climate control, set the temperature control to the minimum position and turn on the "ECO" mode if possible, or turn off the air conditioner (Fig. 2). (See recommendations for vehicle operation).
Shake well before use.
Spray the cleaner into the air intake of the air conditioner
(usually located in engine compartment on the passenger side) (Fig. 1).
Spray the product for 3 minutes with an interval of 3 seconds.
The second method of application is through the salon.
Install the air outlet only through the central duct.
Turn on the air recirculation mode and set the maximum fan speed (Fig. 4 and 5).
Set the temperature control to the cold air position (fig. 3), but you must turn off the air conditioner. For automatic climate control systems, set the temperature control to the minimum position and turn on the "ECO" mode if possible, or turn off the air conditioner (Fig. 2). (See recommendations for vehicle operation).
Shake the product thoroughly.
Place the can in the place of the strongest air intake and spray the product for 1 minute. More often, this air intake is located under the dashboard on the passenger side (Fig. 6).
After 10 minutes, you can use the air conditioner.
A dirty evaporator is considered the main cause of an unpleasant smell from a car air conditioner. If it has not been washed for a long time, then bacteria that form on it may be the cause of the smell. After reading the post, you will learn how to fix it yourself at home.
Colonies of bacteria appear in the air conditioner device due to the constant circulation of cold and hot air. If after a long operation the air conditioner is turned off, cold air from the street enters its main part after active work. Such air creates condensate, which is removed through the drainage pipes, but already its appearance is enough to become good place for the formation of bacteria.
They are the reason for the smell. Working while the car is driving, the air conditioner, namely its main part, the evaporator, heats up. After turning off the air conditioner, cold air from the street enters it. Interacting with the heated part, the air settles as moisture, as a result of which colonies of bacteria appear on it. The smell from them can be both weak and strong, but it always smells like the smell of a damp rag left for several days in a locked place. 
This condensate of mold and bacteria makes itself felt, starting to smell the next time the air conditioner is turned on, filling the cabin with unpleasant humid and stale air. The air outlets are dried during the operation of the device, and direct access to neoplasms is opened, which are the cause of the smell.
Elimination with the help of chemistry
The best way to solve the problem of stale air is to proper operation cooling device. By turning it off before stopping, you allow the system to air out, and already in the car park, your air conditioner will wait for the next turn on dry and clean. But this approach does not always solve the problem completely, and the minus of it is that you must sacrifice your comfort by not exploiting the capabilities of your car to the fullest.
Another way to get rid of colonies of harmful bacteria is to disinfect the interior on time or periodically, and most importantly, the air conditioner with an evaporator. Typically, bleach is used to disinfect taps and any other products. But for a car, this cleaning method is hardly suitable, although bleach is a very strong reagent, you will have to use it in a respirator or even a gas mask. Agree that there are more practical and convenient methods of disinfection these days, and use chlorine to clean the air vents of your vehicle a little wrong.
The best option for flushing the vaporizer is a product that can be advised in any pharmacy or medical institution. Moreover, they are even used to disinfect medical devices. The tool is called cresol, it does not have a strong third-party smell, they clean instruments before surgery, medical gloves, and it kills a large number of bacteria different types including cholera. Cresol is the name of its main constituent agent, lysol, which is diluted with a soapy-oily liquid.
The disinfectant properties of cresol are very strong, and the reason is the active element phenol. It is the main ingredient in formulations that are used to disinfect vehicles. Professional cleaning of air conditioners in cars, hotels and educational institutions is carried out by professional means, which can sometimes be expensive. A package of such a product can last for a long time, and very little of this composition may be required to clean the air conditioning system of the machine.
Flushing the evaporator
Flushing the evaporator is carried out in several stages. These steps should be done in sequence, and the result is a completely new evaporator and air conditioning system that will not smell, and will fill the interior with clean, fresh air without staleness and bacteria. 
- First you need to buy a cleaning agent, namely Lysol. If it is not, then you can find any other composition containing this drug. You can also buy a concentrated liquid based on Lysol.
- The composition is diluted in water in accordance with 1 to 100, and 300-400 milliliters of the product should be enough.
- Pour the cleaning liquid into a bottle or spray bottle. Seal the sprayer bottle and add some essential oil - this way the work will be done simply and with the smell that you like.
- We open the windows of the car and the hatch wide open - a constant supply of fresh air from the street is necessary for work.
- We turn on the ignition, and with it the air conditioner and fan. We direct the air outlet nozzles to the area of \u200b\u200bthe legs or face
- A solution is sprayed into the air intake hole, it is advisable to do this not in a jet and not in large portions. But at the same time, you should not save money, because Lysol must get inside and fight bacteria. It is best to create large clouds of small drops of cleaning fluid.
- By turning off the engine, we allow the solution to perform its task inside the air conditioning system.
- After some time, we turn on the system again, and spray the rest of the solution inside the cabin. If all the steps are followed correctly, clean air will soon begin to circulate in the cabin again.
The frequency of use of the air conditioner directly affects the appearance of bacteria. Operating conditions in this matter play an important role. dusty country road much worse is displayed on the state of the capacitor than the urban appearance of smooth asphalt. And, of course, cleaning the condenser at the service greatly extends the service life and proper operation of the air conditioning system.
Since no one can tolerate an unpleasant smell, it is best to protect yourself from its appearance in advance. The result of the correct operation of the air conditioner will never bring trouble to the driver in the cabin. The first signs of its contamination are best removed immediately, and if you feel that soon your interior will be filled not with fragrances, but with stale air, a little prevention will not hurt. It is best to turn off the air conditioner while driving, namely, a couple of minutes before stopping. Ventilated with fresh air already without heating and cooling, the air conditioner will cool down by the time it stops, and there will be no problems the next time it is started. This approach will reduce the number of cleanings and extend the driving time with its use by several weeks or even a month.
Disinfection should be carried out with open doors and even a sunroof, because by ventilating the interior with the engine running, you will protect yourself from moisture residues and unpleasant odors.
Simultaneously with the cleaning of the heater, the entire volume of the body of your car is ventilated. 
Re-disinfection is carried out inside the cabin. Thus, Lysol completely kills all bacteria, allowing you not to return to this problematic topic anymore. When spraying the solution into the air intakes, it is necessary to monitor its quantity. It is impossible to send a jet of solution into the air vents and at the same time it cannot be saved much. The solution must fully interact with the moisture and bacteria accumulated inside the air-cleaning system.
Video “We eliminate the unpleasant smell from the car air conditioner”
On the record, the motorist shows how to properly clean the air conditioner evaporator at home.