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air condition odor ?

15K views 45 replies 18 participants last post by  Clint 
#1 ·
2014 frontier

the air conditioner has a somewhat chemical odor, not real heavy but I do notice it. any thoughts ?
 
#4 ·
Go to pep boys and buy a can of Ozium, it gets sprayed in the air intake at the base of the windshield. It should help with an odor.It may be the plasticizers in the ducts out gassing a little.
I don't think if there was a refrigerant leak that you'd smell it, I lost some in my central air system in the house and he said it wouldn't be detectable.

Clint
 
#6 ·
Here's some info from the net. I hope it helps. My first thought was mold or mildew as well ( very bad for your lungs ). I make it a point to run the vent system on high with no A/C or recirculate regularly just to reduce the mold risk.
 

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#9 ·
I have a similar issue everyday with my truck. As soon as i start it up, i have a smell f mold that comes out of the A.C for a few seconds then goes away. Every time i start the truck and the ac is on it does it. Was going to take to the dealership to have it looked at but have not had time. Another issue to add to my list of problems in my POS Truck.
 
#13 ·
Yup, try switching the A/C off and moving the temp to hot for the last 30 seconds or block or two before shutting the truck down. My last truck ( ford ranger) would smell like an old gym sock if I left the A/C on when shutting down. It's not an ideal cure, but for the most part, it is what it is.

And back to the O.P. I would also give this a shot. the worst that happens is it still smells.
 
#10 ·
Have you had this truck since new?
Has the windshield ever been replaced?

I ask because during my windshield replacement a glob of the adhesive/sealant must have gotten down into the vent area. For several months I would smell the adhesive/sealant's chemical odor. Eventually, it died down but occasionally I still smell it (years later) if it hot enough outside.
 
#11 ·
My truck is brand new, never replaced anything on it. So i hope that helps.

I do not know if its common on these trucks but i have had so many issues with mine that to be honest i do not know what is common and what is not. Let me know what you find.
 
#15 ·
Once my Gen 1 got a bit older, it would sometimes have a funky smell coming out of the vents when the AC was running.. Down here in Fla mold is a major issue no matter what you do and you also run the AC in your vehicle for 7-8 months out of they year..

Every so often I'd take a can of Lysol aerosol and with the vent on fresh ( not recirculate) and the fan on HI speed I'd spray brief shots of it into the intake vents just below the windshield on both sides to draw it into and throughout the vents/ducts to minimize any mold.

It also gave the vents a nice smell for a while with the scented Lysol residue.
 
#20 ·
That's true about the humidity causing a higher mold count saltwaterwop. Over here on the other side of the country ( California ) we get the same insane high temperatures but typically at a much lower humidity. ( Thank God !)
 
#21 ·
And, only use recirculate for few minutes to initially cool when first starting, after that should use outside fresh air when running A/C.
 
#22 · (Edited)
Sadly 09eq, The Frontier A/C is not strong enough for that in a California summer. Otherwise I would agree. Where I live the temperature rarely exceeds 100*F but I have friends who live inland where the official temp hit 114*F two days in a row recently. A woman, who I know to be reliable, said that her porch thermometer ( in the shade ) read 122*F.
 
#29 ·
This is one reason I never use A/C unless it's above 90°F. It's not fuel efficient, it produces mold in the system faster, and it robs you of enjoying nature and fresh air. Open those windows and enjoy life. ;)

If you have a "chemical" smell coming through the vents really strong, the first thing you should be checking is the heater core/condenser and make sure you don't have a coolant leak.
 
#30 ·
This is one reason I never use A/C unless it's above 90°F. It's not fuel efficient, it produces mold in the system faster, and it robs you of enjoying nature and fresh air. Open those windows and enjoy life. ;)

If you have a "chemical" smell coming through the vents really strong, the first thing you should be checking is the heater core/condenser and make sure you don't have a coolant leak.
MPG is the same with windows down as it is with the A/C on, so yea, I'll run the A/C and avoid having a sweaty back.....
 
#34 ·
Couple thoughts. From your avatar photo, you haven't taken your truck down the river in that boat contraption have you?
Maybe the smell is from the truck being submerged?
Half the U.S. Has been under water as well. With it raining ten times the norm, maybe it's just the dampness.
Sure see a lot of complaining about this truck here. Being my 6th Nissan truck I must be blessed by the Nissan God.
Not had a single issue....ever.
 
#44 ·
It’s call DSS. Dirty sock syndrome. The coil
doesn’t dry out fast enough and starts to grow funk. Happens in residential HVAC frequently. In those cases you can have the fan run longer to dry the coil, or install a UV light. In the case of our trucks you live with it. It’s not uncommon. Both of my Frontiers had the HVAC odor issue. Supposedly newer coils have a coating to prevent the issue.
 
#45 · (Edited)
An ozone generator will kill the odor. Of course, it will also kill you if you breathe the stuff into your lungs. Anyway, here's the scoop...

Years ago a fellow motorcyclist who was also a Toyota service manager told us how they treat pre-owned vehicles to kill odors.

Vehicle comes in and gets the basic inspection, cleaning, oil change, etc. Then they hook it up to an ozone generator for 30 minutes with the AC running on high. Presto! No odors.

No smoke odors, mold odors, baby puke odors, rotted pizza odors, cumulative flatulence odors in the seats, or any other kind of odor. But I digress...

At the dealership where my motorcycling buddy worked (he has since retired and is touring the US in an RV) they had a fancy way of piping the feed hose in through a window while "sealing" the vehicle. Engine at idle; heat and fan on high. But the trick can be done by sitting the ozone generator on a plastic crate in the front seat and shutting the door on an extension cord. It can also work with the AC running on high and recirculate.

I have Asthma, and drive a school bus for my insurance (the best medical insurance available in the state where I live). A bus is a dirty work environment, so I was using hand-sanitizer a long time before it became a household staple.

Back at the beginning of the 2019/20 school year a bottle of hand sanitizer leaked and stained the cloth front seat of my previous truck. It was August, and the sun baked the stuff so the truck had an odor. For me (as an asthmatic), it was either kill the odor, or sell that truck! I borrowed a generator from a friend and treated the truck. It cured the issue.

This is a very common technology in the disinfectant business. For example, I also have a small ozone generator device that is used to clean my CPAP machine. It has couplings to facilitate disinfecting the hoses and the machine all during the same 30 minute run. The last 10 minutes of the cycle is devoted to cycling room air through the machine and hoses to clear the ozone.

A word of warning in closing: if you go the ozone route, let the vehicle air out and DO NOT breathe this stuff in. It will do damage to your lungs.

But it will kill the mold and the odor that comes as a result of it.
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Edited for spelling.
 
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