poktrokt

Ok. This question is in refernce to my girlfriends corolla and not my 5 but since all that stuff is the same from car to car I figured this would be a good place to start. The problem that she has is that when she turns on the heater without turning on the A/C it smells like rotten eggs coming from the vents. If she turns the A/C on, it goes away. I told her to just turn the a/c on and keep it there but she didn't like that answer. anyone know what may be causing this? I was thinking maybe some kind of mold but the car is a 03 purchased in september of last year. Let me know what ya'll think.

LOS-323

I had the same problem (really nasty smell from the vents when the AC was off, but with AC on, the smell would go away).

At first I thought that an animal had died in there (a bug maybe), but I found out that it was the evaporator. It had rusted from all the moisture, and the gas was escaping little by little. I was told that the gas has that smell in it for you to notice it. I replaced the evaporator, and that fixed it.

I found this out when the AC unit completely ran out of gas and it wouldnīt cool anymore... also the smell went away after all the gas was out.

When I took it in to the shop and said it didnīt cool anymore, the very first thing the mechanic asked was "did the air smell like ****?" I know he wasnīt bullshitting me, because I saw the whole process, and saw that it was in fact ruined when he took the part out.

The mechanic also told me that youīre supposed to clean the evaporator every year or so, to keep stuff (lint, hair, etc.) from accumulating in it, and damaging it (with all the dust and stuff, the moisture remains there longer, and can shorten the life of the part). Plus, it keeps the air flowing easier, and other unrelated smells from appearing.

But before jumping to conclusions, get an AC mechanic to check it. In the end, it cost me about $250 for spare part, labor, and AC gas.

adzam

How can we clean that "evaporator"?? Do I need to bring the car back to the dealer or I can do it at home??

LOS-323

I hope Iīm using the right word for it. What we call "evaporator" over here, is the radiator looking thing under the dash (passenger side), which actually gets really cold when you turn on the AC. The air flows through it, and thatīs what cools the air.

To get to it, you just need to remove the glovebox, and remove a few screws and a bolt (I think, I donīt remember too well). It is not difficult at all. I donīt have a digital camera, or I would take pictures. Anyone else have pictures they could post?

All I did, was remove the cover (black plastic), and used a vacuum cleaner with the brush attachment to clean it. Itīs easier if you wait for it to be dry (the evaporator remains moist for a while after using the AC, and that makes it harder to clean).

semtex

I've heard it called a heater core before

LOS-323

I thought hot coolant (from the radiator, and engine) ran through the heater core, and refrigerant (the AC gas) ran through the evaporator (itīs immediately "downwind" from the fan motor, I think).

As far as I know, they are completely separate systems... sharing only the vents and the fan. Someone correct me if Iīm wrong.

semtex

yea i think ur right but i beleve that the hot coolant ie heater core is in the same place as the ac componant

poktrokt

Thanks for the info! I will have my girl take the car into the dealer. sounds exactly what I noticed this weekend. Thanks

LOS-323

Yeah... it would make sense to have them in the same general area.

wakeupcall

your not trying to describ the condensor are you, cause it also fits that bill, as does the heater core whatever i don't know anymore

brogeflog

I've heard or read that moisture will collect in the heating/cooling system and that running the fan with the system on fresh air will help to dry the condensation and help prevent rust or corrosion.

Ambient

Click Here for the answer to your question.

LOS-323

Thatīs true... but it takes forever to dry it. Itīs just easier (and good maintenance) to clean it every 6 months or so.

Besides... itīs easy to clean, and it helps keep other smells from developing.

Wakeupcall... Iīm refering to the radiator looking thing that gets cold, right behind the glove compartment.

wakeupcall

Thanks bro, so you are talking about the heater core, got it. Yes, it is good to make sure you do not have debris blocking this either as you will have poor flow and the potential for mold to grow here.