Rep Power: 0

hey guys n gals I am new to the forums and just wondering how to clean the evaporator coil and heater core in a DIY job. My car has a funky smell when I turn it on and lasts a few minutes. this has been going on for a few months now and its causing me to get sinus infections. Every video ive seen on youtube is just stupid people spraying in MASKING agents that just cover up the smell for a week or 2. I am not trying to do this every other week. i want to know if anyone has step by step instruction on how to clean both the Evaporator coil and Heater core. (these are where the smell lies most likely) I also is all of this accessible from under the glove box? and approx how long will it take to do this job.

forgot to add this is a 1999 Honda civic lx sedan

thanks for your time guys.

 
Rep Power: 235

You have a fungal growth in the airbox behind the dash caused by never turning the A/C to fresh air. From now on at least turn it to fresh air right before you turn the car off. Spray Lysol in the blower motor to try to kill the fungus and smell. The inlet for the blower is under the cowl (between the hood and windshield). If Lysol doesn't work then spray fungicide in there but, DO NOT ride in the car until it dissipates- you'll get sick.

The evaporator isn't the problem being in a sealed system. The heater core could cause some problems but, I doubt it would smell. I'll give ya the link anyways though: [autostream]http://autostream.com/ibcivicforums/?page_type=firebirdplayerthumbnail&framepage=104&t ransactionid=1308126701-7190173246&posted_by=lazlong_www.civicforums.com&y outube_video_id=dcL_0TWeZJY[/autostream]

 
Rep Power: 0

well all right, I know about the spray, i use this stuff you can buy at the store specifically meant for this but the smell just comes back. ac is always on fresh air. also i never even use my ac for the matter any way to get back in there and clean it?

 
Rep Power: 812

its a common problem with a/c systems. simply warm up the car to full operating temp, turn the heater to max fan and HOT. let the heater blow for at least 5 mins and that will dry out and kill all the mildews in the system. turn the air temp back to cold and turn the a/c on. the smell should be completely gone. if not, repeat the treatment. to prevent the smell from coming back, follow a few simple steps. try not to use 'recirculate' air button but rather keep the fresh air button on instead. if you must use the 'recirc' because air is not getting cold enough in fresh air mode, switch it back to fresh air a few mins before you turn the car off as you are getting close to your destination. no matter which setting you have for the air intake, it is a must that you TURN OFF the a/c system at least a couple mins before shutting off the car. continue to let the fan blow air thru the vents (do not turn the fan speed dial off). This ensures the water vapors get dried out before the car is shut off. finally before turning the car off, be sure the fresh air mode is selected (not recirc) so that the system is vented to the outside atmosphere. ive done these steps all the time and my a/c always smells perfectly fresh and clean (no smell at all). you can also do what others have suggested and spray some fragrance into the system to give some smells. you do this by turning on the a/c and fan and using recirc mode so the air gets drawn in from the passenger footwell. spray the stuff at the lower part of the passenger footwell and you will see the vapor being sucked in and then blown out the vents. i also would recommend running without cabin filters if you can. they tend to collect odors very quickly and always smell regardless of whether the a/c system is smelling or not. if you have allergy problems and need the filters, be sure to change them every few months so they do not hold odors. other than the filters behind the glove box, there is nothing you need to take apart and clean in the a/c system.

if you do not turn the a/c off a few mins before shutting the car off (and let only the fan blow air thru the vents), you will always have the mildew smell. if you find that it starts to come back due to forgetting the procedure, simply repeat the heater treatment again.