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Smell from A/C

Old Jul 4, 2004
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Smell from A/C

I get an almost unberable smell coming from my A/C when turned on low. Car is brand new. Anyone else have this kind of problem? Checked all TSB's and service advisories, but nothing comes up. I'll take it back for warranty, but am just wondering if this a concern Honda should be dealing with.
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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my car, 29K.....i got the same problem..

when turned on, there's a freakin' smell i dunno where comes from..
it dissapeared after a while....
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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They're all like that. It's when the AC has been running and either you or the compressor turns it off for a minute once at temp. Every Honda has it from what I've heard. It's like a mildew smell from the water vapor.
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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mildew smell...........sound logical....

damn, how to remove em?
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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Put some perfume or something on the cabin filters. I remember somebody put tobacco in there cause he liked the smell haha.
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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on the cabil filter, eh? heheheheheh

im thinking about putting some baking soda on my car............and let em circulate....

maybe it will eliminate the mildew.....he he
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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get the downy fresh smell,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Use drier sheets
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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cabin filters? thanks, i was having the same problem. its pretty nasty =/
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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Well the filters get dirty fast, but that's not what causes the smell. It's the design of the cooling system.
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Old Jul 4, 2004
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my **** stinks. oh well
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Old Jul 5, 2004
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I don't understand why so many of your AC's stink ... my 01 never did that, and I've had it for over 3 years now. Super clean odorless AC all the time ...

And I've never smelled it in any other Hondas I've been in, either.

Oh, and don't use baking soda - that will just clog your filters faster.
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Old Jul 5, 2004
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Lol. You get the smell right after turning off the AC and letting the fan blow. This can also happen when AC is on, but the compressor turns off for a minute when it's cold enough. It's when the non-refrigerated air circulates through the vents that you get the smell.
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Old Jul 8, 2004
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well...to prevent that smell, you should keep the car in the fresh air mode. It's the button left of your AC button. keep that button off. that way fresh air is always coming into your car. if you keep it recirculation mode, same old air will circulate in your car which will cause the AC to smell bad. and dont forget to change the AC filter. it is located behind your glove box. i was just lazy to go to dealer to buy a new one, so just used compressor to air blow dust, and AC is much cooler and no smell at all.
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Old Jul 8, 2004
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Yeah I've been doing that and the smell is mostly gone now. Unfortunately, you also get the pollution inside as well. And no need to buy new filters. Just vacuum out the old ones and good as new.
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Old Jul 9, 2004
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ic!

however............the thing that i hate is that....if i use the fresh air mode, my Glade fresher clip dries so damn fast......
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Old Jul 9, 2004
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I use the carbon filters from an acura RSX-S. Problem solved.

And don't wear stinky socks!
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Old Jul 9, 2004
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And where can we get those filters? I don't have acura dealer here. Thanks
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Old Jul 9, 2004
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Ummm..... I get mine from my nearest Acura dealer. I have no idea where else to find them. Sorry.
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Old Jul 11, 2004
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Yup, mine smells like wet socks. I guess I should replace the cabin filter sometime too.
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Old Jul 14, 2004
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I get the same crap in my RSX-S. I notice it is only when the recirculation button is on. I'm going to try what that guy said earlier about not using it as much. I took it to Acura and they told me nothing could be done because thats how the system works. Then I asked them "so you're saying all these Acuras' on this lot smell like **** inside when the a/c is on?" He just said "eventually", lol. Stupid Dealer.
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Old Jul 21, 2004
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i ask those guyz at pepboys and they said it's a fungus in the vent under your dash. they got this thing that kills them. i haven't try it yet, but it might work. i know it smells like wet socks. lolz.
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Old Jul 21, 2004
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Yes, it is actually a mold that can grow in the evaporator. Worse in humid climates. Don't run it on recirculate all the time to force fresh air through the evaporator. It'll help prevent mold/fungus from growing on that nice damp evap core. Bleach will kill it, but it's not a good idea in the car. I think there is another product that won't kill YOU in the process, but I don't know what it is. I have been lucky so far and don't need it.
This same stuff can grow in the AC systems of buildings as well, and can make some people real sick.


Maybe a google search...
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