Why Does My Car Aircon Smell Bad?

Why Does My Car Aircon Smell Bad? An irritating smell from your car AC will make you exhausted on a hot day. You will feel that the AC is not serving the purpose. Instead, it is making the inside unbearable. However, there is a solution to this problem.

You do not need to bear your car aircon smell. You will have to find out the cause and fix it at the earliest possible. In this article, we will know why your car aircon smells and what you can do. Keep reading if you want a comfortable environment inside your vehicle.

Why Does a Car Aircon Smell?

Your car AC system conditions the inside and outside air of your vehicle. It conditions the air through the recirculation process. If there is something smelly inside the car, the smell might be intense when AC is running.

However, when the odor is coming from outside, you can solve this problem. You will have to drive away to get rid of that smelly environment. But when it is gas, mold, vinegar, or mildew smell, you will have to check it. You might need the help of mechanics to find out the source.

Gas Smell

The air filter of your cabin filters out all the dirt and harmful chemicals. However, it is not the right choice to filter out any strong smell that includes gas. You might experience a gas smell due to gas leaking in your vehicle.

The leaking gas gets stuck in the cabin, and the AC will circulate it to make the smell even worse. It is worth mentioning that gas leaks can pose health hazards. It can also impact the efficiency of your car.

Once you notice such a smell, you will have to stop your vehicle immediately. You can repair your vehicle with an experienced professional to avoid further deterioration.

Mold Smell

Mold smell can come from an old AC system. Old AC systems are more susceptible to moisture, and the moisture causes mold and mildew growth, particularly in the evaporator of your AC. If your AC has mold growth, the AC vents will circulate that smell in your cabin.

You might notice a pungent odor when your car AC is running. However, you can fix this issue on your own. You can use a duct cleaner to prevent and treat mold. Spray the solution into your AC vents. It will neutralize the smell.

However, if the smell is still present, you can talk to your car service provider.

Vinegar Smell

If your AC is causing a strong vinegar smell, then some specific mold might be the culprit. The odor might be unbearable. You will look for an immediate solution to use your vehicle’s AC system.

Some other conditions that include ozone emission can also cause a vinegar smell. The leaking battery acid might behind the odor as well. Here again, you can use the duct cleaning spray. It might eliminate all the mold or similar smells.

When it does not work, take the help of professionals.

Burning Smell

Sometimes, we experience a burning smell after switching on the AC. A burning smell can cause a lot of issues. Therefore, you will have to find out the source. You can get a burning smell from the burning rubber, burning plastic, and burning oil.

The AC compressor, burning hoses, and burning wires might be the reasons. However, the burning oil smell can come from your engine leaking.

As mentioned above, you can get a burning smell from different sources. If you cannot find out the reason, you can reach out to your car service provider.

Sweet Smell

You can notice a sweet smell due to leaking in the cooling system. The antifreeze leak in the system can cause such a smell. A leaking coolant will affect the efficiency of your cooling system. Also, it can impact your vehicle’s performance.

If you experience a sweet smell without any cause, you can evaluate the condition by a professional. An early evaluation will minimize the repair cost.

Why Does My Car Aircon Smell Bad? – Conclusion

These are the possible causes of the car aircon smell. You should try to find out the reason regardless of the severity and type of the smell. You can address the mild odors on your own. However, when the source is not traceable, you can reach out to experienced professionals. Some smells can impact your health and the health of your vehicle.