Name: Does your car smell strange when the air is on? This might be why
Uploaded: 2024-10-19T21:01:30.000Z
Duration: 2 min 13 s
Description: Thousands of YouTube videos with English-Chinese subtitles! Now you can learn to understand native speakers, expand your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation...

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Is there a funky smell in your car, especially when the AC or the heater is on?

If it smells musty, the car care experts at Consumer Reports have some ways to defunkify your car's air so you can breathe easier.

That's the first time I've said that on TV—defunkify. Jenny Lee has more.

Does the air coming out of your vent now smell a little off?

Unless you left your teenager's gross sports uniform in the car, Consumer Reports says you probably don't have to sniff around to find the culprit of that not so pleasant odor.

What you're probably smelling is condensation from the evaporator inside your heating and cooling system.

Basically, water collects in that area, and if it sits for long enough, it creates that musty smell.

Most of the water is meant to exit the car through the evaporator drain under the vehicle.

You've probably seen a small puddle of water under your car, but sometimes that water collects in the evaporator, and if it sits in there a while, bacteria and mold can form, causing that smell.

The solution likely won't require a trip to the mechanic.

First, turn the fan to the low setting and open up the windows.

Get a disinfectant like Lysol and spray it into the climate system's air intake, also known as the plenum.

The plenum can be found at the base of your windshield where the wipers are located.

This is where the air comes from and that goes into your heating and cooling system.

With the engine on and the interior fan running, spray plenty of cleaner on both sides of the plenum intake vent, and the fan will pull it into the system where it will kill the bacteria and help get rid of that musty odor.

Keep the windows open to help air out the car.

If you have a cabin filter, remove that before you spray the disinfectant to help it move through the system.

It might be a good time to change it too because a dirty filter can prevent optimal airflow and changing it yourself can save you money and time.

Another source of smells—well, the sunroof.

There are small drainage holes on the sides which sometimes get clogged, allowing water to seep into the roof's liner or even drip onto the seats.

Subtitles ListPlay Video

Does your car smell strange when the air is on? This might be why

gross

basically

plenty

culprit