It is incredibly convenient to have good clean and cold air flowing through vents in your car on a hot summer day. However, if the air conditioner starts to radiate a foul smell, you may just rather have the windows rolled down instead. If the air conditioning system in your car is pushing an odor through that is unpleasant to deal with, there is definitely a problem at some point. The key to making repairs is to understand why your car's AC is smelling a certain way. Here are a few of the most common car AC odors and the possible causes and solutions you should know as the car owner.
The Odor of Rotten Socks
A frequent odor released by a faulty car AC is one that can only be described by most as the smell of old dirty socks. This is actually excess moisture that has made its way into the ventilation system in your car. If you have accidentally left the windows down or the car has been flooded, the rotten sock odor will be fairly common. The only way to resolve this issue is to thoroughly dry out the inside of the vent system, which means leaving the air off for at least a few days and possibly even running the heater when you can.
The Frightening Odor of Burning Rubber
Anytime you smell something burning in your car, it will leave you with an uneasy feeling. The first thing that comes to mind is likely your car bursting into flames. Thankfully, just because you smell something burning when you turn on your car's AC, it likely does not mean that your car is going to go up in flames. What you typically are smelling is rubber wires that have somehow made their way to a point in your air conditioning system where they should not be, oftentimes against the fan motor, which can get pretty hot. Check under the hood to diagnose what wires are touching where, and maneuver what you can find. If the problem continues, you should take your car to an auto AC shop for advice.
You may value your air conditioner in your car on a hot day, but when something horrid starts wafting through your vehicle, it should definitely be an indicator to turn the AC off for a bit. If your car's AC is smelling weird, funny, or all out stinky, stop in at an auto AC service (such as Modern Auto Air) and have someone take a look.
Share11 August 2015
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