When I turn on my AC for the first time everyday it wreaks. After it runs for like 20-30 seconds its fine but initially it smells bad. Only happens after sitting around for a while like overnight or after work. It honeslty smells like feet. Its killin me. Like I said it doesnt last long or linger but its kinda embarassing at first. Anyone else have this happen? Any ideas?
Thanks

 

do you leave it on the RECIRCULATE ? i know that i have left mine on it for awile, and it smells, but IF you slide it over to the FRESH or air from outside, from time to time you prob. wont have that smell anymore,, hope this helps.
Ric

 

if the unit is set to "recirculate" the air in the cabin will be re-cycled instead of allowing fresh air in, and in turn the duct work will accumulate moisture and then begin to mildew...then when you turn the a/c on again, say after a day or so...voila stanky air...try setting the lever to fresh...i try to use the re-circulate when i wan to cool or heat the air in the cabin quickly or if i am sitting in traffic where noxious fumes are at high levels, then once i am "cruising again i switch back to fresh.

on a different topic...i have always heard that you should switch the a/c off before you shut off the engine and never start the engine with the a/c set to on? is this correct?

 

saintsteve,
i see your new here, so WELCOME, and yes, i have heard the same thing about the AC, turn it off when you turn the truck off,

 

I have the same problem with my Celica. Mine is on fresh air and I get the mildew smell when I turn the A/C on.

 

Ric...thanks bro. I have been in "lurk" mode for a while...I only have a 2wd...so i have been parusing the board mostly for info...man this is the place for 4Runner info!!!! Thanks again!

 

saintsteve,
yea this place ROCKS, everyone here, is here to help, lots of knowledge here (not much from me, lol) and these guys are very helpfull.

 

I had this problem with my '99 after it was a year old. My first AC vehicle (yeah, I toughed it out for 25 years ) and I was unsure why the stinky smell would come on at start. The dealer asked, Do you leave it on fresh? I told him, No, I want the air cold and I hate exhaust smells in traffic. He told me I HAVE to leave the fresh vent open ALL the time or at least open it when I turn the engine off. They pulled the condesor and dunked it in deodorizor. This worked for a few weeks and the smell came back. I ALWAYS left the vent open when I turned off...ALWAYS. It did make sense as the condesor gets ice cold, when you recirculate, it's closed up, yeah, theres a drain pipe, but water remains and mildew can build up. I went back 2 more times and finally, they said the mildew must be inside the condesor, so they gave me a new one, they said this problem is very common here because of the high humidty, but because they gave me a new one, they said I can't bring my Runner in for smells anymore...a final fix. Fair enough. Someone told me any LIQUID air freshner causes the smells eventually. Sounds wierd, but I do remember I had one of those bottles in my Runner when the problems started. Just last week, I saw one of those SPRIG bottles...the tiny skinny glass ones, had the Spice smell I liked as I had those in my first Toyota I owned long ago. I figured I'd try it...2 days later...stinky smell. I dumped it and after 2 days, no smell...wierd. I always, now, as a matter of habit, open the fresh vent bfore I turn the key off.

 

From what I was told, the smell comes from condesation in the air vents. As the moisture dries up, it smells like mildew, much like leaving a load of clothes in the washer overnight

I got into the habit of turning the AC in "fresh" mode, off a block or two before turning the truck off to let warmer air go through the vents and dry the moisture before it gets a chance to sit and mildew. By the time you drive a coulpe of blocks, it will be ready to sit overnight.

Another thing that could help if that process is taking too long is to run the AC on in recirculate and spray some air freshner into the return duct. I have used Ozium neutralizer before and it works well...

Hope this helps you guys

 

eh, it doesn't matter if you have 2wd or 4wd, a 4Runner is a 4Runner...

Ok that was a really bad Fast and the Furious wanna be quote.

 

So is it fixable without having to take anything out and cleaning it? Just run some warm air thru it and leave it open to fresh air while resting? I have ozium, where should I spray it?

 

I always turn my A/C compressor OFF before shutting down the ignition. Always leave it off until a few minutes after starting/warming up. I was told that by turning off the A/C before killing the ignition it allows the condensor/evaporator to drain the fluid that has accumulated in the unit during operation. Notice the excessive drip on the concrete after turning the engine off? If you leave the A/C compressor on and then kill the ignition the valves/solenoid in the compressor/evaporator stays shut trapping the condensation/water to mildew. You will still have a drip, but not much.

This could be an urban legend topic, but it works for me, no sweatshirt smell when I turn the A/C on.

 

Spray it into the intake under the glove box on the passenger side floorboard while you have the fan on high. (i think that's the intake - somebody correct me if I'm wrong...)

 

Yes, please, someone correct him if he is wrong. And do it in the next 10 minutes because I am heading out to my car and its 85 out. I will be spraying real soon.

 

That's correct. The dealer sells a spray deodorizer, I bought a can to try. Smells OK, gives the wife a headache so I spray and run it through. This is for the recirulate system. They also told me to spray the outside vents, by the wiper blades...this is the outside (fresh) 'intake'...this is all done with the motor running, fan HIGH. Good luck. Oops, when you shoot the outside vents, switch over to FRESH so it runs through the ducts. I'd do the inside one at least twice...

 

Ohhhh, a whopping 85*!!

Try 98*+, 90% humidity and in the shade.

 

Agreed, check your drain pipes, etc. along the intake and wiper. Rotting bacteria laden leaves, bugs and water get trapped in there and makes it smell. Not to mention an incubator for rust.

 

I understand 85* isnt all that compared to most of the country but I do live in upstate NY.

 

that's what I thought too.
Its been 100+ for the past two weeks. I am just glad that we don't have the humidity like you do!

 

i have a broken compressor pully and when the pully stops spinning thats when i get a bad smell. i can hear the fan belt "screeching" and have hot air blowing and the bad smell. when the compressor is turing everything smell good and the air is cold. mine has done this for about a year and when i get the bad smell i turn off the a/c.
so i feel that my bad smell is a result of the compressor pully not spinning. also the air starts to smell right before i get the loud "screeching" noise so I know when my a/c is about to go out and just turn it off. i know it is a cheap fix (part wise not the labor) but every $ i get goes to my cruiser