Q: New car, funny smell from the AC even after disinfectant and perfume bomb.

asked by on October 01, 2016

After switching on the AC, after a few minutes theres a funny smell that comes from the vents, it's not a strong smell but it's definitely there. Then the smell gets worse after switching the AC off and just using vents. It's been back to the service where they disinfected the AC the system and proceeded to let off a perfume bomb inside the car while the AC was on but still hasn't made a difference. Any tips would be appreciated. Thanks.

My car has 1200 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

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Hi, thanks for writing in. I’d be happy to provide some insight. The smell you are getting may be a small amount of water that sits in the air conditioning system. After you shut it off, it will start to grow mold. As soon as you start the car and turn on the AC, you will have this water evaporated and blown into the passenger compartment. I recommend looking in the cowl area under wiper arms at bottom of windshield to see if there are any leaves or debris that may grow mold and have it removed and area cleaned. This is where your AC sucks in out side air. Make sure to use recirculating air so you recirculate the inside air and use less outside air.

If you would like help, consider having an expert automotive technician from YourMechanic come to your home or office to inspect and diagnose this issue for you, and make or suggest any repairs as needed.

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