Causes and Ways to Eliminate AC Smell in Cars, Let's Take a Look!
Car air conditioning can be said to be one of the components that play an important role in enhancing driving comfort. With the presence of air conditioning, the hot temperature in the cabin and the feeling of stuffiness can be quickly cooled thanks to this component. Although air conditioning can refresh the air in the car cabin, sometimes it can also cause serious problems such as a smelly air conditioning system. So what causes this to happen? What is the right and effective way to eliminate the smell of car air conditioning? For more details, please pay attention to the following review.
Causes of Smelly Car Air Conditioning
A smelly car air conditioning system can be caused by several factors as follows.
1. Cigarette smoke
The habit of smoking inside the car is a major factor causing the smell of car air conditioning. As is known, there are quite a few drivers or passengers who have this bad habit. Cigarette smoke that evaporates inside the car cabin has a high potential to cause the smell of cigarette smoke to stick to the ceiling, dashboard, car carpet, and car seats. If the smell of cigarette smoke that sticks is left for a long time, it can cause an unpleasant odor even if you have used air fresheners to eliminate the smell.
2. Car perfume with high alcohol content
The next cause of smelly car air conditioning can be due to the use of car perfumes or air fresheners that have a high alcohol content. The high alcohol content in the perfume can trigger a pungent acidic smell.
3. Leaking evaporator
A leaking air conditioning evaporator can also cause the car air conditioning to emit a foul smell. This leakage usually occurs because the air conditioning evaporator is dirty, causing this component to be clogged with dirt. This blockage triggers the air conditioning evaporator to become slimy, accelerating the growth of bacteria and mold, which are the main sources of unpleasant odors in the air conditioning system.
4. Dirty air conditioning filter
The next cause can be due to a dirty air conditioning filter due to infrequent cleaning.
5. Low freon levels
Low freon levels can also cause the car air conditioning to smell. This happens because the air conditioning compressor continues to work even when the freon is depleted, causing the air conditioning to not emit cold air and only blow air when turned on.
6. Presence of dead animals inside the car
A smelly car air conditioning system can also be caused by the presence of dead animals inside the car. When you park the car, it is undeniable that lizards, mice, or cockroaches can enter the car through various components. If these animals die, their carcasses can certainly trigger a foul smell in the air conditioning system.
7. Dirty car carpet
Dirty car carpets that are rarely cleaned can also trigger the air conditioning to emit unpleasant odors. This is because dirt and dust from the carpet mix and circulate with the air inside the cabin.
How to Eliminate Smelly Car Air Conditioning
There are several ways you can do when the car air conditioning smells.
1. Avoid smoking inside the car
For those of you who have a habit of smoking inside the car, it is best to stop this bad habit so that the air inside the car cabin does not mix with your cigarette smoke.
2. Use low-alcohol car perfume
To prevent the car air conditioning from smelling, you need to use car perfumes or air fresheners with low alcohol content. This is necessary to avoid the acidic smell from the alcohol content.
3. Regularly clean the car interior
Regularly cleaning the car interior can prevent the car air conditioning from smelling because you can immediately clean the dirty parts of the car interior, from the seats, dashboard, to the car carpet.
4. Regularly maintain the air conditioning
Regularly checking and servicing the air conditioning can minimize the potential for the car air conditioning to smell and become damaged. Make sure you regularly clean the air conditioning filter, air conditioning evaporator, or recharge the air conditioning freon. Additionally, you need to service your car's air conditioning at least every six months to maintain its performance. Speaking of car air conditioning service, you can do it at the nearest Daihatsu workshop.
