AC smell only when external air is on

[Jready23]

My 2019 Gt2 has had an awful smell when the ac is turned on. I have taken it to the dealer and had the condenser cleaned. I have also done the Lysol trick. Today I noticed that it smells only happens when the condenser is off and the air is set to pull from outside. Whenever I put the air to recirculate, smell goes away. Looking for any ideas on how to clean or what’s going on.

 

[bfglitch]

Have you checked the cabin air filter? Although I'm pretty sure air passes through it when air is recycled instead of pulling fresh, but I'm not positive.

 

[Jready23]

Sorry also should have mentioned, I did replace the filter.

 

[D.J.]

My 2019 Gt2 has had an awful smell when the ac is turned on. I have taken it to the dealer and had the condenser cleaned. I have also done the Lysol trick. Today I noticed that it smells only happens when the condenser is off and the air is set to pull from outside. Whenever I put the air to recirculate, smell goes away. Looking for any ideas on how to clean or what’s going on.

What's the Lysol trick?

 

[Landshark]

is it a musty mildewy smell? if so, hit it with the Lysol a couple times.

i've seen where people had plastic bags/dead things get stuck on the cat converter and melt/cook and bring the stank ...

 

[Jready23]

I have done the Lysol at least 10 times now, still no use. If it was the cat converter, would that smell all the time vs only when it’s set to external air.

 

[oddball]

Dead rat in the fresh air intake?
I had a dead rat curled up under the engine cover at one point. Stunk like crazy when the engine got hot.

 

[3SPKY5U]

Perhaps someone has pulled a trick on you/spited you by spraying liquid stink on your cabin air intake.

I’ve seen a few people jump to this recommendation on Reddit posts…

 

[n8hegr8]

do you use recirculate constantly? i use auto and 73degrees like the manual says; when its set to auto, its always grabbing the outside air, unless its summer time and its hot out i noticed it turns to recirculate. i dont like how auto always blows on your feet; ive never seen it switch to face. i wonder whats down in there if its not the air filters, etc. that makes the air stink if you use recirculate all the time.

 

[G-62657]

inside of the cabin smells great. nothing on the carpets or otherwise. Smell is not present and I often do not use recirculate. Only occures when the car is sucking from the outside. I wonder if its the something in the engine bay. The inlets are external of the bay though, right below the windscreen

 

[Jready23]

Update,

Smell is only present when using the main vents. When I selected the wind screen or floor option, nothing. Any tips to deep clean the main vents.

 

[n8hegr8]

i smell McDonald's when I'm in sport mode and floor it. It gets a rush of air that comes from down under. I don't eat McDonald's. I don't put fast food in my car. I don't park near a McDonald's.

 

[D.J.]

i smell McDonald's when I'm in sport mode and floor it. It gets a rush of air that comes from down under. I don't eat McDonald's. I don't put fast food in my car. I don't park near a McDonald's.

Subliminal Bic Mac Cravings?

 

[n8hegr8]

uh, .. no.... mcdonalds.... what .....mcdonalds are you mcdonalds talking mcdonalds about....?

 

[Jready23]

Searching on YouTube I saw people take the KOOL IT foaming cleaner and stick it down the cab vents. I was extremely shocked to see this (granted none of them had stingers.) The idea did get me thinking….Went to ace hardware, bought some 1/4inch plastic tubing and lysol, stuck the tube deep into the vents and sprayed away. Also pulled the air filter out and sprayed deep into the vents there. In the moment smell was gone, will see if it lasts. The ace hardware dude said to buy de-humidifying powder. My question is, will that actually work to kill/ keep moisture out of the vents if the powder is in the cab.

 

[G-43343]

My 2019 Gt2 has had an awful smell when the ac is turned on. I have taken it to the dealer and had the condenser cleaned. I have also done the Lysol trick. Today I noticed that it smells only happens when the condenser is off and the air is set to pull from outside. Whenever I put the air to recirculate, smell goes away. Looking for any ideas on how to clean or what’s going on.

This experience is exactly the one I had this week. The problem ended up being bad wiper fluid. The wiper fluid container is next to the air vents and this is what is causing the egg/sulfur smell when the external air is flowing into the cabin. Check your wiper fluids to make sure it's clean. Have the bad fluids extracted out. Make sure they do it all the way down to the wiper fluid table so it all gets out. Then bring in the new wiper fluids. They might need to add chlorine tables into the fluids to immediately get rid of the smell. Hope this helps.