How do I clean my AC evaporator in my Acura TL? I was told the musty mold smell was coming from it.?

Question

I changed my cabin filter and it still smells. I was told that spraying Lysol on it will kill the smell/mold.

Answer 1

They make a special spray for just the problem you have. Lysol also works. I used to use Lysol after each winter to get rid of that musty/mold type smell. I would buy the small can of Lysol, turn the key on, turn the a/c system to "vent" with the fan on the high setting, and spray the entire contents of the can into the inlet vents by the wipers/down by the base of the windshield. After emptying the can I would hold my breath, open the car door and switch from vent to recirculate and let it run for 5-10 minutes after closing the door. I would then hold my breath again, reopen the door, turn everything off, and let it sit overnight. Do not open any windows or leave the doors open at this point! In the morning start the car and put it back on vent. You will not smell anything except for a hint of Lysol! This really works good!

Answer 2

Keep the moisture out of the vent system. A comon cause of this is people who turn their car off with out turning the AC off first and allowing the system to dry out. what happens is while the AC is running moisture condensese on the evapoartor core. this will start to form a frost. When you turn the car of this water with drop inside the vent system forming mold. the way to prevent this is to allow 2 to 3 minutes of run time with out the AC system running. when you start to reach your destination turn the AC off and just let the fan evaporate the water from the vents. the smell will go away when the moisture stops feeding it. Lysol will kill the mold. but you also want to resolve the problem completly.