A dirty cabin air filter can become a source of bad odors by trapping moisture and outside contaminants that promote bacterial growth.
Smell dirty cabin air filter.
Reference the owner s manual to pinpoint its location.
Home automotive ewwww what s that smell replace your car s cabin filter in minutes.
You ll notice an unpleasant smell that doesn t disappear no matter how many times you clean your interior.
July 1 2013 brittany bailey 221 comments.
As a rule of thumb if the filter looks dirty it is.
It s coming from not changing your cabin air filter.
It s hard to enjoy your ride to work or meeting with friends because that unwanted smell just ruins your mood.
The cabin filter does the same job as the air filter under the hood but it s responsible for filtering the air that makes its way into the cabin.
Unusual odor from the vents.
Another potential cause here is that your cabin filter s needs to be changed.
If you need to turn on the blower fan to max in order to determine if there s air coming out of the vents a dirty cabin air filter could be the reason for the decreased airflow.
Newer cars have an air filter inside the cabin of the car that removes bad smells from the air that comes into the car.
No that terrible smell coming from your vents isn t from anything that you just drove by.
In many cases the paper element is white to help you determine when the filter is dirty.
Over time the filter becomes clogged with dirt dust and pollen.
If it s dirty or clogged then it may be causing the foul smell.
When you find the cabin air filter remove and inspect it.
If your car has a persistent musty or funky smell a dirty cabin air filter may be the culprit.
But the slightly dirty air filter actually does a better job at catching pollen and dirt than a clean one.
Check your cars replaceable cabin air filter.
What happens if your cabin air filter is dirty.
An excessively contaminated filter may produce a dusty dirty or musty smell.
The filter is usually composed of a paper element that is folded into pleats and surrounded by a rubberized gasket.
Mold and mildew can grow here as well.
Dirty or excessively clogged cabin air filters can produce a dusty musty stench especially when the hvac system is turned on.
Musty odors from the a c evaporator are a common issue in humid climates and may require spraying a biocide or air fresher into the hvac housing to get rid of the smell.
Simply replace the filter with a new one.
Removing and replacing a dirty cabin air filter on your car can stop that bad smell.
The smell may become more pronounced when the air is turned on and may make the cabin uncomfortable for the passengers.
Is there a solution to this problem.
Another symptom of a bad or failing cabin air filter is an unusual odor coming from the vehicle s interior vents.
Changing your cabin air filter at regular intervals will ensure that.
