Slamking18

Does anyone else have this issue? Most of the time, when I start my car after it has been sitting a little while, the air that blows out of the vents has a very stale smell for about 10-30 seconds. After that, everything seems fine.

I have already taken my car in and had the TSB taken care of for a revised evaporator, but the smell is back now.

I talked to my bro who is a Lecus tech and he said, the only other thing he can think of doing is to drill a hole on the side of where the evaporator is and spray a cleaning foam in there... Any thoughts?

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

Nope never had this happen, you could probably get those good smelling in cabin airfilter, or a charcoal airfilter may help the smell.

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

I noticed it only happens with heat or temperature above 75.

Slamking18

Thanks, but its not a lingering smell. Like I said, it only lasts for about 10-30 seconds after starting the car, and then its gone. None the less, its annoying.

Yeah, that about the same for me... Now that the temps are starting to get warmer, it is happening more often....

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

Yes you are gonna have to get used to it, especially if you had the tsb done and it didnt help. What can temporarily work is spraying some air freshener on the cabin filter.

L3XOTIC

Happens to me also on my 2GS. Horrible smell for first 20-30 seconds.

veritek

Do you live near a lake? The humidity around a lake can sometimes cause mold or mildew like smell upon start up, then goes away after a few seconds. My parents live next to a lake, and they have this problem with their cars.

Slamking18

I will probably let my brother take it in and do the drill and foam flush..... That should take care of it for a while.... He even mentioned running a hose down so it can be more easily sprayed as needed...

Roe

iTrader: (10)

I've heard or read spraying lysol in the vents helped. Don't take that as rock solid though, I just recall reading that somewhere in the past.

Slamking18

I don't live right next to one, but my sub-division is across the street from one.... I am in the midwest as well, which has some pretty extreme climate changes...

leemeedee

I actually have the same problem with my car when i turn on the AC. i dont live near a lake or near industrial buildings i just live in hot muggy florida.. any suggestion how to get the air smelling better? and its only when i turn it on for like 10 seconds..

Boron

- skip through to around 3:30 mark.

http://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-te...vaporator.html

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

So where is the vent on the 3gs where that thing can be left to spray, in the link the guy connected a cable to the ac thingy, where is the location of ours.

Boron

I'd use the LM one or the BG Fresh first to see if they fix it - then if not, consider the alternative option.

Another alternative - the smoke machine "bombs" can be effective, but won't remove the build-up on the evaporator coils, etc - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...a-c-smell.html

Evaporator may be in same place as the 2GS - https://www.clublexus.com/forums/gs-...iy-w-pics.html

Slamking18

Thanks for the tips guys.... I am starting to get even more annoyed by it now.... Today, I had my AC completely off and it was letting fresh air in. I could smell the stale smell for quite some time running it this way.... I don't even understand what the point of the cabin filter is if its not going to filter smell out! My only guess is we are having some funky wheather in the midwest this year (back and forth hot and cold) and it has been rainy for a few days so I guess that is making it get nasty in the condenser.... What a pain in the ***!