monsmike

My '99 996 has a moldy smell issuing from the vent ports at all times. Also, occasionally there are small pieces of foam rubber - looking stuff coming out, as if it has deteriorated due to some mold action or something else active and organic. Anyone have a similar experience and is there any way to attack without removing the whole dashboard and getting access to the ducting??

Barn996

Try changing your cabin pollen filter(under front hood, passenger side.(look in your manual for pics etc).

Dave!

Cabin air filter I bet, I think it's under the plastic cowl up front near the battery.

Edit: Curse you Barn!

monsmike

Cabin filter was not the culprit; that was replaced in an effort to improve the problem and there was no improvement.

kevjandon

I have this problem on my wifes mini van too. It has auto AC and re-circ. button.

At times it smells like the car farts. I took it to the dealer and they said that if you run the re-circulated air 100% of the time that condensation forms in the cabin/pollin filter air box and associated piping. If the car is shut off on the right day, with the right temp./hummidity, etc. The air is trapped in the system and collects the funk smell. Then it is blown out when the car is re-started.

To resolve, they had to clean all the pipes and the air filter box. They asked that I run the system without re-circulated air for a week. After that, I should rotate between the recir. air and non-recirc. air. They may have added a ventillation part too but I can't remeber. This is per a Toyota Technical Servcie Bulliten.

Not sure if that helps.

Barn996

Yea, but I was still wrong!

EastBay

check the evaporator box drain

wwest

Simple solution, LONG term solution.

See airsept(.com)'s EED.

CosmosC4S

1. Remove the cabin-air filter element
2. Cover Seats with old bedsheet
3. Open all doors and windows
4. Turn Fan on high speed with AC off
5. Spray Lysol Disinfectant (Can) into the cabin-air intake

I use almost half of a tall can of Lysol, at timed intervals.
Spray for about 10secs, then wait 30secs, repeat...and repeat...use judgement.
This will allow the MIST of Lysol to travel all through the air vents, without it accumulating as liquid somewhere along the vents.

You are good for at least 6-9 months. The Lysol could smell strong for a few days though, but that should clean your nostrils in the process.....

Hope that helps.

peavynation

Could be a leak in the heater core. A small one that would just weep, but keep it damp and moldy. Probably a real long shot, but check the coolant level just in case.

Pac996

That's what I was thinking. The foam my 99 is doing and I wondered about the filter but know previous 10 year old cars have done the same with no filter. I'm thinking the foam for sealing ducts where the hard plastic joins but not sure. I figure I'll find out on this 996. I want the car to last and be in good shape.

Back to the moldy smell. One way you might check if it's a leaky heater core is to engage the heat and while running the car. Then a while after shutting down check to see if you still have back preasure when removing the radiator cap. If there is no back preasure then I'd figure highly posible a heater core leak. Radiator cap springs do go bad so it might be good to change the cap while you are investigating problems. Then if there is any problem with that heater core get it replaced quick. They can dump lots of water quick and leave you stranded.

SH || NC

+1 I have seen documentation that dealers [not Porsche] actually do this.

wwest

Anytime, ANYTIME, you operate the A/C it will condense airborne moisture on the ~10,000 square inches of cooling evaporator vane surface area. When you turn off the A/C, shut down the car, that condensate does NOT majically dissappear.

The microbes that constitute the mould and mildew family thrive mightily, breed profusely, in a damp/dank/dark environment at about 65F +/- a few degrees.

Remove the "damp" part of the equation and your problem is solved.

That can be done as simply as religiously lowering the windows each and every night in the garage.

EastBay

Have you had to recharge the A/C or is the A/C weak? A leaky evaporator coil smells like must and mold also, may want diagnose when a freon sniffer

knfeparty

Einszett klima-clean from detailer's domain. It is a product specifically for solving this problem.