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By ycr99, October 6, 2005



I have noticed when I have the grille part closed on circulation of A/C I notice a...I can only describe as a "cat pee" smell sometimes. If I have it on for a really long time on high, it usually goes away, but if it's on medium...I sometimes can smell that. Only when the grille is closed (don't know the term), when the vent is open to let in outside air, I don't smell anything.

The filter was changed at my last oil change in April. (if this helps)

The filter was changed at my last oil change in April. (if this helps)

Which filter? Air filter? If you mean the cabin air filter - you got hosed by someone, because your model (1999 Corolla?) does not have one.

As far as the odor - normal occurance with A/C units. They do make deodorant sprays that treat this specific issue - usually comes with a length of tube to snake down the vents.

This is my own home-grown theory, but it works for me.

I think the smell is mold/mildew. When you turn your car off with the AC running, the coils (or whatever) are still very very cold. Since there's no air blowing over them, they condense. This moisture leads to the mold/mildew smell.

The solution? Turn your A/C off right before you get to your destination. Don't make yourself uncomfortable, but you should be able to time it where it's still cool in the car but the regular outside air has had time to warm the coils up a bit to reduce the condensation.

Seems to work for me. I don't have that smell any more.

I'm sure someone who actually understands Air Conditioning is liable to call me out on this--please correct me if I'm wrong.

Well, if I got hosed by someone, then it wasn't by much. Since it was a 15.00 oil change plus 15 point check at Wal-Mart Auto....

I still feel I should be going somewhere else for the stuff...,but don't know any "reliable" mechanics...

That cat pee smell could actually be pee. If a small animal crawled up inside the car for a place to sellp or nest they could have very well taken a leak on your evaporator. When you have the vent closed it is in "recycle" mode. It's taking the air from inside the car and removing more heat from it. When you have the vent open it is obviously using outside air and then removing the heat from it. That's why your A/C will feel cooler when it is on "recycle".

If something, like a squirrel or something, got inside there you could be smelling the urine. The evaporator is the set of coils that absorbs heat and blows air over it producing cooler air on the other side. If there is urine in it the smell would come off there and into your car. I don't know where the evaporator is on your car...or mine for that matter, I've never looked, but if you can find it you can clean it off with coil cleaner. It may be leaves and stuff too. Pine needles will often times fall in there and begin to rot with the moisture build up. If you do it yourself, make sure you use coill cleaner. If you call an air conditiong place they should be able to hook you up.

*remindes me of the time a friend of hers had to watch his roommate's pet hamsters, but rather than staying home to take care of the little critters, he decided w/his friend Steve to go on a road trip...the hamsters get out, and one crawls under the dash, the other was lost along the way...don't know where. The other hamster is under the dash...and it's living under there...until it died...(not sure if it got fried, or just starved/dehydrated itself to death) anyhow, we noticed the smell a couple days later....*



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