MarineBSP
Senior Member
Hi - Reporting on my AC evaporator cleaning and hoping to do it better
I'm asking for input from members who have successfully gotten rid of AC smell, that musty, "wet wool", or "old gym socks" smell coming from the heater core and AC evaporator in their trucks.
My 2018 Laramie just turned five years old, has 87K miles, and I've owned it from new. I have changed out my cabin air filter annually. I try to turn off the AC a while before I shut down the truck, to dry out condensation, but I still have ended up with AC smell. With 'fancy' automatic climate control, I think the blend doors move the air stream to bypass the evaporator once AC is shut down - so my drying step might not really help much. Last summer I began getting a musty smell from the AC when I first turned it on. The smell would mostly go way once AC was on a while - when the evaporator core is cold enough, the smelly stuff stays on it or goes with the condensed water. Turn the AC off, and there's a puff of . . . . wheeww ! Winter was okay, with no AC use, but once or twice in freezing rain conditions I needed AC to assist defrost, and that was olfactory torture !
I've read a lot about options, and today I finally used the NextZett Klima-Cleaner. It seems to have gone in the right direction, but it has not completely solved my issue. I have a second can, but I will wait a few days before I walk that out.
I did this with the glove box and the blower fan removed - for better or worse my 2018 Laramie DS blower motor has the blower resistor built into the motor housing, so this removed blower and resistor from harm's way (they didn't get covered in foam). After glove box is out there are 3 screws holding the blower - they are 8mm hex head, but they have a T25 socket head as well. I used 8mm socke to remove, but because the screws have no shoulder, I installed with a T25 driver. I introduced the cleaner foam onto the back (blower) side of the evaporator with a tube from the blower motor opening. I had the cabin filter out and set an LED stick light in the filter opening to let me see as much as possible. I emptied the can in four steps - pausing each time the foam threatened to overflow out the blower motor opening - maybe I should have pushed it harder all at once, but the foam would have ended up on the towel I had protecting the carpet and transfer case electronics (see photos).
I watched a video saying it was important not to introduce foam by way of the evaporator drain, but to hit the back side of the evaporator (blower side). I am now questioning that logic. For a repeat treatment, I will try applying the foam from the drain, which will tend to fill the space on the "front" side of the evaporator (side toward the vents). This may actually get the foam higher up on the evaporator in our RAM trucks? Maybe I just need to treat twice ? Anyone recommend the Toyota or Subaru brand cleaner kits ?
I'd like to hear from you if you have done this cleaning / de-odorizing and felt you had a really great result.
Thanks !
I'm asking for input from members who have successfully gotten rid of AC smell, that musty, "wet wool", or "old gym socks" smell coming from the heater core and AC evaporator in their trucks.
My 2018 Laramie just turned five years old, has 87K miles, and I've owned it from new. I have changed out my cabin air filter annually. I try to turn off the AC a while before I shut down the truck, to dry out condensation, but I still have ended up with AC smell. With 'fancy' automatic climate control, I think the blend doors move the air stream to bypass the evaporator once AC is shut down - so my drying step might not really help much. Last summer I began getting a musty smell from the AC when I first turned it on. The smell would mostly go way once AC was on a while - when the evaporator core is cold enough, the smelly stuff stays on it or goes with the condensed water. Turn the AC off, and there's a puff of . . . . wheeww ! Winter was okay, with no AC use, but once or twice in freezing rain conditions I needed AC to assist defrost, and that was olfactory torture !
I've read a lot about options, and today I finally used the NextZett Klima-Cleaner. It seems to have gone in the right direction, but it has not completely solved my issue. I have a second can, but I will wait a few days before I walk that out.
I did this with the glove box and the blower fan removed - for better or worse my 2018 Laramie DS blower motor has the blower resistor built into the motor housing, so this removed blower and resistor from harm's way (they didn't get covered in foam). After glove box is out there are 3 screws holding the blower - they are 8mm hex head, but they have a T25 socket head as well. I used 8mm socke to remove, but because the screws have no shoulder, I installed with a T25 driver. I introduced the cleaner foam onto the back (blower) side of the evaporator with a tube from the blower motor opening. I had the cabin filter out and set an LED stick light in the filter opening to let me see as much as possible. I emptied the can in four steps - pausing each time the foam threatened to overflow out the blower motor opening - maybe I should have pushed it harder all at once, but the foam would have ended up on the towel I had protecting the carpet and transfer case electronics (see photos).
I watched a video saying it was important not to introduce foam by way of the evaporator drain, but to hit the back side of the evaporator (blower side). I am now questioning that logic. For a repeat treatment, I will try applying the foam from the drain, which will tend to fill the space on the "front" side of the evaporator (side toward the vents). This may actually get the foam higher up on the evaporator in our RAM trucks? Maybe I just need to treat twice ? Anyone recommend the Toyota or Subaru brand cleaner kits ?
I'd like to hear from you if you have done this cleaning / de-odorizing and felt you had a really great result.
Thanks !
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After that one i'll never own another black vehicle
