Funky smell in the car after recharging the AC
08-19-2017, 10:43 AM
#1
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2017
Location: Florida
Posts: 38
Funky smell in the car after recharging the AC
98 Mustang GT. Recently I replaced my AC compressor and successfully recharged it, it blows ice cold air. A couple of days after the recharge I started smelling a funky smell in the car when the car is off. When the AC is blowing it's ok.
I think it is either my evaporator leaking or there is just mold in the system and a flush should help me out.
I also left the old compressor in the trunk so it might given the smell. I removed it last night and this morning the smell was not as bad, or so I think.
Has anyone experienced this? How can I detect an evaporator leak?
Is it possible to replace the evaporator yourself or would I need to take to a mechanic?
I think it is either my evaporator leaking or there is just mold in the system and a flush should help me out.
I also left the old compressor in the trunk so it might given the smell. I removed it last night and this morning the smell was not as bad, or so I think.
Has anyone experienced this? How can I detect an evaporator leak?
Is it possible to replace the evaporator yourself or would I need to take to a mechanic?
08-19-2017, 04:26 PM
#2
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,826
If you discharge the refrigerant and use a vacuum pump to pull the entire system into vacuum (you typically wanna see 20+ in/hg vacuum reading, 25 or so is better), then close the valves on the manifold and shut off the pump. Give it 10 or 20 minutes and look at the gauge and see if your initial reading is holding. If not, and you're sure that that gauge set is good then you have a leak somewhere. Or if you have trouble achieving more than 20 in/hg vacuum, then there's a leak.
08-19-2017, 04:35 PM
#3
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: SoCal
Posts: 1,826
As far as the evap coil goes, you don't wanna have to replace that. It's in there with the heater core, pretty sure the only way to get to it is the same as heater core, which is complete removal of the dashboard. Not quite an easy job, and not cheap if you pay someone else. Have heard of others being quoted upward of $1200 for R&R heater core. Labor/time intensive job.
Evap coils can and do leak, but there are several more likely places I would look at first. Any underhood lines and fittings, along with the condenser coil. Condenser coil leaks are quite common, and that coil is mounted in front of the radiator and catches all sorts of rocks/bugs/debris that the rest of the front of your car is exposed to. In the end, if it's a small leak - which you do have somewhere, otherwise there would be no need to have recharged the system, it may be more cost effective to just recharge as necessary. You can spend hundreds of dollars on shop diagnosis to find a leak, only to discover it wasn't the only one later on.
Shops typically introduce a UV dye into the system to help them find the source of a leak. But if the leak is somewhere that's not exposed without taking stuff apart then it can get expensive pretty quick.
Evap coils can and do leak, but there are several more likely places I would look at first. Any underhood lines and fittings, along with the condenser coil. Condenser coil leaks are quite common, and that coil is mounted in front of the radiator and catches all sorts of rocks/bugs/debris that the rest of the front of your car is exposed to. In the end, if it's a small leak - which you do have somewhere, otherwise there would be no need to have recharged the system, it may be more cost effective to just recharge as necessary. You can spend hundreds of dollars on shop diagnosis to find a leak, only to discover it wasn't the only one later on.
Shops typically introduce a UV dye into the system to help them find the source of a leak. But if the leak is somewhere that's not exposed without taking stuff apart then it can get expensive pretty quick.
Last edited by Z28KLR; 08-19-2017 at 04:39 PM.
