Ac odor when first turns on...Phil help....

[Ranger3]

I had my dashboard taken apart about 2 or 3 months ago because I had a cracked blender door so they replaced that and then put it all back together I noticed now when I start my car and I turn the air on I smell like a vinegar smell I saw your post about some sort of RTV sealant my question is should I take it back to the dealer or will this dissipate over time? It does go away after like a minute when a first comes on thank you for your help...

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[Ranger3]

Btw it's a 2020 xlt.....13,500 miles

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Hey DJ,

It is not uncommon for RTV sealant to continue leaching acetic acid for a longer time than expected, especially if it was applied in large blobs. Most applications are up to a 1/4” bead and they cure completely through within a day and the odour is gone. A large blob (1” or more) might cure to a depth of 1/4” to 1/2” within a day but leave a soft, uncured centre that will eventually cure but it will take much longer because of the fully cured outer layer protecting it.

Think of a caulking tube of silicone after it’s first use - a few months later, the silicone in the nozzle and near the nozzle is fully cured but the remainder of the tube is not - it is still soft.

Maybe your dealer laid it on pretty thick on the firewall to fill a dimple in the panel or for some other reason and it just hasn’t setup yet. I’d inquire with the dealer in a way that elicits an honest and candid answer from them. A friendly conversation with the technician might be needed.

Good luck.

 

[Ranger3]

It was like a couple months ago...and yes it smells like a silicone smell....u bit it right on

 

[NotBudule]

Maybe open all the doors and blast the heater for a long while, may help cure it , if it's sealant, but as RP said above , check cabin filter , dealer may have forgotten it...

 

[Ranger3]

Phils not the only one to help. Google is just as informative.

you may have mold.
change you cabin filter and try and find the cleaner they suggest

https://www.infinitioncamelback.com/blog/how-to-get-rid-of-vinegar-smell-in-car-557080

unfortunately, Google lacks back stories for entertainment

Mold??? From what?

 

[Msfitoy]

Hey DJ,

It is not uncommon for RTV sealant to continue leaching acetic acid for a longer time than expected, especially if it was applied in large blobs. Most applications are up to a 1/4” bead and they cure completely through within a day and the odour is gone. A large blob (1” or more) might cure to a depth of 1/4” to 1/2” within a day but leave a soft, uncured centre that will eventually cure but it will take much longer because of the fully cured outer layer protecting it.

Think of a caulking tube of silicone after it’s first use - a few months later, the silicone in the nozzle and near the nozzle is fully cured but the remainder of the tube is not - it is still soft.

Maybe your dealer laid it on pretty thick on the firewall to fill a dimple in the panel or for some other reason and it just hasn’t setup yet. I’d inquire with the dealer in a way that elicits an honest and candid answer from them. A friendly conversation with the technician might be needed.

Good luck.

I haven't found a way to keep a nearly full RTV tube from curing with the cap securely back on...once the seal is broken...the RTV will cure like it or not...1" is nothing...is will dry up lol...

DJ, if you can smell the RTV that means it's curing...sooner or later it will go away...

 

[NotBudule]

unfortunately, Google lacks back stories for entertainment

Google lacks Tito also ...

 

[AzScorpion]

Mold??? From what?

If you just noticed it right after having the work done it's most likely the RTV curing as Duke said. I've worked with silicones & caulks for 40 years and when they're contained in a small area (cab of your truck) there's a lot of off gassing going on and no where for it to go. You won't notice this as much inside your home as it will dissipate through the house and through the HVAC when on.

Robert @NotBudule has a good suggestion about opening the windows and blasting the heat to set it up. If you're parked in the garage keep the windows open to let the gasses out.

 

[AzScorpion]

Google lacks Tito also ...

Look a little harder.



https://www.google.com/search?q=des...HUPDDo4Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1345&bih=754&dpr=2

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

I haven't found a way to keep a nearly full RTV tube from curing with the cap securely back on...once the seal is broken...the RTV will cure like it or not...1" is nothing...is will dry up lol...

DJ, if you can smell the RTV that means it's curing...sooner or later it will go away...

This^^

I bet if I open up that top case, eight of the ten or so sealant tubes in it are toast. ? Of course, I will try like hell to get one to work.

 

[NotBudule]

Look a little harder.



https://www.google.com/search?q=des...HUPDDo4Q_AUoAXoECAEQAw&biw=1345&bih=754&dpr=2

That's just random tortoise ezz 's , or torti , I don't know them , they don't post here , they don't ride in Rangers and RV' s ,sipping on scotch ,smoking kale, thug life...

 

[JesseS]

This^^

I bet if I open up that top case, eight of the ten or so sealant tubes in it are toast. ? Of course, I will try like hell to get one to work.

Love the labels on your cases, much more imaginative than mine

 

[DukeCanBuildit]

Love the labels on your cases, much more imaginative than mine

Sometimes, there are other tradesmen on a site. I don’t want to advertise what’s in the cases - I still want to know, but stuff goes missing.

Hammer Time = Hammer Drill
Nailed It = Nail Guns and Nails

 

[JesseS]

Sometimes, there are other tradesmen on a site. I don’t want to advertise what’s in the cases - I still want to know, but stuff goes missing.

Hammer Time = Hammer Drill
Nailed It = Nail Guns and Nails

Well yes, that was easy to figure out, anyone who works with tools would get it. I thought you did it just to differentiate your cases from someone else's in case they had the same kind.

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