Air Conditoner Questions

[Cowboys22]

I'll preface this by saying one of the main reasons driving me to look for a new vehicle was because the air conditioner in my 2017 Ford Explorer developed a mildew smell that I couldn't get rid of to save my life. I always kept the vehicle clean and no amount of Lysol, Febreze, changing of air filters, etc. was able to get rid of the smell.

I did some online research and some other Explorer owners experienced the same issues. Some took their vehicles to their dealerships but they couldn't get rid of the smell. The best solution I could find was to turn the AC off a few blocks away from the house and just let the fans blow. It would apparently help with the condensation and avoid mold growing due to the excess moisture. Maybe that would help prevent the smell but really didn't help remove it since it was already there.

I also grew up being told to always turn the AC off before turning vehicles off. I read an article that used to be the case on older vehicles but not as necessary with the newer technologies.

Leads me to my questions:

1. Have there been any issues with the air conditioners in the Rangers leading to mildew smell?

2. What's the best practice for the AC when turning the vehicle off and can this help avoid a mildew smell later on?

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[Tom_C]

I don't have any answers to your questions. My wifes Volvo XC70 runs the fans for a little while after you turn the car off. I had a 2003 BMW 3 series, and it always had a smelly AC since brand new. The dealers remedy was to spray disenfectant into all the vents. I used a plastic nossel on lysol to spray in the vents every few weeks in the summers to eleviate the BO from vents.

 

[P. A. Schilke]

I'll preface this by saying one of the main reasons driving me to look for a new vehicle was because the air conditioner in my 2017 Ford Explorer developed a mildew smell that I couldn't get rid of to save my life. I always kept the vehicle clean and no amount of Lysol, Febreze, changing of air filters, etc. was able to get rid of the smell.

I did some online research and some other Explorer owners experienced the same issues. Some took their vehicles to their dealerships but they couldn't get rid of the smell. The best solution I could find was to turn the AC off a few blocks away from the house and just let the fans blow. It would apparently help with the condensation and avoid mold growing due to the excess moisture. Maybe that would help prevent the smell but really didn't help remove it since it was already there.

I also grew up being told to always turn the AC off before turning vehicles off. I read an article that used to be the case on older vehicles but not as necessary with the newer technologies.

Leads me to my questions:

1. Have there been any issues with the air conditioners in the Rangers leading to mildew smell?

2. What's the best practice for the AC when turning the vehicle off and can this help avoid a mildew smell later on?

Hi Greg,

Not aware of mildew issues. There were problems with a burning smell that was tracked to a sealant on 2019s. Try a forum search might help

Reason to turn off A/C on older vehicles was likely pre electronic engine controls that can delay the A/C kicking in...it was to make it easier on the starter motor to start the engine if I recall correctly...

Best,
Phil Schilke
Ranger Vehicle Engineering
Ford Motor Co. Retired

 

[Porpoise Hork]

My 2008 VW GTi had this issue but it was caused by poorly designed sunroof drains that would leak when the glue on the fittings degraded. Not sure if your Explorer had one, but sunroof drains are notorious for clogging up and leaking creating mildew smell issues. Now one thing VW did was code the HVAC system to automatically disengage the air recirculation if the car was powered off for more than 15-20 minutes. This would allow the system to dry out preventing mildew. It was nice that the car's A/C never smelled, but sucked that I had to hit the recirculation button every time I got in it.


The only reports I'm aware of mildew smell from the A/C is the result of a partially clogged evaporator drain preventing water condensate from draining off completely. This issue can be exacerbated by the system keeping the recirculation vent closed also preventing the evaporator coil from drying out after use. This can lead to mold/mildew development in the AC system. As @Tom_C mentioned, Lysol does a fairly good job at resolving the issue provided the system is allowed to regularly dry out top prevent the mildew from coming back. The downside is your truck/car would almost always smell like Lysol.

You could get in the habit of turning the recirculation off when ever you are done driving it to allow it to dry out.

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