Car Air Conditioning Service

This is a very common problem, especially if you use your car AC often. There is good news and bad news. Bad news: the smell is a single cell organism that grows in a dark and wet environment, it's mold living and breathing in your car's Air Conditioning system. Breathing in mold can cause health problems so you want to combat the issue ASAP.  The mold lives deep beneath your dashboard, on a small radiator looking component called the evaporator core. It's job is to circulate cold refrigerant from the compressor under the hood. The evaporator core gets wet because humidity condenses on the surface. Mold loves wet surfaces and feeds on pollen in the air, and dead insects or leaves that blow in through the outside vents. Instead of removing the dash,  there is product distributed by the major auto manufacturers that more easily reaches and coats the evaporator core with chemicals to kill the mold. The mold remediation cost ranges from $90-$140 depending on your vehcile year, make, and model.

Generally, the answer is to add refrigerant (freon). The refrigerant may have leaked out and will prevent the compressor from turning on. Therefore, the leak must be found and repaired before the air conditioning system is recharged. Another possibility is that the compressor may need to be replaced which can be more costly.

A simple issue could be the internal hoses rattling against other engine parts which can easily be repaired by checking hoses and adjusting brackets. A bad compressor or the motors that activate the airflow that blows from beneath the dash can also make noise.

The blower or blower motor resistor may need to be replaced. Starting at $250 for replacement.