The air conditioning of your car makes commuting easy and more comfortable especially during hot weather or summer. As much as ventilation and winding down the windows will let air in, it doesn't keep the interior as chilled as you might want. Now, when everywhere is wind up and the AC is on, will you be happy if there is a horrible smell emanating from the vent? Instead of feeling cool, you end up enduring stench and discomfort throw the entire journey. When this happens, it means something has gone wrong in the conditioning system and has to be fixed. The smell ranges from burns to damp smells and that of mildew. This article is meant to give you more information on what makes a car AC smell bad and what you can do to solve the problem.

When your car AC starts oozing, it is about time you check the system and get it cleaned up

1. Mildew or mould formation in the air conditioning system

Let me quickly explain the mechanism for how the car AC works. When you turn on the AC of your vehicle, it absorbs the moisture inside the car and keeps the interior of the vehicle dry. This moisture settles on the evaporator of the air conditioning system as water droplets. Then after a while, it passes through the drainage tube to the outside of the car. Now, the tube through which it passes and even some parts of the evaporator always stays wet due to this continuous process. This can result to mould or mildew forming in those compartments. When these molds form, they release bad smell which is carried by air around the area. So when the AC is on or even sometimes off, the air conveys this horrible smell through the AC vents of your vehicle into the car. Hence, the bad stench you perceive when the AC comes on. But there are ways you can get rid of this smell and mildew.

When you turn on your AC for a while and the vehicle is cool enough, turn off the AC but leave the fan on. This is done to prevent the mildew and moulds from getting formed. They cannot breed in a dry environment, so the fan keeps the tub dry. Once the fan has rotated for 5 minutes at least, you can turn it off. The air conditioning system would have been dry enough.

The smell inside the interior might mostly result from the evaporator caused by moisture

2. When the air filter gets clogged and dirty

In the past, many car owners complained of debris, pollen grains and dust coming through their air conditioning vents into the vehicle. It makes them sneeze and other occupants of the vehicle end up having worse irritations. This prompted car manufacturers to start making air filters in the cabin of the cars released these days to sieve out allergens from the air before it goes into the car. But just like a typical filter, if it's not kept clean, the debris pile up and clog up the filter. When this happens, moisture too gets trapped in the air filter and it gets dirty, bacteria start breeding there and a dirty item will always smell. So when air is going through the filter, it's not more entering the vehicle fresh, but with the smell emanating from the air filter. All you need to do to solve this is to replace the filter. It's really not expensive. Don't even bother your head with detaching it and cleaning or washing it.

>>> You might also want to read: 7 top tips to pamper your car upholstery and keep your interiors sparkling!

3. When there is a leakage in the car's cooling system

The air coming from outside doesn't just get cold on entering your car, it passes through the cooling system of your vehicle. When any major part of the cooling system gets worse and starts to leak, ethylene glycerol gets out. This chemical has a foul smell and it can get into the vents. It acts as the antifreeze agent in the AC. Not only does it smell, but it's also just as bad for health as cigarette is. So once you notice, get it fixed as quickly as possible.

Always keep your car dry to evade mildew in the car

4. When water gathers somewhere in the vehicle for a long time

Finally on what makes your car AC smell bad is the gathering of water in your vehicle. Stagnant water kept in an enclosed place will definitely smell after a while. Not only because of the mould and mildew likely to grow in it, but several other car chemicals would have been dislodged into the water. This water may have percolated from the moisture gathered by the evaporator or even the engine. All you need to do is check the compartments of the AC and your engine to ensure that they are kept clean and dry. If there's any blockage prevent water from flowing out easily from the vehicle, get it open. That said, also endeavor to buy sweet smelling fragrances for your car. Liquid or solid ones can be kept at strategic points of the car interior to make the air more pleasant when the air conditioning comes on.

Video: How to Remove AC Smells in Your Car (Odor Life Hack)

>>> Read more about car maintenance and safe driving tips here on Naijacarnews.com!