Mold Smell 2000 Es300

[PlatinumES00]

Looking for more Ideas to combat a moldy smell coming from the heater (when the heat is on)...more info:

Smell developed rather quickly - I have tried

- running the heater on max to dry things out

- floormats changed out and the carpet is dry

Not sure how this smell could have developed as it is very cold here in MN and our garage does go below freezing.

Other ideas:

- I will check the cabin filters

- could the AC drain line have frozen and plugged things up?

Anybody have this issue? what other things does the dealer/indie shop do to fix the smell?

thanks

[garvos]

Looking for more Ideas to combat a moldy smell coming from the heater (when the heat is on)...more info:

Smell developed rather quickly - I have tried

- running the heater on max to dry things out

- floormats changed out and the carpet is dry

Not sure how this smell could have developed as it is very cold here in MN and our garage does go below freezing.

Other ideas:

- I will check the cabin filters

- could the AC drain line have frozen and plugged things up?

Anybody have this issue? what other things does the dealer/indie shop do to fix the smell?

thanks

Yeh i will check the cabin filter,might be time to change your filter.

[alexus77]

i have the same problem with my es300 and im not sure what to do but ima check my filters now to see if they need to be changed.

[es300ed]

Try spraying Lyson into the air intakes wile the fan is on High. That should alleviate some of the problem at least for a while.

[es300ed]

I meant "Lysol".

[alexus77]

I meant "Lysol".

I sprayed some fabreeze in there and it smells much better.

[Lexucan]

I meant "Lysol".

I sprayed some fabreeze in there and it smells much better.

Fabreze is not a disinfectant like Lysol. It will only mask the smell of the mold for a while. Lysol will have a better chance of actually killing the mold.

[eatingupblacktop]

As Lexucan mentions, you'll have to use a disinfectant to kill mold. It will come back though if you don't tackle the cause. Likely your system isn't draining properly, allowing the mold to grow.

[PlatinumES00]

Well, I went to the Lexus dealer today for a new set of cabin filters and an AC evaporator and vent cleaning - problem 100% better and smell is gone.

I wasn't able to find anyone locally who had any A/C evaporator cleaning foam products like BG Frigi-fresh, DWD2, etc - must be the wrong time of year because nobody had any in stock. Essentially, here's what needs to be done:

First remove the old cabin air filters.

http://www.clublexus.com/forums/es300-and-...ge-97-01-a.html

Reclose the little cabin filter access door.

Then you need to get some kind of AC evaporator foaming/cleaning product which is sprayed onto the evaporator - does it's cleaning/mold killing/bacteria killing and then drains out the AC drain tube. Let the evaporator dry out and install the new replacement cabin air filters. Again, I had no luck finding a cleaner - but this would be a good DIY if someone is able to do it and take some pictures.

Oh, and from what I've read on other forums, the spraying Lysol method doesn't last - moldy smell returns and in the meantime your car stinks like Lysol. You need to clean the evaporator.

[PlatinumES00]

Saga continues - mold smell is returning. I checked on the outside of the car and it is very noticeable by the intake below the windshield on the passenger side. Dealer is going to retreat system at no charge - I asked that they clean and check the intake ducts as well, but service rep says they are 'very familiar' with the symptoms and will make it right. We shall see...

Well, I went to the Lexus dealer today for a new set of cabin filters and an AC evaporator and vent cleaning - problem 100% better and smell is gone.

[BALOO BELLE]

02-300 and i occasionally get the yucky smell. i changed the filters and it still happens only occasionally. what was the bill for lexus to clean the evaporator and vent cleaning?

also im on a different platform so my filter was in the glove box....is the one behind the console in the pics the same or do i have another filter in the same spot that might need to be replaced?

[PlatinumES00]

Still have the mold smell in our ES300. The dealer has replaced the cabin air filter and 'treated' the AC evaporator twice. They are quoting $110/hour to continue trying to figure out the smell - I really don't want go that route, could be very expensive.

The smell is very strong by the intake at the base of the windshield on the passenger side. I was thinking of taking off the intake cover (base of of windshield, need to remove wiper arms) and trying to get some kind of brush or cleaner into the inlet duct on the passenger side. I think the problem is in the ducting on the passenger side, I may need to get at it from behind the glove box.

I am wondering

- when the dealer 'treated' the AC evaporator, would they also have cleaned the heater core (they are next to each other?)

- where can I get instructions on taking apart the lower dash (techinfo.toyota)?

thanks for any ideas - the smell is really bad after rain or a car wash.

[stcist2]

i have had good luck with bg frigi fresh but it sounds like you have a much more serious issue .. have you thought of using a bleach water combo and really drenching it through the intake?? there is also an ultra violet light that we used at our dealer ship to rid cars of smokers reek.. it worked very well but sometimes faded the carpet where it shined. we would start the car and run the ac on max w/ the lamp close to the return air intake for a couple hours.. it helped a lot.

good luck and let all of know what the ultimate solution is as that what this is all about..

[PlatinumES00]

i have had good luck with bg frigi fresh but it sounds like you have a much more serious issue .. have you thought of using a bleach water combo and really drenching it through the intake?? there is also an ultra violet light that we used at our dealer ship to rid cars of smokers reek.. it worked very well but sometimes faded the carpet where it shined. we would start the car and run the ac on max w/ the lamp close to the return air intake for a couple hours.. it helped a lot.

good luck and let all of know what the ultimate solution is as that what this is all about..

Thanks for the suggestions and an update -

Removed the wiper arms and then the cover at the base of the windshield. No standing water or mold smell at the HVAC air intake. Checked all ducts that I could get to - removed glovebox/CD changer and checked the blower, no mold smell in the motor or the ducts. Removed the cabin filters, very faint smell. Put everything back together. Still a faint smell around the wedge shaped rubber drain guide at the base of the passenger side of the windshield. Sprayed it with hydrogen peroxide, then Lysol, then a 50/50 Clorox bleach solution and then dried out the area with a heat gun. Smell gone. Check inside by running the fan, smell is gone. But wait...I put the wiper arms and and the lower windshield cover back on. Check on the outside by the base of the passenger side windshield one last time, smell is back! I smell the wiper blades - ITS THE WIPER BLADE! The passenger side Anco blade somehow grew some very smelly mold, the blades look like these:

and the little channels must have gone moldy at some point.

So every time the blade got water on it (rain, snow, carwash) the smell became strong and as the blade rests right above the air intake, the smell went right inside the cabin. I am getting new blades today - neary 99.9% certain the problem is fixed.

[carlexes330]

i have had good luck with bg frigi fresh but it sounds like you have a much more serious issue .. have you thought of using a bleach water combo and really drenching it through the intake?? there is also an ultra violet light that we used at our dealer ship to rid cars of smokers reek.. it worked very well but sometimes faded the carpet where it shined. we would start the car and run the ac on max w/ the lamp close to the return air intake for a couple hours.. it helped a lot.

good luck and let all of know what the ultimate solution is as that what this is all about..

Thanks for the suggestions and an update -

Removed the wiper arms and then the cover at the base of the windshield. No standing water or mold smell at the HVAC air intake. Checked all ducts that I could get to - removed glovebox/CD changer and checked the blower, no mold smell in the motor or the ducts. Removed the cabin filters, very faint smell. Put everything back together. Still a faint smell around the wedge shaped rubber drain guide at the base of the passenger side of the windshield. Sprayed it with hydrogen peroxide, then Lysol, then a 50/50 Clorox bleach solution and then dried out the area with a heat gun. Smell gone. Check inside by running the fan, smell is gone. But wait...I put the wiper arms and and the lower windshield cover back on. Check on the outside by the base of the passenger side windshield one last time, smell is back! I smell the wiper blades - ITS THE WIPER BLADE! The passenger side Anco blade somehow grew some very smelly mold, the blades look like these:

and the little channels must have gone moldy at some point.

So every time the blade got water on it (rain, snow, carwash) the smell became strong and as the blade rests right above the air intake, the smell went right inside the cabin. I am getting new blades today - neary 99.9% certain the problem is fixed.

Never heard of that issue stinky wiper blades ? You need to clean the evaporator as any of that mold would have gon into the evaporator coil when it rained

[PlatinumES00]

Never heard of that issue stinky wiper blades ? You need to clean the evaporator as any of that mold would have gon into the evaporator coil when it rained

Evaporator was cleaned/treated twice by the dealer - smell/mold did not transfer to the evaporator (it was the wipers the whole time...).

1 week with the new blades the smell is gone now - the mystery has been solved.

Just for good measure I replaced the cabin filters again (found a set on eBay for $11.99 - OEM Toyota P/N 88880-33020 and for some reason they seem to fit much better than the ones the dealer had put in there...).

thanks for all the suggestions.

[shiney-top]

Looking for more Ideas to combat a moldy smell coming from the heater (when the heat is on)...more info:

Smell developed rather quickly - I have tried

- running the heater on max to dry things out

- floormats changed out and the carpet is dry

Not sure how this smell could have developed as it is very cold here in MN and our garage does go below freezing.

Other ideas:

- I will check the cabin filters

- could the AC drain line have frozen and plugged things up?

Anybody have this issue? what other things does the dealer/indie shop do to fix the smell?

thanks

I had the same problem with our 96 ES300. Would you believe it was the windshield wipers? After removing the parts to get into the vent area under the hood, spraying everything with Lysol, and so on, while reinstalling the wipers I noticed the smell on the wiper blades, which were about a month old 'ANCO Contour'. I returned them to the store, installed a different brand, and it's been perfect ever since. I live in Minnesota and summer or winter never had the problem before or after the wiper replacement.

I read a story similar to this, and didn't believe it. Check it out, it might fix your problem too.

[Mold Supervisor]

Karp v. Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc.-Lexus Division, 2012-0270/FTL (Fla. NMVAB January 30, 2013) In a third air conditioner odor case, the Consumer complained of a foul odor from the air conditioner in her 2012 Lexus IS 250. According to the Consumer, the smell was “vinegar-y” and offensive, and was worse when the vehicle was first started in the morning, so much so that she would leave the door open when she started the car, and started her drive with the windows down in order to air out the vehicle. She testified that on some days the smell tapers off after approximately 30 minutes, but on other days – particularly very hot days – the smell would last all day. The Manufacturer asserted the alleged nonconformity did not substantially impair the use, value or safety of the motor vehicle, because the “concern had been repaired and the customer’s vehicle was currently up to the manufacturer’s specifications.” The Manufacturer’s witness testified that the odor complained of by the Consumer had to have been caused by micro-organisms on the air conditioner evaporator, but because neither he nor the authorized service agent had ever been able to recreate the odor, the problem had to have been corrected by the repairs that were performed. The Board found that the foul odor coming from the air conditioner substantially impaired the use, value and safety of the vehicle, thereby constituting one or more nonconformities as defined by the statute and the applicable rule. Accordingly, the Consumer was awarded a refund