First question:

 

Over the past week I've started to get a noticeable "stale" smell from my air vents (hard to describe, not particularly foul, but peculiar and annoying.) The smell is most noticeable when the vent is on, with the outside air turned on (i.e., not recirculating.) It's hardly noticeable when the AC is on. I had heard about some AC equipped vehicles getting mold in the ducting, and to prevent this I always tried to turn off my AC before I actually shut off the car, to let the AC air warm up to ambient temperature. Honestly, I didn't think it'd be a problem in Colorado, but I've got something in there, whatever it is, and I don't like it.

 

So here's the question: Does anyone know of a fairly inexpensive solution I can use to try and flush or freshen the air? Not really looking for an "air freshener" (something that masks a bad smell with another one) but hopefully something that will kill the mold or whatever it is. Any ideas? Thing is, the car is a 1999, with 112k on the odometer, so any solution that requires several hundred dollars worth of work is really not acceptable - I'm not going to throw that kind of money into a 7 year old car just for AC. I've tried running the fan all the time at the 3 or 4 setting, hoping that it will dry out whatever's in there, but I can't seem to tell any difference. Would running the AC all the time help? I know AC has a drying effect.

 

Honestly, even if the solution would simply reduce the smell by 50% or so, I could probably live with it. I'm just hoping that there's someone else out there who's had a similar problem and who may have an inexpensive fix.

 

Second question: Are there any aftermarket sources for Limited Slip Differentials (LSDs) on Subarus? Or will Subaru dealers install the LSD? I'm looking at replacing the OBW within the next year, primary candidate will probably be a Forester X. But it seems you can only get the LSD on the XT (turbo) which I have no interest in getting. Subaru does offer the LSD as part of a performance package, but that also includes things like power seats, which I really don't want (plus it's $2300!) I know I was able to put an LSD in my '99 Ford Ranger for about $750.

 

Anyway, any help on either of these issues (especially the AC!) will be much appreciated!

I know that smell. Sort of a musty stale odor. Does it stink on heat also? Mine only stinks on vent. Heat...gone. AC...gone. I would expect something growing in the ducts is causing it. Don't know about a fix though.

 

Anyone else care to take a guess?

lysol, works every time. What you are smelling is mold. Run the hvac through all the seetings, including full cold and full hot. Use the entire can, have the windows open, the smell disipates quickly.

 

LSD watch ebay

 

nipper

Thanks for the info. Another dumb question: Where are the fresh-air intakes? Under the hood? In front of the windshield wipers? The Haynes manual doesn't help much in this respect. Reason I ask is that I seem to have isolated the problem there. AC: no smell. Recirculate: No smell Fresh air/no AC: Smell. So I'm figuring it's somewhere between where the fresh air goes in and where the fresh air stream joins the rest of the air output.

under the hood bu the windsheild, they are obvious when you pop the hood. Spray in the lysol as claose to the pasenegr side as possible.\

 

 

nipper

Thanks for the info also. I will have to try the lysol trick sometime. Mine isn't too bad, but it still leaves a lot to be desired.

lysol, works every time. What you are smelling is mold. Run the hvac through all the seetings, including full cold and full hot. Use the entire can, have the windows open, the smell disipates quickly.

 

LSD watch ebay

 

nipper

 

Dude, you are a f'ing genius! :headbang:

 

Last night I bought a big can of lysol.

 

side note: have you noticed you can't buy just ordinary spray disinfectant anymore? It's all "summer Breeze" or "mountain spring" or "ocean pine" or something like that.

 

Anway, sprayed it in the intakes while the car was running. Drove around for about 1/2 hour with the ac/heat on different settings. Strong smell of disinfectant but I figured that was better than the stinky/moldy smell.

 

So today the car sat at the train station all day in the heat while I was at work. Started up the car and the smell was gone. As in, not a trace of it remaining!

 

And what really surprised me was that the smell of the disinfectant was also gone. Completely, totally, not a trace remaining. In fact, the output from the air vents smells better than it has in years. I'm thinking now that this procedure (spray lysol in the intakes) should be a part of annual maintenance.

 

Here's how I did it: I sprayed it in while the car was running, and sprayed a lot - like almost 1/2 the can (big can.) Then, after driving around for 45 minutes or so, I parked for the night, but before I did, I sprayed about another 1/4 can into both intakes to let it fall to the bottom of the heating ducts (where, presumably, the mold is growing) and just sit down there, disinfecting.

 

So, this was a great $1.97 solution to my very vexing problem! Thanks again!

Dude, you are a f'ing genius! :headbang:

 

Last night I bought a big can of lysol.

 

side note: have you noticed you can't buy just ordinary spray disinfectant anymore? It's all "summer Breeze" or "mountain spring" or "ocean pine" or something like that.

 

Anway, sprayed it in the intakes while the car was running. Drove around for about 1/2 hour with the ac/heat on different settings. Strong smell of disinfectant but I figured that was better than the stinky/moldy smell.

 

So today the car sat at the train station all day in the heat while I was at work. Started up the car and the smell was gone. As in, not a trace of it remaining!

 

And what really surprised me was that the smell of the disinfectant was also gone. Completely, totally, not a trace remaining. In fact, the output from the air vents smells better than it has in years. I'm thinking now that this procedure (spray lysol in the intakes) should be a part of annual maintenance.

 

Here's how I did it: I sprayed it in while the car was running, and sprayed a lot - like almost 1/2 the can (big can.) Then, after driving around for 45 minutes or so, I parked for the night, but before I did, I sprayed about another 1/4 can into both intakes to let it fall to the bottom of the heating ducts (where, presumably, the mold is growing) and just sit down there, disinfecting.

 

So, this was a great $1.97 solution to my very vexing problem! Thanks again!

 

 

awww im just a simple biped.

 

I do this every spring, also make sure your ac vent hose is clear, that will cause mold to grow too

 

nipper