My Car Air Conditioner Smells - Now What?

Cars capture a number of different smells over time. First there’s the refreshing new car scent we all love, but that fades quickly and wet dogs, beach days, stinky soccer boots or gym kit take over. And let's not forget about those couple of fries that fell between the driver's seat and gearbox during a late night Macca’s run (we’ve all been there). What do these odours have in common? They’re traceable and easily removed. So what about those not so pleasant car air conditioner smells?

While car air conditioner smells are common, getting rid of them isn’t as simple as staging a weekend car clean-up. So how do you figure it out? The root of most car aircon smells can be determined by the type of stink pouring out of your air vents.

Know your car AC smells

When it comes to car aircon smells, your nose may be telling you everything you need to know before you really process what each sniff means. Let’s tackle some car air conditioner smells we see at mycar.

When your car smells like fuel

When your car smells like fuel every time you turn on your aircon, it is most often due to a gas leak. The fuel leak could be coming from a number of areas in your car so be sure to check things like the fuel pressure regulator or fuel injector “O” rings in the engine or even the exhaust pipes or mufflers.

The sooner you identify and resolve the leak, the better, as breathing in this kind of car aircon smell is not only unpleasant for the olfactory system, it's also pretty bad for your lungs. Not handy under the hood? Bring it straight to your local mycar for a quick car repair.

When your car smells like egg

Smelling rotten eggs in your car? A fuel issue may have hatched. Car air conditioner smells that resemble rotten eggs often indicate a malfunctioning part in the fuel system.

This could be caused by damage or wear to the catalytic converter, fuel pressure sensors or fuel filters. When these parts aren't working properly, a sulfur gas leak can occur, making its way into your car through the air vents. If left unaddressed, this can be extremely dangerous, so make sure you take action ASAP. For a less scary alternative, sometimes when your car smells like egg, it could also be old transmission fluid, which is easily fixed by replacing it.

When your car ac smells like feet

So you’ve removed your gym bag and that soccer boot your kid lost last month, but your car still smells like feet? This musty, stale smell is most likely the result of dust and bacteria build-up in the air conditioner ducts. When your AC has a dirty cabin filter, this can lead to a nasty smell that resembles old socks.

This unpleasant odour could also mean excess moisture has accumulated in your car’s air filter - a prevalent issues for cars down under, as Aussies pump up the car AC the minute summer hits. While it works hard to cool us down, the AC produces water condensation that collects inside the filter. The higher your aircon, the more condensation. Combine this with the Australian heat and you get mould and fungus that makes your car AC smell like feet… rest assured however, both these issues are easily fixed by replacing the cabin air filter with your local mycar.

When your car smells like burning rubber

If your car smells like burning rubber and you’re not a race car driver out for a spin, there’s probably a car issue that needs your attention. This particular car aircon smell could indicate that a rubber hose of drive belt within the engine has loosened. This means these parts can move around and come into contact with piping hot engine parts which then creates a burning rubber smell.

Sometimes, the smell of burning rubber seeping through your air vents could also indicate an oil or fluid leak, or perhaps a damaged or worn drive belt. Either way, if your car air conditioner smells of burning rubber head to your nearest mycar for an expert diagnosis and car service.

Need help with your car air conditioner?

Whether you’ve discovered a funky car air conditioner smell or your AC is just not working like it should be, the team at mycar are here to help. Contact us at 13 13 28 or book your car in at your nearest mycar for all your car air conditioner repair needs.