How to Deodorize, Disinfect, and Refresh your cars AC system of mold and mildew!

[@vincentlaguardiagambini9727]

Found the part number for the treatment kit online and called the parts department of the dealership I bought my Toyota from to ask if they had it in stock and for how much so I could come and pick it up right away. Instead was given a lecture about how I'm probably not qualified to do the work using this product on my own and should instead bring the vehicle into the service department and pay a $200 diagnostic fee for them to test for AC odor and then another several hundred dollars more and hours in time for the service department to do the treatment kit work themselves for me. I hung up the phone, drove to another Toyota dealer, gave them the code at their parts desk and they handed me the kit right away and I went home and did the treatment myself after watching videos like this and others on KZbin thoroughly explaining how to do the job.

[@adamn5821]

Question: do you not run the ac after the 1st step? On other cleaning products (Kool It, AC Pro) you run the ac on low for about 5 minutes after having the cleaner up there for about 15 minutes. Is that not part of the process for this particular product?

[@RenMelvin]

Great video!! Super informative and thorough!! The way he explains the entire process and remedy makes this video one the best ones, if not the best, for fixing that musty/mildew smell. Bravo!!

[@SEsGarage]

Thank you!!!

[@bentonheath7838]

Best video I've seen addressing this issue. I have a 2019 Ram 3500. The dealership wanted to take a more aggressive approach; $$$. I've done the Lysol technique which made a difference. Your method makes perfect sense I will do sooner than later. Thanks.

[@hyruleworrier3021]

Great video. Ozone treatment works great as well. I don’t often do it but every once in a while I’ll stick the ozone machine inside the car and let it do it’s thing. Works like a charm

[@ahmadghosheh3104]

I have the kit for a year now but too lazy to do it. Yeah, smells like gym socks sometimes, not always, only when really humid. The good news is the bottles are on my bench now, 😂. Getting it done in couple of days.

[@Gruin]

Does it Age like a Bottle of Wine? Or Were You Aging Yourself and getting Prepped? It's on the Bench Now. Good Call....

[@DuaneGamble-hh2wk]

Great Video. I have been suffering from a mildew mouse smell in my toyota for 6 months now. I completely cleaned the interior of the car and could not get rid of the smell. I hope this works. Also get those keys out of your pocket while working cars. I had my keys in my pocket while working under the hood and the vehicle started. Lucky I did not have my hands near the fan or engine belts. Keep making the videos.

[@jaybo516]

Well did it work ?

[@irisbaez1972]

Only stupid people happen.

[@SixOFiveSix]

Are you the guy on the internet and it was his wife’s car?

[@dennisgruba4792]

I used this kit on my 2008 Honda Ridgeline I bought with 266,000 miles on it and had been minimally used for the last 5 years parked in a yard in South Georgia. Haven’t smelled anything since. It is my daily driver now at 274,000 and the smell has never returned.

[@lornesbored]

I did this today, thanks for the tutorial. The amount of brown sludge now inhabiting my parking spot is real

[@lukaszbebnowski7633]

Thank you for showing the proper way of doing this. The cabin spray and leave the fan inside the car cabin just don’t clean the unit like your method. A quick tip to prevent the mouldy smell coming back: When using your AC during driving, before you switch car off, turn your AC off and only have the fans blowing on fastest setting (open cabin vent to let fresh air from outside). Do this for about 5-10 minutes. To speed up the process you can set temperature setting to maximum hot. This will dry out any condensation inside the ducts and the cabin radiator unit. Main reason for mouldy smell is mould starts to grow in damp places where constant moisture is present. Usually when the AC is turned off after use, the cold ducts and radiator unit will form moisture inside (same like when you take out a cold drink out of a fridge and leave it outside, it forms water on outside of the drink). Hope this tip makes sense. I’ve been doing this in my car and never had any bad smell issues.

[@csan255]

Ditto that!

[@lukaszbebnowski7633]

@@csan255 Glad to see there is another person that feels the same way. Prevention is better than cure :)

[@wilsonzhang4952]

Can you teach me how you would do this process for Lexus GSF as it is under very hidden underneath. Is there an easier way? Thank you

[@iAziz]

Great video thank you. I did it on another way, I cleaned my AC fan with a DWD2 Air Clean spray, and it was hard but worth it.

[@ganesanamirthalingam4092]

Very comprehensive video. Excellent. Thanks very much.

[@joelfeinberg2035]

Thanks for this!! Was a huge help and huge success. 🎉

[@SEsGarage]

Glad it worked well for you!!

[@angelastanley-wr6vp]

Thanks for showing us how it's done PROFESIONALLY 😊 You're very informative 👍 Appreciate and look forward to more videos 😅

[@ezegqfouru2018]

2000 Lexus Gs300 24yr vehicle old A/C ice cold.

[@funkyfreshEazyO]

I can't access my drain tube on my Cadillac ats evaporator drain. Is there another way to get the cleaner in there?

[@AW-pl3ou]

Some people call it cream pie I heard

[@zelowatch30]

Thanks. I tried the lysol method it didn't do anything. This is the right way to do it.

[@ACcrafted]

Your a life saver, thank you

[@lazyfallah8473]

I have been getting bad odor at times from the AC when i select outside air to come in instead of circulating cabin air. And this has been happening since i bought the car brand new a year ago. Its not always but some days when its hot i get a bad smell from the ac. Anyone having similar issue?

[@jessieN1223]

Anybody tried this and how long did this treatment last before the smell came back again?

[@mchevownr]

I have the exact same question! Any response from the op?

[@derrickyoung7144]

Man you have no idea how helpful this video was…Thanks for sharing!

[@SEsGarage]

So glad I could help!!

[@JerichoStephen]

Thank you so much to share your knowledge wih us & your valuble time . I was wonder if you can help me on 2006 scion Xa , the electeric diagram from AC compressor wire to outside fuse box & to inside fuse box toward off & on switch in the middle of the dash under the redio . There is no juice to the key . I do thank you for your response . Thank you .🌿🍀 🇺🇸 USA 🗽 🗽 🗽 My LORD be with ❤ you sir .

[@robertrobbins1367]

8:05 I should call her ....

[@beefyvvl]

Do you spray the 2nd spray with the cabin filter off?

[@SEsGarage]

Yes

[@allendennisonmd8534]

I did this on my Sienna and it worked very well. My Toyota dealer charged me 500 usd for blower removal and duct cleaning after a mouse nest was built on the cabin filter, but terrible odors persisted and they did not know about this product. I bought the pair of aerosol cans on the link for about 37 usd. On the Sienna there is a separate evaporator behind the louvered door in the rear passenger side fender space where the tire jack is stored. One removes the jack. The drainage tube is easily located and cannulated under the fender just above the exhaust pipe. On step two one sprays the second half of the deodorant up and outside toward the blower intake which you cannot directly see. If you have a very bad situation you might need to buy two sets of cans for the fore and aft units but I did well guestimating half of each can used and reserving it the rear. I owe Steve my life! The howls from my 5 grandchildren when I turned on the a/c returning from the beach in August could have been those of the angry pirates locked below decks in movie, Treasure Island. And you know they will get loose. The eldest granddaughter Eleanor had the contorted, angry face of Long John Silver ready to get grandad with a cutlass.

[@joejoe-q1h]

Does the fluid clean the entire evaporator core ? And is it safe / non corrosive for it ?

[@SEsGarage]

Yes and yes

[@maryndi]

Why do we take off the air filter , won't that attract more dirt instead?

[@anthonyfletcher8053]

You only take it out when doing the cleaning. Once cleaned you slap in a new filter. If you were to leave it in the cleaner would stop at the filter.

[@MJs-85]

It's strange that this kit's instructions say to keep AC off but the AC pro kit for vent and duct cleaning says to keep the AC on while spraying it on the vents outside the car. But thank you for such a detailed vid. I am gonna buy this or a similar product and follow this vid !

[@thetruth1677]

Hey man, i have been looking for this 24/7 and i simply can't find any of this. I'm from Sweden and here i can't find something like this either... Do you know where i can order this set?

[@tomtang]

good job, thanks

[@MJs-85]

some people spray the foam into the vents from inside the car and through the cabin air filter area or fan motor, is that method effective and legit too? What is the difference in two methods? I guess in this one you are targetting the evaporator cleaning.

[@raist315]

This is a good tip. How soon is it necessary? I bought mine May 2020. Is this for older cars?

[@SEsGarage]

I haven’t done my 2021 Camry yet, as it’s garage kept and still smells like a new car. I usually do this on an as needed basis, meaning if I have an odor, I do it. No reason to do this on a regular Or scheduled basis

[@kenklee4]

After the first spray, why not leave the spray connected? I figured since its job is to "disinfect" you'll want as much of it to stay in the system.

[@Mr_BUSINESS_24_7]

I don't understand what loading a bunch of cleaner into the bottom of a heater box will do ? How does coating the bottom of a heater box get the cleaner into the fins of the evaporator ?

[@SEsGarage]

Try it yourself and report back and let us know the results. The cleaner foams up and encapsulates the evaporator core

[@Mr_BUSINESS_24_7]

@@SEsGarage I guess that answers my question. I'm going to do it on my mom cavalier. Hers is getting a bit musty. I'll probably do it on my cars too as preventive maintenance.

[@Mr_BUSINESS_24_7]

​@@SEsGarage is this kit really $40 at the dealership ? Or it that just a jacked up eBay price ?

[@DogsSnipes]

is it normal for foam to drip slowly? i don't get any fluid coming out like all these youtube videos, but when i did mine, it was just small chunks of foam dripping out, but i end up with the same amount of liquid in the catch pan as you guys

[@jerryding6190]

My car has same issue with chipmunk infestation, and I need to clean my AC as well. :(

[@davidvazquez734]

I live on a ranch & blower noise led me to open up my cabin air filter and found rats nest, heavy poo/pee, debris and chewed right through my filter a nested in my blower/fan. Clean but still smells bad still and headaches as if I did nothing. I didn't clean engine bay vent that your video shows, there are traces of poo under the hood. Going to clean that, and try evaporator shown in your video. Do you think i should "foam" the vents as well? I'm afraid mice pissed throughout my vent system.

[@TheMaskedMannnn]

The deodorizer is super strong. Been driving for 20 mins, hope it goes away

[@daveshostack4950]

I also have 2 other problems i have a white or grey film on the front windshield that I am not able to remove. I tried replacing both wipers and I used Invisible glass, Windex and Dish washing liquid and still am not able to get rid of the white or grey film in the windshield. I also noticed an outline on the windshield that looks like left over rock salt from a snow storm on the right corner of the windshield that I could not remove either. Furthermore the previous said the brakes were done front and back yet I hear a noise that sounds like the wear indicator. Why is this happening. There is no evidence of rust on the rotors. Is there a sticking caliper?

[@frankcerbantes9429]

That system it’s crap period it should not be producing all that sht for pe to breath it’s a fault y system that should be not in use at all. total BS

[@alex_nita]

Omfg the nightmare to change the cabin air filter for Megane MK4 compared to this Toyota

[@tucobenedicto109]

I thought your supposed to run it on recirculate. 10-15 min. I use Lube guard Kool it. $20 I think. I also put it in the rear evaporator. Press the a/c of bottom in the car!

[@E85_STI]

I just bought a can of kool it so after you used it did you spray anything in the fresh air duct.

[@WarriorOfEden3033]

Bonus my car doesn’t have a cabin air filter 😂

[@anthonyhenderson5334]

Did you diconnect the dryer and compressor first or was it necessary?

[@daveshostack4950]

I was able to remove the cabin filter without a problem with the air bags deploying but the perfume smell in the vents and in the car could not be removed. I tried spraying Lysol and that was overpowering and did not do anything. Although I did not spray half the can. I only sprayed a little to see how it smelled after.

[@Mr_BUSINESS_24_7]

pull A/C compressor relay (in that same box)

[@polosanchez1335]

Just did this to our Tacoma It works great thank you for the video

[@chrissmartorelli3119]

I am a 79 year old female. Am I expected to jack up and crawl under the car?

[@SEsGarage]

If you want results that last, this is what needs to be done. You could pay a shop to do this for you

[@annettaaltensey2477]

How important is your respiratory health to you?Get a neighbor kid to help you & give em $20

[@Ralphsvd]

You still drive?!

[@SuperMan-uj7dh]

also you can run the car in accessory mode if you want ac off but defrost on

[@Rob_S197]

Is there a cheaper kit that will do the same thing to clean the evaporator core that u can buy like at autozone or something

[@markolinux8206]

What if the mold/mildew is somewhere else in the vehicle? I think my HVAC system is OK ... It's turned completely off when I get in in the morning, and I immediately smell the mustiness, and my eyes start to water, etc. BTW, I own a 2001 Park Avenue, and stupid GM put the cabin filter in the most inaccessible spot they could think of. A friend of mine who works on cars hurt his back trying to get it out. I've left it out, and don't plan on putting another one in. (Look it up sometime if you want a good laugh, to see what is involved in changing one!) I think the mold or mildew might be in the trunk or behind/under the back seat, or maybe in the carpeting (although the carpets are pretty clean). Good video, I've seen several like this recommending the expanding foam treatment. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to try it, even if the mold I'm experiencing might be elsewhere.

[@sebestiensoliz8831]

At anytime during this process do we turn the AC on, full blast?

[@empetor492]

Hi, nice video, does anybody know if that first cleaner (bigger bottle, applied from drain hose end) does actually clean dust from evaporator? Have mk4 golf but that evaporator is half clogged up with dust and we are not able to get into that half because there basically isnt room for compressed air etc, where we could we cleaned it. Thanks

[@SEsGarage]

It should help!

[@daveshostack4950]

DO YOU WORK FOR TOYOTA? DID YOU GET THE TOYOTA PRODUCT FREE IN ORDER TO DO THIS VIDEO? WHY SHOULD I PAY MORE THAN $4 FOR A CAN OF FOAMING CLEANER? MY 2004 CHEVY MALIBU NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ODORS IN THE A/C OR HEAT? WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN WITH HONDA AND TOYOTA?

[@SEsGarage]

I do not. I did not. Because it’s a great product that works. This isn’t something that happens to Honda and Toyota exclusively and it’s more common on cars with automatic climate control. A change in habit can prevent this issue all together. A few miles before getting to your destination turn off your AC and recirculate mode in order to dry out the evaporator housing and you’ll prevent this from happening in the first place.

[@LetsDIYIt]

My wife's car, the drain is above a heat shield for a part of the exhaust, mid car. Have to remove a section of exhaust, to remove the shield to get to the drain. Absolutely BS design.

[@SEsGarage]

You may be able to get at it from inside the car. That’s how I had to do my fiancés Jeep grand Cherokee

[@michaeldahan2036]

I did this now I’m getting a mist coming out air vents when I run AC . It does not have odor… but will this eventually go away?

[@SEsGarage]

Run the system in blower only mode with the air-conditioning off to dry the evaporator out

[@JOESRQFLUSA]

I think he was supposed to leave the plastic tube connected for five minutes. And thendisconnect it.

[@SEsGarage]

Incorrect

[@kezug]

If there is still musty/mold smell after doing this, can Lysol sprayed into the air intake be worthy of more "cleaning and disinfecting"?

[@SEsGarage]

This method is what you do after using Lysol fails

[@wesbilenki3576]

Why not just go through the passenger side door the go thru the adjustments? Just wondering...

[@SEsGarage]

Because you need to get the cleaner into the evaporator housing

[@shorelined1]

The fluid collected wasn't very dirty. I'm wondering where all the plant and rat nest debris, grit, rat droppings, etc, settle if you don't open up blower and ducts. Maybe a high power blower at the cabin filter or super strong vacuum could pull settled debris through from vent side, then blower side, to keep from forcing junk into condenser. Once debris is soaked, it's not gonna pass through vents.

[@SEsGarage]

The cabin filter *should* keep most of the larger debris out of the system. This cleansing is more for mold/mildew/microbes

[@brianthomson3318]

When you get the evaporator cleaner does it come with that cone-shaped stopper come with the kit?

[@SEsGarage]

Yes!

[@markspradling6490]

Will this work on a 2008 Ford F350 if I can get to the drain plug? Make more sense than cutting up or drilling holes in the evaporating housing!

[@Outdoor-Adventures]

Are you saying for the second treatment, turn on the fan full blown without the AC on ?

[@SEsGarage]

For the spray yes

[@daveshostack4950]

SHOULD THE BATTERY BE DISCONNECTED BEFORE REMOVING THE GLOVE COMPARTMENT DOOR IN ORDER TO REMOVE THE CABIN FILTER SO THAT THE AIR BAGS DONT ACCIDENTALLY DEPLOY?

[@centauri8820]

IT DOESN'T HURT ANYTHING TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY SO IF YOU WANT THAT EXTRA BIT OF SAFETY GO FOR IT. IN REALITY THERE'S A GREATER PROBABILITY OF A BOLTZMAN BRAIN APPEARING THAN AN AIRBAG GOING OFF WHILE REMOVING THE GLOVE COMPANTMENT DOOR.

[@dermotconlon7204]

Hi From Ireland Great video so easy to follow ,will this work on my 2016 landrover Discovery

[@peterrudy9207]

Evidence is on KZbin

[@m.c.2c587]

Will procedure this work on a 2006 dodge ram 1500. Thanks

[@SEsGarage]

Absolutely!

[@4doorvip]

Thx i didnt realize Toyota made a kit. Its a good idea to plug the drain tube once full and let that sit for 15

[@thaheartbreaker]

How do you know it’s half

[@RandomUsernameGenerator]

How do you know which portion of the vent / grill under the hood to spray ? In the video, it looked like only the left/passenger side of the grill was sprayed.

[@SEsGarage]

The passenger side is usually where the intake for the HVAC system is

[@civilcitizen3586]

* really interested in how the rodent got into the air filter area? thought that was a closed system, stay the intake vents...

[@SEsGarage]

The intake for the cabin air is just under the wiper cowl. All they need to do is climb under the fender apron and into the cowl

[@KonaKarol]

How do you know how much is a 'half' of a pressurized can??????

[@SEsGarage]

Guesstimate by the weight of the can

[@giveyourselfpermission7055]

Can we use this on cars that aren’t Toyota ? I have a Hyundai venue 2022

[@SEsGarage]

Yes absolutely!

[@allenminor5008]

Great video the best I've seen. Do rockauto sells the cleaner kit?

[@mlg1783]

"I'm going to show you the right way" lol... every youtuber says that.

[@SEsGarage]

I say it because I know it’s the right way. I’ve had many happy customers using this method, and it lasts! Cheers

[@philipsartell494]

I’m dizzy from watching.

[@SEsGarage]

Bet your ac smells great though 🙃

[@johnmuntean7734]

Where to buy this ?

[@TheANDRES1513]

Ebay

[@carlc4098]

Can you spray the foam at the air cabin filter box area?

[@SEsGarage]

No, it needs to get into the evaporator housing

[@tobybeaubien7044]

Quick question I had a car sit for yearish and had mice all in the hvac box would you reccomend doing this a few times or pull it all apart and clean it? They did have a nest in with the blower motor and im kinda stumped now as its a process and a half pulling it all

[@SEsGarage]

I’d drop the blower motor and clean it out as best you can! Then run this cleaner. They almost never make it all the way into the HVAC system the blower motor/filter housing is usually where they nest. They’d have to chew through the fan to get into the evaporator housing

[@tobybeaubien7044]

@@SEsGarage gotcha thank you I was just curious, I have the dash pulled to put a new one in and there was some dropping in the defrost part going in from up top to, I put a post in one of the forum pages for it to and people were saying to pull it but would like to try and save some time if possible before doing so

[@jerseyfreshfishing6613]

Took about 20 seconds to relize your from jersey too

[@psyche027]

Is it ok to use this on a hybrid Toyota Prius? I found mouse droppings on my car seats and my cabin air filter and really want to clean it all out.

[@SEsGarage]

Absolutely!

[@psyche027]

Thanks!@@SEsGarage

[@misterphuzz]

I can't see how the AC compressor would be affected in any way. It's all an enclosed system. I could be wrong, but that doesn't make any sense to me.

[@SEsGarage]

The cleaner can freeze on the chilled evaporator core….

[@misterphuzz]

Thanks, makes sense. I just got my kit in the mail a couple days ago, and I'm in the garage right now having applied this treatment. Hope it works for me!

[@SEsGarage]

@@misterphuzz let us know how you make out!

[@bernardaflores1720]

You are probably assuming that the Evaporator is at the bottom of the ducts, in cars w/ an Evaporator mounted way up this procedure might not be good. Yes, it would clean the drain tube.

[@E99584]

Lol

[@popaki9484]

Do you recommend putting the car in heat mode for the second part (cleaning the vents)? I know you said turn ac off

[@SEsGarage]

No! You want it on full cold ac off, so that the product can go through the AC evaporator

[@deereezter1809]

Filter had goldfish on it 😂😂

[@SEsGarage]

Those damn mice! 😂

[@irisbaez1972]

$37 for this? no way jose.

[@SEsGarage]

Or pay 200 for a dealer to do the same thing

[@deweymarks2570]

thaks i knew thair was a real way of dewing this

[@johnnycastro3899]

Will this kit work on a 2020 ford explore

[@SEsGarage]

Yes

[@dans364]

I got vertigo.

[@philipbaio2237]

Thank you very much great tip

[@peterrudy9207]

You could also use an ozone machine .

[@SEsGarage]

They’re great for interior odors, but won’t do much for a moldy evaporator core. I have several videos featuring an ozone machine on used cars that we reconditioned to sell

[@graphiteguy9028]

I like your method will definitely try this.

[@c_mac7773]

First proper video I've seen on this issue. Subscribed thank you 🇺🇸💪🏻👊🏻🤙🏼

[@RonyVarghese-v3k]

Does this work for Volvo xc 90 also

[@SEsGarage]

Yeah

[@thetruth1677]

Hi, where do i get that special cone you put in the draining hole?

[@SEsGarage]

It comes with the kit!

[@thetruth1677]

@@SEsGarage Ok cool, couldn't see it on any picture of the kit :-/

[@davidcate2903]

When do you turn on compressor

[@Krunch2020]

How did rodents get into your ac system??

[@icorrectly]

Air BnB went woke, so now it's all about ACBnB.

[@SEsGarage]

It’s a lot more common than you think! Rodents have easy access to under the wiper cowl which is where the air intake for the HVAC system is

[@samchambers-de3tj]

Does this help with an evaporator the freezes up intermittently?

[@SEsGarage]

If it’s freezing because it’s dirty and restricting air flow, yes it may help.

[@samchambers-de3tj]

@SEsGarage I plan to clean it this weekend. I did check the freon and it was good to go