02 A/C smell at start-up

[haggisgood]

A/C stinks for about 10 seconds upon start-up.Read a post from way back showing how to clean out the gunk.. however it was for an older Q..and the access behind the glove box is not the same.. New Cabin filter was installed, however smell is still there.. Is there easy access to clean the gunk out or ... ?Please advise.ThanksHaggis

[qship96]

Purchase a foaming evaporator cleaning kit, orhave the service done for you at an authorised BG products dealer. All toyota dealers carry the kit for about $40 in their parts department if you want to do it yourself.

[Ludeaem]

also you can spray lysol disinfectant on the cowl vent (by the wipers) with the heat on full blast (obviously not in recirculate mode). Spray the lysol for about about 20-30 seconds. Usually its a mold problem that causes the stinch and this method has taken car of it each time.

[Q451990]

You can also buy an air freshner designed for this application called "Frigi Fresh" by BG. Infiniti of Scottsdale sells it. Our G has the same problem and a good spraying once or twice a year seems to keep it under control.

Heath

[maxnix]

also you can spray lysol disinfectant on the cowl vent (by the wipers) with the heat on full blast (obviously not in recirculate mode). Spray the lysol for about about 20-30 seconds. Usually its a mold problem that causes the stinch and this method has taken car of it each time.

Then you have disinfectant stink and the chemical interaction with the aluminum cores.

[haggisgood]

ok..so therefore.. no dysinfectant will be used...pages ago, there was a post for same problem for an older q.. to clean the evap... manually..just wondered if it was easy access w/ 02 q... seeing the physical gunk that came off makes me feel that a solution fluid will only hide the problem instead of removing it..

[Q451990]

Your '02 Q should have less of an issue in terms of junk building up on the core, due to the in-cabin microfilter. I would get the BG Frigi Fresh. It's cheap and works well... and it's designed for this application, so I would worry about any chemical reaction with the aluminum. This is an issue that I would definitely try the easy fix first.

Heath