Recently my A/C, which still is cold and appears to work fine, has a vinegar-ry smell after shut off and pre-cool-off time when first started...Does this indicate low freon or ??

I can not locate the intake for the A/C...I would like to know where the air comes in, so that I can be sure the intake area is clean.

Help appreciated.

 

The air comes in the grille under the wipers, you can see the plastic mesh covered opening.
Check the filter under the dash as well.
If the gas was leaking it would not work too well and I do not believe freon has a smell.

 

Many different bacteria emit a sour or "vinegary" smell. A good cleaning and filter.

 

Once you do get it smelling good again remember this trick, its worked with my last 3 Chrysler vehicles..........turn off the AC a few minutes from your destination and just let the blower run on high. It tends to dry up any condensation that may be in the line/vents. Change the cabin filter which is located under the glove box area.

 

Thanks for this info...that is where I thought the a/c intake area was near wipers...

Ah, where is 'filter under dash'...a/c itself has its own filter on car interior?

Many thanks...ironically vinegar is certainly used to clean things(great for nicotine on tv screens for instance)...

 

WOW!! I just cleaned the 'cabin filter' of an amazing amount of leaf parts and pure dirt...Thank you so much for leading me to this process...And living in the high desert (Albuquerque,NM) this certainly may be something I will repeat on occasion. Have not run car again yet, but removing twenty pounds (well, almost!!) of dirt sure can't hurt how the a/c functions.

 

You can also press the Rest button on the ac controls once the engine is off and before the door is opened... it will make the interior fan run on low for a few minutes to help dry things out.

 

Replace the filter - do not clean it.

Best I had heard was when the filter is done you will smell dill pickles in the car - very good description IMO.

 

I have a base coupe that does not have the cabin filters. The best thing to do, is get in the habit of hitting the "rest" button on the dash under the emergency flashers everytime you exit the vehicle after using the air conditioner. This will blow out the system for 5 minutes. It turns off automatically.

 

Have you checked?
Many with bases have found they did in fact have the filter.

 

Anyone consider hanging a Pine Tree from the rear view. LOL

 

It may work (and look stupid) in a roadster, but would be quite difficult in a coupe. Wouldn't you say?

 

I talked to Rudy (who knows all there is to know about a 2007 black base coupe) and he said I don't have filters. However, I'm meeting him and others up here at Lions Tap this Saturday, and I'll ask him if I do, indeed have cabin filters. I agree, that the pine tree in the roadster might work, but there simply is not enough room in the coupe for one! I'll keep hitting the "rest" button after I park the car.

 

It may be that they did not install a cabin filter in the base models but I would guess that one can be fitted. Having two duct systems, one that accepts a filter and one that does not seems highly unlikely to me.
If that is true then some cars could have been fitted with a filter by accident at the factory.

 

The REST fan function runs for 30 minutes if the battery is in good condition.
Thats what I read the instructions to say anyway.

 

buy the good filter with charcoal works the best for getting rid of odors

 

Awsome! I have the same problem. Haven't used the A/C 'till this month. YUK! Strong VINEGAR smell. Or maybe that wet RTV smell i was thinking. New fiter ordered.

 

I forgot about the REST button, great idea. What you want to do is blow any condensation out of the system and either way will accomplish that for you. That creates mold and that creates the smell. Glad we could all help you. Say hi to Rudy for me.
Pat

 

It smells more like a moldy gym towel to me, and almost all of my cars with A/C catch it eventually. Typically, it is caused by mold growing in the A/C heat exchanger in the dash (so I have been told). There's a dealer treatment for this where they blast some kind of disinfecting/anti-fungal agent into that area, saturating the coils. Never had it done myself, but I've heard tell of it.

The hint about hitting the "recirculate" button after you turn off the ignition is a good one, and I also always make a point of it to turn off the A/C, once I hit the freeway offramp on the last leg home - hoping that will help dry it out. But, we're just five miles or so off the Pacific, and it takes stuff a LOOOOONG time to dry out.

 

I'm having the same issue, can anyone tell me where I can purchase a new filter?