Smelly vents on 03 TrailBlazer

[johnblahblah]

I have a 03 TrailBlazer LS and whenever I use the heater or a/c I get a horrible mildew mold smell. It is really bad and my dealer has no idea about anything(I bought it from a used lot)

Is there anything I can clean or is there sitting water in the system that is easily drained out or cleaned.

Ihis is really gross and I want to find out if its something serious that needs to be replaced by the dealer while I'm still under warrenty.


Thanks,
John.

[balboasdelight]

Originally Posted by johnblahblah

whenever I use the heater or a/c I get a horrible mildew mold smell. (I bought it from a used lot)

There's a good chance the vehicle was flooded. Clark Howard talked yesterday about the thousands of vehicles flooded by Katrina that
will hit the used car market; it happens after every flood. Once a car has been flooded, you will likely never get it back to pre-flood condition.

You might try running a CARFAX or some similar VIN-based tracing program. If it turns up that an insurance company paid a flood claim on the vehicle, you should check with your Attorney General's office about a possible fraud complaint against the used car dealer.

.

[johnblahblah]

Update:
So I went to my autoparts store and bought a HVAC disinfecting treatment. It consites of a spray that you spray into the hvac intake by your windsheild and turn the ac/heat on high for about 10mins, it seems to have fixed the problem.

As to having a flooded vehicle, I checked with the vin number and nothing has ever happened to it. I did that before I even bought it, I hear too many horror stories about user cars.

Hopefully this stuff killed anything that was growing in there, if not the cold Canadian winter I am about to get will

Thanks,
John

[dach95]

cool, thankx for the info...good to know.

[yar02169]

I have one that may beat your problem in my 02 Bravada. I also have an smell but I know the cause, I just can't find it. One day about a month ago I opened up the glove box and my little note book in there had half a page missing, with little teeth marks along the edge of the now gone page. Well, I'm guessing the smell that I now have is the visitor that is no more. I'm assuming I had a field mouse hanging out that has now expired. I have looked around and can't find the remains of the little bugger, and the smell is not very pleasant. That leaves me with 2 questions; Where/how did the bugger get into a closed vehicle, and where the heck are the remains? Like yourself, it should get better as it gets colder here in Boston, but until then I have a problem. Any ideas?

[Jethro]

That is good news! I have the same problem and didnt want to tear out the ac coil and have it cleaned. I too have a mildew smell and will try that treatment.

[johnblahblah]

Wynn's Make the product I have. I paid like $12(cdn) for it.
Only thing I have to say is that it leaves a aerosol hairspray smell to the vents, but it goes away in about a week.



Fresh Air™

• HVAC Treatment that stops offensive odours
• Alternative to expensive shop repair
• Treats all components of the HVAC system

Product No. 15003 300 g carded aerosol can