Jeff in TD

I've noted that the recirc door will go to the fresh air position when you shut the truck off, presumably to provide a path to fresh air.

I didn't have any issue with my last truck, I think mainly because when it is hot here it may be 107 and very dry, but the previous owner of this truck lived on an island where it would be more prone to be warm and humid.

I think I'll run down to Ace and see if I can snag some of that Spray Nine stuff. I don't know if a pump bottle would propel it through the fins and into the case very well, so I might try to come up with a way to spray it under pressure.

Part of the issue is that I think Billv45 is right about females having more sensitive noses. I really can't smell much of anything, maybe a little hint if I stick my nose up to the vent when I first crank the truck up, but the GF claims it is horrible.

tcr

In the HVAC business, we are using a product called "microban"(blue container) for odors that are much worse (dirty sock syndrome). I can assure you this product, if applied correctly will work. Keep in mind though if you don't start using your a/c as others have described, shutting down and allowing it to drain, the odors can and will come back. Microban is some badarse stuff, good to have a jug around the house too.

Jeff in TD

Well, I just came back in from cleaning it...

I looked up the Spray Nine stuff recommended above and it seemed pretty good, and was available locally.

I popped down to True Value and bought a big bottle, a rubber stopper, and a little (like 1/2 gallon) hand pump sprayer- like the typical little cheap weed sprayer with the wand and nozzle, and vertical hand pump.

I pulled the fan, wiped out what I could, and cleaned the fan. The fan wasn't that dirty, but regular soap wouldn't cut it. Spray Nine, though, melted the dirt off like Tarn-X does to silver tanish on those old commercials.

I measured out 24 oz of straight Spray Nine into the pump sprayer (since the TSB says to use 3 of DC's 8 oz bottles), and I spread a blue tarp over the passenger floor and tucked it into the kick pannel, so that anything spilled would run out the door.

I put the plug in, and used the sprayer, being sure to hit all the evaporator coils at a variety of angles. Then I let it sit for maybe an hour while I did other little things on the truck...

I cut the bottom off an old jug and put it on the frame rail under the drain, and pulled the plug. The Spray Nine that had been pretty clear now had a brownish green tint to it...

I then took a garden hose nozzle, and sprayed water through the evaporator coils until water began to back up into the fan opening, and let it run out the drain. I did this a couple of times.

It occurred to me I'd may as well hit it twice, and also that it took a lot more than 24oz to fill the evaporator housing, so I put the plug back in, and this time I used the spray bottle to inject about a cup of Spray Nine, then I sprayed the garden hose in there until foam backed out of the opening. (From cleaning my sprayer, Spray Nine seems to foam pretty good when hit with a garden hose).

I let that sit maybe an hour, and drained it into the basin I made. This time it came out very clear.

I left the plug out, and filled the housing with the hose and let it drain several times. I also sprayed the hose at the drain opening to sort of back flush it.

When it finished draining for the last time, I put the fan back in.

I checked to make sure all the functions of the HVAC worked fine, and I started the truck and turned it on pannel, recirculate, and Hot, with AC off, and let it run for a while with the windows cracked (kind of like the TSB suggests).

You could still smell a hint of the Spray Nine (kind of a faint laundrymat smell), which went away when it dried out.


I think I may have gotten the growth out of there from when the previous owner had it, so hopefully the problem won't come back since I'm pretty good about shutting the AC down a couple minutes before arriving home...

Sorry about the long post, and thank you to everyone who replied with tips and suggestions.

Jeff in TD

By way of an update, in case anyone is interested...

I think the Spray Nine and garden sprayer thing helped quite a bit, probably good enough for most anyone, but I don't think it got it quite perfect.


I had used BG Frigi-Fresh, a spray can cleaner that you spray into the cowl vent with the fan running on high, but found it didn't solve the problem.

I recently learned that the same company makes a product called Frigi-Clean. It is a foaming cleaner in a spray can with a hose, and a brass schrader fitting type thing.

Essentially you drill a 1/4" hole into the HVAC housing between the fan and evaporator, install the brass fitting, and attach the hose on the spray can. Shake the can well, run the climate control on cold, vent, and high, and spray the entire contents of the can. It is supposed to completely fill the HVAC system with foam, and the directions say that it may also dump foam out of the vents.

Anyway, then you let it sit for like 10 minutes, then start it and shoot frigi-fresh into the cowl vent. I found it easier to pull the glove box and shoot the spray into the recirc intake, so I did some both ways.

I'll post some photos of the product and where I installed the fitting once they are approved.

kry226

Good job. And to answer your original question, I had the dealer do the TSB a couple of years back, and it worked well. It left a different cleaner smell that is not obnoxious. The coating in the TSB, I feel, has really helped to keep the bad odors away.

Looking forward to seeing your pictures.

Jeff in TD

Thanks for the reply. At the price they want to do that, though, getting that TSB done only seems to make sense if you can get it done under warranty.

Anyway, here's what the Frigi-Clean stuff looks like. Two spray cans, a cap with a hose and threaded fitting, a little brass fitting that has schrader threads on one end and threads on the other to screw into a 1/4" hole in the HVAC housing, a valve cap, and a plastic plug (to plug the 1/4" hole if you choose to remove the brass fitting).



I pulled the fan so I could see better where to put the fitting to spray the foam between the fan and evaporator. Here's where I put it.



After getting the whole can sprayed in with the climate set on cold and fan on high, let it run another minute, then let it sit 10 minutes or so. Then spray the can of Frigi-Fresh into the HVAC intake with the fan on high. I did part of the can into the cowl vent, and part of the can into the recirc intake (with controls set on recirc) via removing the glove box. I also turned the climate control onto hot for part of the time, so the blend doors would direct the spray through the heater core.

rolling18

WHere do you buy this stuff??? i cant find it anywhere! and the dealers i spoke with never heard of it?? not much luck on line either.. ??

Jeff in TD

I got it off e-bay if I recall correctly. The Frigi-clean stuff is marked saying something about it being intended for sale to professionals only.

Swarthy Dago

Just a friendly warning for you. Be careful if you use the Ozone gas. It actually looks blue in a concentrated area. It can be deadly. It has great results too. I've used it, wineries, breweries, distillerys etc. use it for disinfecting oak barrels, floors and equipment, yes it is instant death for microbes, death race 2000 for bacteria and yeasts. Rule of thumb, if you use it ventilate it.

Rednax

Thanks, very much, for the photos! I've done other cars (oldies) but not the current truck. The previous owner was running 58-60,000 miles annually, and I believe he only stopped for diesel and cigarets.

As to the ozone generators: a friend is general manager of a GM dealer. His shop uses O2 gens on smelly used vehicles: place gen in vehicle on Friday night and leave running -- vehicle closed -- all weekend. Monday, clean interior, shampoo, etc, and car is ready to sell after detail.

I tried it on last truck and it worked great. Even on a vehicle that hasn't been smoked in, it still is a good thing to do, IMO. Replacing the carpet and mats is high on the list afterwards to get the best possible effect (after A/C clean-up and O2 gen use).

rolling18

geesh, Im having a hard time and bad luck finding anything in the "real world" as far things mentioned,

Cant find Frigi-clean, Ozium, Ozone generator ( or who rents one), spray nine, i feel like i just dropped down on this planet!! heheh

Jeff in TD

I googled "frigi-fresh" and it looks like it hit on a few distributors.

As far as the ozone machine, you might check with detail shops.

Rednax

http://www.ac-evaporator-cleaner.com/

http://www.ozoneapplications.com/rental_programs.htm

moorepower

Simple Green is anti microbal and smells good also.

billie

Try that Spray 9 on your tires. Wet down, spray liberally, brush with a scrub brush, rinse well and beautiful tires that don't look plastic like the armour-all tire cleaner. Regular household "sudsy ammonia" works just as well.