comments:
Yes, the issue is that I use recirculate mode 100% of the time and leave my car in a dark garage with all the windows up. Even with the AC drain hose cleaned out moisture will always build up which causes mildew and mold to form inside the AC evaporator. It’s best to only use recirculate mode on startup so you cool the air inside the car fast then switch to fresh air intake mode for the rest of the ride. You first need to clean out the evaporator and sanitize the entire AC system to get rid of any existing smell. The solution is to buy the Toyota AC kit which has two part cans for around $40. One foam can and the other is aerosol spray with antibacterial. https://autoparts.toyota.com/products/product/ac-refresher-kit-00289acrkt Follow the instructions here from CarCareNut: https://youtu.be/xb0fDfzV41I?si=SUBIaFTs01HrmDJt Except since our car has access directly to the evaporator by removing the middle vents and pulling that out. Just spray half of the foam can directly on to the evaporator and the other half through the passenger side bottom drain hose (located left foot passenger side underneath the carpet - black hose). You should also use an air can to blow out the gunk from the drain hose as well while you’re there. I like to pull the carpet aside and disconnect the drain hose from inside the car and spray directly into the drain hose opening so in case your drain hose is clogged it doesn’t push stuff back into your AC box. After doing this you should immediately notice the smell is gone by the next day. Just refrain from using recirculate mode the entire time and switch to fresh air intake. Also, get a charcoal cabin filter. It helps with outside air smell since the charcoal captures most of the smell, replace this every 2 oil changes or 10k miles. This one fits perfectly: https://a.co/d/01tl14SE I hope that helps.