can engine bay smells cause Hvac smells?

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

I tend to buy older cars which come with Hvac smells.

I know you can buy things like kool it or lycos but the truth is the source of the smell is not fully removed in both cases and so it comes back after a while.

Cleaning the hvac manually is a bit task.

I’m thinking the best way to deal with the situation with minimal effort is to seal the hvac vents and maybe install an in car heAter, dehumidifier and ac if you need it.

I know the mold or smell problem may get worse internally but if the s smell doesn’t get into the cAbin who cares. This is a really quick fix or at least temporary for x until you get around to doing the bigger job.

Would this work and are there products which would give sufficient heating and dehumidification powers to deal with a cold cabin and condensated windscreen similar to a hvac system or at least doing a reasonable job?

Can you recommend any product?

[Pyrolysis]

Has the pollen filter (if fitted) been replaced recently? If it's old and mouldy then that could be a cause of unpleasant odours.

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

Pyrolysis said:

Has the pollen filter (if fitted) been replaced recently? If it's old and mouldy then that could be a cause of unpleasant odours.

Yes it has. In any case I’m still wondering about the best way to deal with smells inside the hvac system.

[donkmeister]

Surely what you're proposing is going to be the same size or even a bigger job than simply cleaning the HVAC system?

I'd give it a go with an HVAC bomb running through the system, or an ozone generator. If what you really want to do is dismantle everything and go over each component with a vacuum, IPA and a bottle brush then you may as well do the dismantling now.

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

donkmeister said:

Surely what you're proposing is going to be the same size or even a bigger job than simply cleaning the HVAC system?

I'd give it a go with an HVAC bomb running through the system, or an ozone generator. If what you really want to do is dismantle everything and go over each component with a vacuum, IPA and a bottle brush then you may as well do the dismantling now.

Air bombs, ozone and the like do not work properly as they do not get to the source and hence smells always come back.

There are products on the market but they don’t seem to be very good:
https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/streetwize-12v-auto...

Why would an in car heater/dehumidifier be bigger than disassembling the entire hvac system??

Whole point of this is to find a way to overcome this situation with the cost or time involved In disassembling.

[blue_haddock]

SpeedySpeedBoy said:

Air bombs, ozone and the like do not work properly as they do not get to the source and hence smells always come back.

There are products on the market but they don’t seem to be very good:
https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/streetwize-12v-auto...

Why would an in car heater/dehumidifier be bigger than disassembling the entire hvac system??

Whole point of this is to find a way to overcome this situation with the cost or time involved In disassembling.

Trust me, there are products on the market they will kill the bacteria that cause the smells.

That daft heater will not help you defrost the windscreen in winter.

Is it half term?

[A1VDY]

Just strip it all out and clean everything. First use a general purpose cleaner/degreaser to dissolve stubborn dirt then wash everything in disinfectant. Job done

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

blue_haddock said:

Trust me, there are products on the market they will kill the bacteria that cause the smells.

Entirely depends what is causing the smell. Perhaps bacteria could get wiped out with a spray. But if there’s solid mild down there or other physical substances there just going to keep coming back no? Only way you can get rid of it is to get to the source.

[blue_haddock]

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/triple-qx-aircon-sa...

https://www.eurocarparts.com/p/cv1-shot-vehicle-co...

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Enerzen-Commercial-Indust...

There are many other similar systems that kill and neutralise odours and the germs that cause them.

They will work better than your blue Peter effort

[anonymous-user]

Solid mould in a car heating system? What would it grow and feed on? Even if a load of leaf mulch or something got in then it would decay and dry out unless water was getting in and the source of the organic matter was still dumping stuff in.

The system would have to be so knackered that it would need taking apart, cleaning out and repairing to fix if that was the issue.

Generally the systems get whiffy because of old filters or not being used enough to dry them out.

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

1. I have just noticed the cowl screen/air intake is under the bonnet and so sucks air directly from the engine bay. My engine bay currently stinks and I can see leaves and dirt inside te cowl screen so even though a cabin filter is present, perhaps this is insufficient and smells can travel through and are getting into the cabin? Therefore it could be ones Hvac smells are caused by a cowl compartment and dirty engine bay rather than the Hvac?

2. Why are manufacturers putting the intake in the engine bay? Surely with all its grease, exhaust leaks and other poisons this is the worst place to get fresh air from?

3. I never see detailing companies list a cleaner air intake as a reason for cleaning your cowl area or engine bay, why so if this is a major way it can get into your cabin? Note I don’t think my engine bay only has dust, it smell ma of stronh chemicals and dirt but I don’t know what they are.

Thanks

[Krikkit]

The intakes are normally at the scuttle panel in the engine bay because it's a region of high air pressure, but low flow (base of the windscreen). That means you get a nice, consistent pressure keeping the airflow going, so you need a smaller fan working less.

If your engine bay stinks then it needs sorting out - it shouldn't really smell of anything if the recycling systems are working and everything's sealed. Exhaust leaks and oil leaks all need fixing, they're not normal running condition. Exhaust in particular.

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

Krikkit said:

The intakes are normally at the scuttle panel in the engine bay because it's a region of high air pressure, but low flow (base of the windscreen). That means you get a nice, consistent pressure keeping the airflow going, so you need a smaller fan working less.

If your engine bay stinks then it needs sorting out - it shouldn't really smell of anything if the recycling systems are working and everything's sealed. Exhaust leaks and oil leaks all need fixing, they're not normal running condition. Exhaust in particular.

You are saying the smell I am dealing with is probably from a leak? The car in question is 21 years old has sat around for long periods. Any idea what smells it might have developed? But seems you are saying needs to be sealed and a good clean that’s all?

Thanks.

[anonymous-user]

SpeedySpeedBoy said:

You are saying the smell I am dealing with is probably from a leak? The car in question is 21 years old has sat around for long periods. Any idea what smells it might have developed? But seems you are saying needs to be sealed and a good clean that’s all?

Thanks.

Well without knowing what the smell is it's hard to say. Is it an oil smell, an exhaust smell, a dead rat smell?

[Krikkit]

stickleback123 said:

Well without knowing what the smell is it's hard to say. Is it an oil smell, an exhaust smell, a dead rat smell?

Exactly.

If it's a musty or rotting smell then check the scuttle panel and pollen filter area for leaves and crap that's going manky.

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

Krikkit said:

Exactly.

If it's a musty or rotting smell then check the scuttle panel and pollen filter area for leaves and crap that's going manky.

If it’s leaves in the scutter panel, shouldn’t the cabin filter prevent any leave smells from getting into the cabin??

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

A

Krikkit said:

Exactly.

If it's a musty or rotting smell then check the scuttle panel and pollen filter area for leaves and crap that's going manky.

If it’s smells from leaves in the scutter panel, wouldn’t the cabin filter prevent these smells from getting into the cabin??

[Haltamer]

The cabin filter is just a paper filter - You can get active carbon / biocidal filters (I have one fitted and it does seem to have made a difference), so they're not impermiable to all scents.

I have ACF50'd my engine bay, and am currently having the waft of hot ACF burning off pumped directly into to the cabin - Not the most pleasant :P

As others have said, the intake isn't _in_ the engine bay, but on the scuttle panel; There's every chance that some filth has collected / fallen in.

Edited by Haltamer on Sunday 18th October 18:40

[A1VDY]

Check the air vents. It could be a mate pissing about and stuffed a pair of old skiddies in there..or worse.. a piece of haddock..

Edited by A1VDY on Sunday 18th October 18:49

[SpeedySpeedBoy]

[quote]

As others have said, the intake isn't _in_ the engine bay, but on the scuttle panel; There's every chance that some filth has collected / fallen in.

Edited by Haltamer on Sunday 18th October 18:40

[/quote]

Semantics kind of. The scuttle panel is covered by the bonnet and only air going to it is from the engine bay basically pulls in air from engine Bay Area.