When I run the A/C in my '06 Explorer, the engine bay fills

File: 1967 f100.jpg (29KB, 480x320px) Image search: [Google]

29KB, 480x320px

>>17639298
hows that cabin air filter looking?

>>17639298
a few things to consider:
>certain components produce certain specific smells when they fail because its the fluid burning
>check your cabin filter
>certain sensors in the engine can fail and have dried out, disintegrated gaskets, and can produce odors
>heating systems on older cars can have strong smells like the one you mentioned because the brittle plastic covers would produce the smell when heated

>>17639324
Weirdly, the smell remains outside of the car. I don't think I smell it inside, but will check cabin air filter.

>>17639345
Appreciate the info. I'll look into those. I don't *think* it's the heating because I only notice it when I run the A/C. But anything's possible.

>>17639413
How well does the A/C itself perform? Does it get cold and stay cold? The only other thing not mentioned here yet that could be a burning smell is possibly the clutch material on the A/C pulley burning if the compressor is starting to get seized. Seized compressors seem to disproportionately affect Ford's from what I've seen too.

>>17639867
>How well does the A/C itself perform?
Very good I'd say. Sometimes i have to turn it off manually before it reaches the designated temperature because it blows too cold, even if I position the flaps away from me. It's all stock too, I've never added Freon. The car is an '06 like I said but it's very low miles, formerly driven by a grandma to get groceries once a week and always garaged.

>>17639324
Kid never drive a car before cabin air filter meme.
Ma'am you need an air filter (hold up filter dripping bugs and sand) .lol it smells fine in my car. Manufacturer heard of this and realized there is one more part they can sell.

Is there a lot of oil and shit under your engine? If that oil gets moderately warm and then the ice cold condensation water from the AC runs onto it then you might get a weird smell

Seems like right place to ask.
My '15 Focus has a weird smell in the cabin when I start up the AC. After a minute or so, it goes away. Only seems to happen if I have left the car for a bit (more than 3-5 hours). Location doesn't seem to matter.
Does that sound like a filter issue, or should I prepare for some sort of AC system filtration?

>>17641719
Very common symptom of your ventilation system needing a good clean. It comes from a buildup of shit like mold, fungi and bacteria, usually near the mousture-heavy areas of the air condition system

>>17642652
>Very common symptom of your ventilation system needing a good clean.
My dealer's service advisor had a story about a A/C system that needed cleaning. The owner had psoriasis and thus a lot of fine skin flakes get shed. Psoriasis is that disease where they make a ton more dead skin flakes. So a lot of flakes settled in the cooling system ducts and the exchange unit. It all grew a blackish mold which fed on the skin flakes. The mold is gluelike and sticky so it stuck firmly to everything and over time the edges of the mold patch crept forward and covered more surface area. And collected more flakes too.

The black mold made so many spores that if the windows weren't rolled down (even in summer heat), your eyes can water and you have a runny nose and sneezing.

No idea about the cost to clean. The advisor would not tell me.

>>17640142
>because it blows too cold
I bought a new car and it isn't very cold at all. These newer environmentally friendly "freeons" aren't anywhere as good as those old freeons from the 1970's. I remember when the air was really cold but now it is not able to keep up with the heat load unless I turn the fan on high. And now the fan is nice and loud. I miss those days when the A/C had the fan on low and the car was cool.

File: 464642642.jpg (21KB, 375x500px) Image search: [Google]

21KB, 375x500px

>>17644530

>>17645231
Lots of people prolly have their own favorite stories they heard from the dealer about people and their cars. LPG sure had some terrific ones..

>>17639298
I got that in my 03 Grand Marquis when I recharged the AC. After a while the smell went away. was probably the stuff working its way into the nooks and crannies of the system. Dont think the car had ever been recharged, so the system was probably freon starved

>>17642652
>needing a good clean
How does the normal person clean the ventilation system without taking apart the dash or going under the hood ?

Update: Although it wasn't running hot according to the gauge and I wasn't getting any warning lights or dash computer warnings, I decided to check the fluids and my coolant was empty or near empty. Hose connecting to radiator had no liquid inside when I squeezed it. Topped it up and the smell nearly disappeared. The fan also doesn't spin nowhere near as fast now. After adding fluids, I did notice a small leak dripping down from front left engine bay. Don't think it's a radiator rupture because I haven't hit or run over anything.

Welp.

>>17644969
But anon, don't you want gas mileage? My [insert generic rounded off sedan] hybrid gets 6 gorillion miles per gallon!

>>17639298
Ac clutch burning. Smells like people who ride their brakes down the mountain until they're burning. Compressor is fucked. Just happened to me to the tune of $2600

>>17646378
Also will be cheaper if you get it before it grenades into the condenser and everything else. i.e.e.g. get it fixed naow