Why is the truck still smelly after changing the A/C filter?

Many people have encountered the problem of air conditioning emitting strange odors. When the vehicle is first purchased, the air conditioning almost never has odors, but after a summer or a few years, it is very easy to occur. Especially for poorly maintained vehicles, when the air conditioning is turned on in the summer, the odor that comes out is definitely of catastrophic level.

Why does the air conditioning outflow have an odor? How to solve the air conditioner odor?

The air conditioning system is made up of a fan, compressor, condenser, expansion valve and evaporator. Regardless of whether it is an internal or external cycle, the air that enters the cab goes through the blower - air conditioning filter - evaporator - air outlet.

As a result, the areas that produce odors will only be the ones mentioned above. However, if the odor is present whether you have the air conditioning on or off, then check if there are other sources of odor in your engine compartment, or in your driving environment.

Under normal circumstances, the only place that can produce an odor is the air conditioning filter. The reason for this is that the air conditioning filter is responsible for filtering dust and impurities in the air, and over time, it accumulates a wide variety of contaminants, ranging from dust and hair to insect carcasses.

Over time, this is the part that is most prone to odor. Therefore, by changing your air conditioning filter on time, you will be able to eliminate the odor that comes with your air conditioner.

If the air conditioning filter element is not replaced on time, the dust impurities that have nowhere to be contained will gradually pile up in the air conditioning intake tract and slowly accumulate on the evaporator box behind the air filter element. When the air conditioner is used, the humid condensation on the evaporator box will wet the dust impurities, and it will be easy to get moldy at this time, resulting in an odor.

By the time you get to this point, and then replace the air conditioning filter, the odor will be very difficult to eliminate, and can only be completely eradicated by cleaning the evaporator box.

In addition, a small percentage of odors originate at the intake tract inlet. When the external cycle is turned on, the air conditioner draws air from outside the vehicle, resulting in the accumulation of leaves and dust outside the intake tract, which can also be present as an odor.

When the internal circulation is turned on, the air conditioner sucks in air from inside the vehicle, and if the interior environment is dirty, dirty air is always circulating inside, and it will also emit a distinct odor.