Car Air Conditioner Smells Like Vinegar

It shouldn t have any discernible smell.

Car air conditioner smells like vinegar. If it goes away turn on the air conditioner again to see if it returns. This is due to micro organisms that have accumulated over time in the system vents. This smell needs to be removed not only because it causes discomfort for other passengers but also because the micro organisms behind it can cause allergy type illnesses. Go a little while without using the air conditioning if you can and see if the smell goes away.

To double check drive around without operating the air conditioner the smell will likely only occur when it s running. Causes of bad odors. If you ve ever had this happen in your car or been riding in a vehicle with the problem you know exactly what we re talking about. Then turn the air conditioning back on to see if it returns.

To figure out if the smell relates directly to the air conditioner you should turn off the air conditioner to see if the smell goes away. Of course that sour and acidic smell coming from your a c isn t actual vinegar like the type you buy at the store but the cause can be something similar. Many times when the foul odor comes from the air vents the unpleasant smell happens as a result of turning on the air conditioner. When you turn on your car s air conditioner you should receive a flow of cold air that cools the cabin.

As it gets used your car s air conditioning begins to emit a bad smell when you turn it on. Why your car smells like vinegar. Unfortunately overuse and misuse of the air conditioning unit in your car and sometimes just bad luck can cause your cars ac to begin to emit some terrible smells. Vinegar when the air coming from your air conditioner smells sour like vinegar the problem could be from an electric motor that is emitting ozone.

Possible causes of a vinegar. If you notice strange smells coming from the air vents there s a problem. To eliminate odor from a car air conditioner sit in the car but make sure the car ac and fan are all turned off. If the vinegar smell only occurs when you re using your car s air conditioner that indicates that the problem is in the ac rather than in another component.