jayomx6

there's a funny smell coming out of my vents when i first turn on the a/c unit but once the a/c starts kicking it goes away but for the 1st couple of min the smell is terrible i have to open the windows until the a/c really kicks in anyone has this same issue i have a 06 tc about 16k miles.

KINGxOFxSKA

I have that issue every now and then with my vents. I just baught a lil can of Ozium air sanitizer and sprayed it in the vent and it does the trick for a while. If the smell comes back then hit it with another spray. Also, do you have cabin air filter installed? I noticed that \ mine starts to have that smell more often when the cabin filter is dirty.

jayomx6

i have a k&n cai but it was doing that before i installed the cai.

KINGxOFxSKA

I'm not talking about a cai. There is a thing called a cabin air filter for the vents of your car that helps prevent dust etc.

Here's one how-to for the xB.... same idea for the tC:
https://www.scionlife.com/forums/vie...bin+air+filter

nodsetse

Edit: Nevermind, KINGxOFxSKA beat me to it...

engifineer

its the dead body... time to buy some lime and go bury it

arbnpx

funny, I had the same thing happen today when I wanted to defog the windshield. It didn't smell like exhaust, but it did make it hard to breathe, and recirc + cracked window fixed it. Time to get an air freshener I guess.

xnevergiveinx

it happens...my corolla used to do it also

arbnpx

it scares me a little because last year my Corolla had a hole in the exhaust manifold, so there really was exhaust gases heading in if I had the vents set to fresh...

I took the car to a Meineke to find out why the engine was so loud when under load, and they found a hole. They replaced it, but then they used some sort of petroleum based liquid in place of a gasket. That liquid melted, dripped onto the hot skid plate, and created smoke that I saw wafting out of the left side gap between the hood and fender AS I WAS DRIVING. Driving a smoking car is an interesting and exhilirating experience, but not something I want to repeat. Got home, laid a dropcloth down to make sure it wasn't engine oil leaking, went to the dealer to have THEM check for any fluid leaks; they said, "no leaks, but some doofus used some petroleum gunk instead of a gasket." I went back to the Meineke and said WTF. They whined about the gasket taking time to get, but that's no reason to cut corners like this. I told them to get the gasket and fix it THE RIGHT WAY.

So yeah, every time I smell a funny smell in the cabin, I think of that experience.

jayomx6

oh guess i would need to check that this weekend but the smell iam smelling is not exhaust fumes nor a (dead body)lol

TURBO_TC02

yeah i know what you mean i just recently started to smell it...its really bad in the mornings and afternoons during the heat. it smells like old left over fast food thats been sitting in the heat in your car for a while...pretty much like trash..lol...terrible....only thing i know to do is either spray cologne in the vest and or get an air freshner

witelite

a friend of mine kept having the same problem. it would last for like 30 min sometimes. i popped her hood and sniffed. it smelt like it was coming up from the front near the radiator. i dont know why it would come from there...but wow it stunk! after 5,000k of dealing with it, it just went away and hasnt come back yet.

arbnpx

of course one other thing I have to watch out for is mice. In my area, they like to pee in air intakes. With the Corolla, I remember seeing pine needles, maple leaf wings, even yellow filter clippings on top of my engine block. I'm hoping I don't have to deal with that with this car.

Tomas

"...funny smell coming out of my vents..."

Sounds like a personal problem.

Seriously, your air handler probably just needs a good cleaning - try this:

http://toyota.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/t...p?p_faqid=4243

I did it to mine a while back (sprayed about 16 ounces of a 50/50 mix into the intakes with the blower on full speed, and switching between heat, A/C, and all outlets - good idea to have the windows open - don't want to inhale too much of that stuff... After letting everything air out for a couple hours, there are now no odors.

Tomas

jayomx6

yeah turbo tc2 that's what it smells like lol. but i dont eat in my tc and i doubt it's my feet. lol i even had the hand wash place spray fabreez on the carpets.