Slefn2k

Hi,
Recently I noticed terrible smell from the air vents Aaaand decided to clean the AC myself using German product "Wurth Air conditioning disinfectant spray". Watched some YT vids and the job seems simple:
Instructions:

• Switch off air-conditioning unit and fans.
• Insert the spray probe into the condensate drain
• Spray half of the the can's contents (approx. 30 secs), content is sufficient for 2 applications
• Loosened dirt will escape easily via the drain
• Allow to work for at least 10 minutes prior to operation of the air-conditioning system

But I found myself stuck - where is the condensate drain? I thought it is always located under the car but after 20 mins of searching I must admit I cannot find it also running the AC does not produce any water sweat under the car! I checked on the forum and it seems that it is somewhere inside(wtf?) the car on the passenger side but couldn't find detailed info.

Can anyone advise where it is exactly located (picture highly appreciated) and even better is it OK to clean the AC this way (I mean I know most of the cars AC's are cleaned this way but s2k is not a regular car? Also if you clean your AC system differently please share your way.

Thanks!

zeroptzero

the drain is under the engine bay , along the passenger side frame rail close to the exhaust header. It should drip water when the a/c is running and if the a/c is working properly, that is the location of the drain outlet, the start of the drain inlet is in the cabin behind the dashboard.

In the future to avoid bad smells in the a/c system always turn off the a/c button a few minutes before you get to your destination and allow outside fresh air to flow through the system and take away system condensation. If you shut down the car with the a/c system running to the last second of operation you can trap moisture in the system which leads to odours. I've been doing this for years after a Honda mechanic recommended it to me once when my Accord had that bad smell and I never had an issue since. If I am driving for a long period of time using the a/c I will deactivate the a/c button 2-4 minutes before I get home and just run the fan with fresh outside air, sometimes I turn up the speed of the fan to move more air. It has always worked well for me.

Slefn2k

Thanks for the reply! Is the drain in a form of a pipe? Or is it something else?

flanders

Its a rubber hose.
Edit: Found a pic from another thread.

Car Analogy

I saw the same (or similar) youtube video, and was planning to do the same thing (on S and the other cars in the fleet.) Let me know how it goes!

jetboater

I’d also suggest changing your cabin air filter if it hasn't been done in the last year or two—-it’s located under the hood on the passenger side next to the wipers—there’s a number of diy threads on here on how to do it—-its a 5-10 min job.

You can get replacement filters at Wallyworld or on Amazon.

Thomas Guide

I'd like to add my own AC cleaning tips which includes Lysol. @zeroptzero has got the right tips about reducing the funk smell. I would add to his to sparingly use the recycle feature with AC as that accelerates the moldy build up collecting in your AC.

About 3 years ago the ex-gf's car smelled like funky gym socks when the fan (no AC) was turned on, and the only way to get rid of was to run the AC on for a bit (turning the heat up with AC on so you're not freezing). Shortly after my own car got the funk smell, and after a ton of research where I learned the tips discussed above, I also tried a half bottle of original Lysol, ran the car and sprayed it in the intakes in the dash by the glass, in the dash vents and also in the Cabin air filter hole while going through the different fan and temperature settings so that the spray gets sucked around the system. Nothing drips from the condensation hose, and you just do it in so it has time to go through the system. Probably 15 minutes per car and I was very thorough and one bottle on two cars and that permanently resolved the smell (again, use the tips zeroptzero and I listed to maintain a car smell free).

Car Analogy

I've done the lysol in the vents before. Best done with cabin filter removed. Spray into hole where filter would go, while ac on. Dial hvac controls through all positions, while giving a new squirt for each position.

It works, but the foam through the drip seems more thorough. So I wanted to try that next time.