[Irmhild]

Hi, can anybody please tell me what causes the foul smell (outside) when stopping the car after driving with the aircon on??????? And what can I do to fix this problem? Thank you!

[Gwagensteve]

There's really not enough information here to diagnose the problem, but at a guess I'd say it's a slipping belt. Does it smell like burning rubber? Is there any noise/squealing? Does the A/C work properly?

You'll have to do some diagnosis yourself - i.e run the car with the bonnet open and rev it with the A/C on and off to see if you can detect any belt slip.

I don't know what model jimny you have or how the belts are arranged, but another possibility is that you have a seized/dying idler pulley and the back of the belt is slipping on the idler, but that should be happening all the time, not just when the A/C is on.

If the smell is more electrical, you might want to check that the A/C thermo fan hasn't shorted out (or the wiring is damaged) and melting. These fans have quite a high amp fuse running them so you might be able to get some cable melting without blowing the fuse. it the A/C thermo fan running?

I cant think of any other possible source for a "foul smell"

These are all just ideas - you'll have to do some investigation.

Steve.

[jdk81]

bacteria in the exchanger?
Perhaps a blocked drain at some stage allowing gunk to build up and grow into something stinky, and when it gets wet it pongs?

[Irmhild]

thank you, Steve, and jdk81, I'll investigate.
Irmhild

[Gwagensteve]

Surely the smell would be inside the car, not outside, under those circumstances?

Steve.

PS jdk81 caught your PM, I'll reply later.

[jdk81]

A little while after I get out of the car (with air con on), there's a foul smell.
Fuck this heat, im sweating like a fat chick.

[Irmhild]

Hi Steve,
the smell is only outside the car. My Suzuki is a March 2011 Jimny JLX manual. I live 300 ks from closest mechanic.
Irmhild

[Ace]

With the aircon running the vehicles drip moisture / like your air con in the house (kinda like how your fridge/freezer will have a drip tray) whats the bet in your high temp/ humidity conditions over there some sort of algae growing in your external side of the AC system. Possibly trace the drain pipe back and find the culture your growing... possibly spray your heat exchanger with some bleach???? someone here will correct me



OH OH OH, another idea.... any chance you run over a cat/ dog etc and its cooking in your grill

[Gwagensteve]

I can't see it. Surely the smell would be more noticeable in the car with all that air being blasted over the fungus and into the cabin rather than outside with a dribble of condensate pooling on the ground. What do you mean by "external side" - the evap is just in a box with air rushing through it. the condensate just drains out the bottom of the box.

I'm more than familiar of the musty smell of a dirty AC evaporator, but it's neither "foul" nor evident outside the car.

Steve

[Ace]

Worth a shot anyway, like I said happy to be wrong just trying to narrow down the options

[zukenutter]

what does it smell like?

[31zook]

Dead something somewhere?

Last time you hit an animal?

[Built4thrashing]

when was the last time you had a bath?

[shakes]

Unlikely but cat convertor?

[atari4x4]

shakes wrote:

Unlikely but cat convertor?

+1

[Built4thrashing]

isnt that what happends when you run over one.... cat gets converted to road kill....

[shakes]

Built4thrashing wrote:

when was the last time you had a bath?

My annual bath was had just before xmas. You?

[Built4thrashing]

kids got new water pistols for xmas......

[Wazz]

Rotten egg bad cat smell.

[303zuke]

I know that school muck-up days and the like are prime times for prawn heads and cups of urine being poured down cowl vents just for a "laugh", or some form of retribution for a bad deed. Pissed anyone off lately?