It's going to be a cold winter for me in the Aurion.

[Silver-Aurion]

It seems most people’s cars steam up when the air con first turns off as the condensation on the evaporator clears.

If your car uniquely continues to steam up where is the moisture coming from? A few possibilities :- Is the drain for the air con system is blocked? Is there is a leak into the car. Do you ever find the condensation on the inside of the windows before you drive the car in the morning? Do you drive round with the heater on recirc? Have you tested this to see that it is opening to let fresh air in? Or maybe there is an issue with the Aurion and everyone else with an Aurion leaves the aircon on....?

To answer some questions, The steam comes from the air vents, there is no condensation in the windows in the morning (I keep my window open a little bit every time and the car is garaged), sometimes I drive with recirc on with heater on and when its the aircon. I tried where people say 5/10 minutes before you stop the car, turn on fresh so it can dry up the vents(when using aircon). This doesn't seem to do anything.

Other questions like blocked system and leak into the system I don't know.

Even after 20 minutes of heater last night the smell and "dampness" from the heater did not go away. But eventually did. When I picked up my car from the dealer yesterday and went to turn the heater on the aircon was on(Dealer must have used it). I seriously wish they didn't. I couldn't drive without having my window open halfway without the smell making me want to puke.

The best way to describe the smell is like the hot air filters through a WET, dirty, bacteria filled sponge that has never been washed, and the hot air is filtering through that. Yuck!

I think its time I take it to the dealer again, I wish I told them about it when I dropped it off yesterday.

I see this: http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27315&view=findpost&p=389350 And that there is an aircon cleaner. But is there anything to physically clean internal parts of the aircon to give it a deep clean instead of chemicals that will mask the smell?

For 66 dollars, I might as well get the dealer to to do aircon clean for like $90. Or maybe it is something more serious and I can claim some sort of warranty. haha.

[DJKOR]

To answer some questions, The steam comes from the air vents

This would be moisture in the air heating up on the heater unit then turning into steam. This moisture reacts with bacteria that is on the evaporator for the A/C which the air passes through to produce that bad smell.

I see this: http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27315&view=findpost&p=389350 And that there is an aircon cleaner. But is there anything to physically clean internal parts of the aircon to give it a deep clean instead of chemicals that will mask the smell?

That doesn't just chemically mask the smell. It contains other chemicals that actually kill the bacteria that gathers on the evaporator. With the bacteria killed off, it won't produce the smell anymore.

[Silver-Aurion]

To answer some questions, The steam comes from the air vents

This would be moisture in the air heating up on the heater unit then turning into steam. This moisture reacts with bacteria that is on the evaporator for the A/C which the air passes through to produce that bad smell.

I see this: http://au.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=27315&view=findpost&p=389350 And that there is an aircon cleaner. But is there anything to physically clean internal parts of the aircon to give it a deep clean instead of chemicals that will mask the smell?

That doesn't just chemically mask the smell. It contains other chemicals that actually kill the bacteria that gathers on the evaporator. With the bacteria killed off, it won't produce the smell anymore.

I hope so! I just wonder why/how such a bad smell can come from it. My dads old Toyota van, he smokes, farts, carries chemicals etc in that car with aircon running or heater running when ever where ever(complete work horse) and never have we had a problem with smell coming from its aircon system or heater system.

If I were to swap from aircon to heater straight away there is no condensation and no smell what so ever! Though if I were to run my aircon on the aurion for couple of minutes then swap to heater it would smell like rotten eggs.

[Silver-Aurion]

I was thinking. When you have the aircon running and then you then park the car. Does your aurion have a water patch under the car so it can let the water out of the drain?

Because i have never seen water so i think its blocked.

I called the dealer and they wanted $105 to service it and have a look at the system.

[DJKOR]

I was thinking. When you have the aircon running and then you then park the car. Does your aurion have a water patch under the car so it can let the water out of the drain?

Because i have never seen water so i think its blocked.

I called the dealer and they wanted $105 to service it and have a look at the system.

Depend on how the humidity. If it is reletively dry, your air-conditioner can run without a single bit of condensation coming off the evaporator. No condensate coming out of the drain hole doesn't necessarily indicate a blockage.

[Silver-Aurion]

Hmm, alright thanks for the reply djk. I called Toyota and booked my car in for 11am tomorrow. Will be getting the service and my T-bar light checked out. Last time they said they fixed it but it still does not work and I always gotta tap it again for the light to turn on.

I told the lady to write down few notes about how the system smells and what it does etc so yeah. All will be seen Tomorrow after the Toyota guys diagnose the problem.

I'm finally fed up with this crap though because I was out with a mate few nights ago and the heater smelt kinda bad and it kept fogging up my windows from the wet heat even though the system is on re-circulate, even on fresh it does the same. bah!!

[Silver-Aurion]

I have looked for a good 20 minutes and cannot locate the drain pipe for the aircon. Does anyone know where it is located?

and where the heater core is!

Edited May 25, 2010 by unique

[Silver-Aurion]

Seriously, come on guys. Am I the only guy where the heater smells funny AFTER running the a/c????

I know for sure that there should be water under the car but I never ever see water after parking in the garage and coming back to check underneath.

Is this normal for the Aurion?

[avstral]

Is this normal for the Aurion?

Not normal.

[Silver-Aurion]

Is this normal for the Aurion?

Not normal.

Would you know where the drain hose is? I want to poke something into there to see if its not blocked.

[DJKOR]

Would you know where the drain hose is? I want to poke something into there to see if its not blocked.

Go inside your car and look at the position where the glove box is. Now look underneath your car and you will see a bit of open hose sticking out around that position (front to back wise), and a little bit more towards the centre of the car (side to side).

[Silver-Aurion]

Would you know where the drain hose is? I want to poke something into there to see if its not blocked.

Go inside your car and look at the position where the glove box is. Now look underneath your car and you will see a bit of open hose sticking out around that position.

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll be taking the car into the back to start pulling the grill apart and have a look for the drain hose.

I would have never thought it was near the glove box. I was looking right at the front of the car like where the oil filter is and where the pan for the tranny is. Arrgg.

[Silver-Aurion]

I still cannot find it, but is it this? (I put the car on a jack but I'm not eager enough to get under the car with just the jack alone, lol.

[Tofuboi]

I still cannot find it, but is it this? (I put the car on a jack but I'm not eager enough to get under the car with just the jack alone, lol.

That would be your exhaust mount. That keeps the exhaust safe and sound from extreme movement.

[FMAN]

This picture was taken from just behind the driver front wheel. I believe this the pipe we are talking about.

[Silver-Aurion]

This picture was taken from just behind the driver front wheel. I believe this the pipe we are talking about.

That sure looks like it. DJK pointed me to the wrong direction! Bugger, too late to look at it now.

[Silver-Aurion]

I still cannot find it, but is it this? (I put the car on a jack but I'm not eager enough to get under the car with just the jack alone, lol.

That would be your exhaust mount. That keeps the exhaust safe and sound from extreme movement.

Oh okay, I always wondered what that thing was. Thought it was some sort of machine gun.

[DJKOR]

That sure looks like it. DJK pointed me to the wrong direction! Bugger, too late to look at it now.

Wrong direction my a**! What were you expecting? A scale diagram showing exactly where it is? Why don't you look where it is yourself and you will see that if you look around the area I specified, you will see it. I said 'around that position' in my statement. 15-20 cm off would be considered reasonable.

Anyways, trying to look for it from the front of your car (where your photo was taken from), would indicate that it's not my direction that was wrong, but your following of the direction.

Bit disappointed that I won that bet eh

[Silver-Aurion]

That sure looks like it. DJK pointed me to the wrong direction! Bugger, too late to look at it now.

Wrong direction my a**! What were you expecting? A scale diagram showing exactly where it is? Why don't you look where it is yourself and you will see that if you look around the area I specified, you will see it. I said 'around that position' in my statement. 15-20 cm off would be considered reasonable.

Anyways, trying to look for it from the front of your car (where your photo was taken from), would indicate that it's not my direction that was wrong, but your following of the direction.

Bit disappointed that I won that bet eh

settle settle! I did have a look for it. I even got my jack out to lift the front up and searched everywhere with my torch.

You said somewhere around the glove box area which I was looking there but its in fact below the drivers side.

Anyway, we have one of these http://www.cougardevelopments.co.uk/images/RM1-medium.jpg and I'll drive it on top of those to get under better.

As for the bet, I'm annoyed I did lose but happy that its the correct one :P

[DJKOR]

settle settle! I did have a look for it. I even got my jack out to lift the front up and searched everywhere with my torch.

You said somewhere around the glove box area which I was looking there but its in fact below the drivers side.

Anyway, we have one of these http://www.cougardevelopments.co.uk/images/RM1-medium.jpg and I'll drive it on top of those to get under better.

Just for clarification, FMAN said:

This

picture was taken from just behind the driver front wheel

. I believe this the pipe we are talking about.

He's not saying it's on the drivers side, but rather this is from where he looked.

Tell me, does the exhaust pipe run under the drivers side? Because the drain pipe appears to be right above it. Yes I was a bit off in that I should have said something that it was directly above the pipe, but I was working off my memory.. hence why I said 'around there'. I was getting close if you read that I said:

... and a little bit more towards the centre of the car (side to side).

[Hiro]

The fact that it appears to be directly about the exhaust would contribute to no puddle. Dripping water onto hot exhaust = steam/evaporation, not puddle on ground.

[DJKOR]

The fact that it appears to be directly about the exhaust would contribute to no puddle. Dripping water onto hot exhaust = steam/evaporation, not puddle on ground.

That's actually quite smart when you think about it. I wonder if the design was intentional or it just happened to work out like that.

[Silver-Aurion]

I thought that too, but is the pipe directly under the exhaust? I can't tell from the picture.

Edited May 27, 2010 by unique

[Silver-Aurion]

I thought that too, but is the pipe directly under the exhaust? I can't tell from the picture.

Just want to confirm that the pipe is not directly on top of the exhaust but like 2 inches from it.

Didn't have time today to put it on the ramp. But since its a plastic hose I pinched it all along and there was nothing blocking the plastic hose sticking out.

Sigh.

When you turn your heater on and change it to heater straight away does any moldy smell come out of it vents? Usually for the first few seconds it will smell and go away but mine doesn't for a loong time.

Anyyyonneeeee??????

I've spent almost $160 just to get rid of this smell. Plzz some other ideas? :(

edit: I want to try the glen10 thing again.

But I'm not 100% sure how to do it. When spraying into the fan should it be on fresh or recirc? Should I have the aircon on or just run the fan with aircon off? how fast should I turn up the fan?

do I spray directly into the fan box or from far?

Edited May 27, 2010 by unique

[Silver-Aurion]

After pounding the aircon system full blast and spraying into every air inlet known to man in the Aurion and swapping between fresh and recirc with my Oust spray, have a look at how much water ended up flushing out of the hose, I'm guessing this is much more then average after only running for 3 minutes on full, somehow the spray maybe dislodged something and finally made the water come out? The Aurion has never leaked this much water from the inlet before. I even once left the car running with aircon on full blast for a good 5 minutes and nothing ever came out as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmpIA0x5Vtc