Hi everyone

 

I have a 2005 Ascent that I purchased last year.

 

When I switch my air-con on and accelerate heavily I get a terrible smell coming from the vents. It is a pungent smell similar to vinegar and makes me dizzy.

 

It happens on both hot and cold settings and only with the air-con button depressed. Also I don't really need to be accelerating too heavily for it to happen, eg: moving up to 60kmh from about 40kmh in about 3seconds will do it.

 

I have everyone baffled because the smell only comes out by depressing the accelerator.

 

The only thing my mechanic can think of is that some bad gas has been used in the system because, according to him, the two tubes that run from the firewall to the gas inlet valve do not differ in temperature.(please excuse me if the terms i have used are wrong, I don't know much about cars) He says one should be hot and the other very cold.

 

Any ideas?

sorry to be crude, but a cat may have pissed on your intake duct causing smell?

 

also natural bacteria can grow in a car's aircon system, and there are special "antibacterial deodorisers" you can get to get rid of the smells.

 

can't help with the pipe temperature concerns though sorry.

 

have you taken it to an aircon specialist?

^^^This

 

Damn cats!

maybe the gas is leaking from your aircon? into your vents?

 

and when you put your foot down the pump works a bit harder, and makes the leak worse?

 

just thinking outside the box here...

plus one for cat probably it

 

pricks have been known to put sardines in places such as those on a hot summer morning for you to drive home that following afternoon :bash:

 

when they re-gassed your aircon something mights have gone wrong

 

hope this helps

Does it smell like sulfur? Like a rotten egg? I don't know why it would be coming through your A/C vents but these cars are known to produce a bad smell on occassion, especially if you have a heavy foot.

sorry to be crude, but a cat may have pissed on your intake duct causing smell?

 

also natural bacteria can grow in a car's aircon system, and there are special "antibacterial deodorisers" you can get to get rid of the smells.

 

can't help with the pipe temperature concerns though sorry.

 

have you taken it to an aircon specialist?

 

I have not taken it to a specialist no, I didn't know they existed.

 

Where are the intake vents and could the urine get to them from outside the car?

 

Also though, if this is the case wouldn't I have a smell with just the fan on?

 

plus one for cat probably it

 

pricks have been known to put sardines in places such as those on a hot summer morning for you to drive home that following afternoon :bash:

 

when they re-gassed your aircon something mights have gone wrong

 

hope this helps

I think its something with the gas but then if it were leaking I think it would have stopped working by now, but it still cools/heats the air quite well.

 

 

Does it smell like sulfur? Like a rotten egg? I don't know why it would be coming through your A/C vents but these cars are known to produce a bad smell on occassion, especially if you have a heavy foot.

 

It smells like vinegar/something mouldy but not like sulfur. Someone suggested something about the Catalytic Converter and fumes getting in from that but apparently its meant to smell like sulfur if this is the case.

 

Also the smell does affect you; it made me feel dizzy.

 

 

Thanks for everyone's help so far. Really appreciate it.

Edited July 7, 201115 yr by Micuzzo

time to pull your air con apart and have a good look, your best bet.

 

if after that you can't find it take it in to get looked at, check under the car if you want to see if your cat is leaking but i highly doubt it would come through just your air con

 

possibly your battery is leaking acid into the bay and getting picked up by the intake of the air con?????

 

could be that vinegar acidic smell check that too

 

hope you can solve it mate would love to find out what it could be

 

Harry

I have not taken it to a specialist no, I didn't know they existed.

 

 

Now you know, kill some cats.... But really, cats?

 

Id try the anti cat smell stuff you can get it is amazing.

time to pull your air con apart and have a good look, your best bet.

 

if after that you can't find it take it in to get looked at, check under the car if you want to see if your cat is leaking but i highly doubt it would come through just your air con

 

possibly your battery is leaking acid into the bay and getting picked up by the intake of the air con?????

 

could be that vinegar acidic smell check that too

 

hope you can solve it mate would love to find out what it could be

 

Harry

I wouldn't really know what I'm doing if I take it apart, but the car is due for a service soon so hopefully I'll get it sorted. Its just that its such a strange problem.

 

 

 

Now you know, kill some cats.... But really, cats?

 

Id try the anti cat smell stuff you can get it is amazing.

 

I hate cats...I'll try run them over when I see them...Just kidding.