Sweaty Socks.

[Donsky]

I have a 2013 Yaris 1.3, when I start the car after previously using the aircon I get a strong smell of sweaty socks. Is there a filter that needs changing or is it caused by a blocked condensate drain?

Regards.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Check your cabin air filter (also known as air conditioning filter or pollen filter). Could probably do with using an air con cleaner as well - https://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_3_15?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=air+con+cleaner+car&sprefix=Air+con+cleaner%2Caps%2C190&crid=3EDO593O0K2G8

[Bob110023]

Hi David. I used an aircon cleaner from Halfords. Only took about 10 minutes it also has antibacterial qualities as well. Full instructions on the tin very easy to use. Bob.

[Donsky]

I've just checked the aircon filter, little bit of dirt on it but not too bad, just wondering if there's a condensate drain and if it's blocked. Will order a can of aircon cleaner.

[bathtub tom]

I'd suggest running your air-con for ten minutes or so whilst stationary. Look under the car forward of the windscreen and see if any condensate has dripped out. If not, find the condensate drain and clear that before trying any cleaner.

[Mick F]

When we bought our 2014 Yaris, it had been unused for maybe a year.

Bought it from a main dealer and it's lovely.  Trouble is, if we left it undriven a day or two, it smelt damp and sweaty - sweaty socks or a wet dog maybe.  After a few weeks, the smell had gone.

We put it down to being locked and closed up for months and possibly that the dealers had valeted the internals and they were left damp.  We NEVER turn the aircon off, so over the weeks the car dried out, and now smells fine and continues to do so.

Therefore, I'm willing to bet that the OP - Donksy - has recently started using his aircon now that the warm weather is here.  My advice - as ever - is to leave it on permanently all twelve months of the year.

Mick.

[Justhandguns]

19 hours ago, Mick F said:

When we bought our 2014 Yaris, it had been unused for maybe a year.

Bought it from a main dealer and it's lovely.  Trouble is, if we left it undriven a day or two, it smelt damp and sweaty - sweaty socks or a wet dog maybe.  After a few weeks, the smell had gone.

We put it down to being locked and closed up for months and possibly that the dealers had valeted the internals and they were left damp.  We NEVER turn the aircon off, so over the weeks the car dried out, and now smells fine and continues to do so.

Therefore, I'm willing to bet that the OP - Donksy - has recently started using his aircon now that the warm weather is here.  My advice - as ever - is to leave it on permanently all twelve months of the year.

Mick.

The smell is coming from the condensation of water on the cooling coils inside the air-con. Remember some of us do not have the climate/temperature control, so turning the air-con on all year round is not really practical and not very environmental friendly. Not advised in my opinion. Best way to get rid of the smell is to open some windows, blast your air-con at max for a few minutes. Also buy one of those air-wick freshener thing, it helps. I tried anti-bacterial/fugal sprays as well, the smell came back after a few days.

[Mick F]

We sold our venerable Clio we'd had sine brand new in 2001. We only sold her last year and she'd done just shy of 100,000 miles.

Since brand new, until the day we sold it, the manual aircon was permanently on.  Summers, winters, the lot.  Temperature is controlled by the temp control and all the aircon does is dry and filter the air coming in.  You can have it hot or cold or any temperature you choose ........... all manually done.

Over all those sixteen years, the aircon wasn't touched.  No maintenance, no faults, and worked perfectly.  Fuel economy only ever suffered when it was high summer and we had it set as cold as it would go.  All we had done, was have the cabin filter changed, and that was only done twice in those sixteen years.

All I have said above, is 100% completely true, and as true as I'm standing here.

My advice - as ever - is to leave your aircon on, be it automatic or manual.

Mick.

[FROSTYBALLS]

2 hours ago, Justhandguns said:

The smell is coming from the condensation of water on the cooling coils inside the air-con. Remember some of us do not have the climate/temperature control, so turning the air-con on all year round is not really practical and not very environmental friendly.

We have had climate control on some of our cars in the past, but the current two have manual air con.

We have the air con on all the time and we find that more comfortable than not having it on. New models brought out since 2014, have the new HFO1234yf gas which is supposed to be 98% more environmentally friendly than the older gas - both our i20 and our Aygo have the new gas. So the environmental argument for not leaving air con on all the time on newer models, is not as relevant as it once was.

The drawback is that it is more expensive to re-gas the system using the new gas. 

For a couple of minutes before turning air con off, Honest John recommends using the heater, as that is supposed to rid the system of any excess moisture.

[Donsky]

Thanks for all your help, I located the condensate pipe and checked for blockage, all OK. Bought an Auto Glym can of aircon unit cleaner and have used that in the car, smells lovely and lemony in there now, will see if the sweaty socks come back after a few uses.  

[Guest]

Different car, different age, different mechanicals, but a good story for the same problem, even if it is only loosely related.

My car had trouble draining the condensate for ages, and was making some odd gurgling/bubbling sounds, plus a sight smell of stagnant water.

Problem was the drain pipe, The drain pipe in my car is like an L shape.  It feeds out of the tank(behind passenger dash), through the firewall and bends down to pass out a a hole in the engine tray.

So when investigating, I go looking under the car for drainage when there should be some - Don't find any.
I start looking for the drain pipe. Cant find it.
I go under the bonnet, no pipe where it should be....
Find the feed out from the firewall, Find the pipe, and Find Some Muppet had put it on upside down.  It was facing UP - so in order to drain condensate water would have had to drain UP a pipe about 30 cm long .. obviously that was a problem.

Spun the pipe around, got wet, swore quite a bit, but solved the issue, now onto the next 😄

[catnash]

There was a post in Honest John about the way you can use the heater to self clean.  I've used those Aircon cleaners and the clean out the car nice.  You can also use a Dakota air bomb.

[Justhandguns]

On 7/12/2018 at 12:23 PM, FROSTYBALLS said:

We have had climate control on some of our cars in the past, but the current two have manual air con.

We have the air con on all the time and we find that more comfortable than not having it on. New models brought out since 2014, have the new HFO1234yf gas which is supposed to be 98% more environmentally friendly than the older gas - both our i20 and our Aygo have the new gas. So the environmental argument for not leaving air con on all the time on newer models, is not as relevant as it once was.

The drawback is that it is more expensive to re-gas the system using the new gas. 

For a couple of minutes before turning air con off, Honest John recommends using the heater, as that is supposed to rid the system of any excess moisture.

Oh, environmental-wise, I meant petrol, not the leakage of compressor coolant. 

If I understand the mechanism of the air-con thermostats correctly, when you turn it on during winter time, the cooling compressor will still be constantly on, the temperature is basically controlled by mixing the engine heat and the cooling coils, if this is true, that it simply does not make sense to turn on your air-con in cooler months? Please correct me if I am wrong.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Using the air con in winter together with the heater is proven to provide faster demisting, etc. - 

It also helps keep the seals lubricated to prevent leakage, etc. 

We've had air con in our cars since 1998 (13 cars), and for the majority of time have kept the air con on all the time, especially those with climate control, and we've found any fuel consumption penalty to be low and worth it for the added comfort.

[Mick F]

17 hours ago, Justhandguns said:

Oh, environmental-wise, I meant petrol, not the leakage of compressor coolant. 

If I understand the mechanism of the air-con thermostats correctly, when you turn it on during winter time, the cooling compressor will still be constantly on, the temperature is basically controlled by mixing the engine heat and the cooling coils, if this is true, that it simply does not make sense to turn on your air-con in cooler months? Please correct me if I am wrong.

In order to keep the aircon in good order, it's best to leave it on permanently.  Best thing in the cooler/colder months about this, is that the car demists quickly - and because you have the aircon on permanently, it probably won't mist up in the first place as the car internals are bone dry.

Double wammy here.  Dry and mist-free windows, and no smelly socks.

Mick.

[m456an]

I would keep it on all the time, even in the winter though it may not work under 6 degrees. Not sure of the argument there....

Also the cost of petrol is negligible due to saving of not needing to regas, even the DIY regas kit for stp is £65!

When I bought my yaris I did the complete valet myself. Then I used autoglyn car air freshener and kept the doors closed for the day.