Have you ever been bothered by the smell of your car’s air conditioner? This can happen to cars that have been in use for many years. To deal with a car air conditioner smells like chemicals, you first need to understand the possible causes.

There are many factors that cause Car Air Conditioner Smells like Chemicals. There are a Number of Reasons Why a car smells bad immediately after Turning On the Air Conditioner

Unpleasant odors emanating from air conditioners can vary from car to car. This depends on the odor-causing agent.

7 Causes of Car Air Conditioner Smells Like Chemicals

There are many factors that cause car air conditioner smells like chemicals. There are a number of reasons why a car smells bad immediately after turning on the air conditioner.

1. The cause of the smell is running out of freon gas

Fluorocarbons are compounds that are often used in air conditioners, including automobile air conditioners. If you use it for a long time, the freon in the car air conditioner may decrease.

Low freon causes car air conditioners to smell musty. This condition is usually followed by other symptoms, such as an air conditioner not cooling.

2. Odor due to mold growth in the evaporator

The evaporator is the part of the car’s air conditioning system that absorbs heat from the air to reduce the heat inside the car. If mold forms in the evaporator, it may produce a foul odor.

Because the evaporator of the car air conditioner is damp, it will grow mold. Moisture is created because the steam exhaled by the air conditioner can stick to the evaporator.

In particular, mold is the cause of unpleasant odors in car air conditioners. When you start your car engine, it usually smells like urine.

3. The smell is due to a damaged gas tank

A foul odor coming from your car’s air conditioner may be the smell of gasoline. If you can smell gasoline from your car’s air conditioner, the gas tank may be damaged.

For example, if the gas tank cap is loose, the liquid will come out easily and you will smell gasoline. When the car is running, the smell of gasoline becomes more noticeable, and the smell may spread to the air conditioner inside the car.

This gasoline smell can also be caused by a gasoline leak inside the car. This usually happens after the car is taken to a mechanic and the technician accidentally spills gas inside the car.

4. Smell of car air conditioner due to exhaust gas

I’ve also smelled the exhaust fumes from my car’s air conditioner. This usually happens when driving near a truck or other vehicle that emits a lot of smoke. It can be worse if an ac compressor not turning on – car air conditioner compressor not turning on.

Exhaust gases emitted by vehicles can expose vehicle components. As a result, the odor enters the freezer and causes a bad odor in the car’s air conditioner.

5. Your car’s air conditioner overheats and smells burnt

Long-term use may cause the car’s AC motor to overheat. It will cause an unpleasant burning smell.

Excessive temperature conditions will damage compressor oil. If you don’t change the compressor oil soon, the burnt smell will get worse.

6. The sour smell of old car perfume

An unpleasant sour smell may come from the car air conditioner. There are various causes of car air conditioner odors, one of which is old perfume. Car perfume works on odors in the car. However, long-term use of perfume can make it smell bad.

In addition, the sour smell can also be caused by dirt in the cabin. Dust and debris stuck in the car also affect the unpleasant odor of the car air conditioner.

7. Smell of rat urine and carrion caused by feces

Dirt that builds up in your car not only smells like smoke, but it can also cause the air conditioner to smell like rotten meat and mouse urine.

If you smell like this, don’t panic. The smell of rotting meat or rat urine doesn’t necessarily mean that rats are hiding in your car. A car air conditioner smells like chemicals can happen, especially if the interior and engine are very dirty.