Rotten Egg smell from Air Conditioner

[Kato_the_kia_stinger]

Faulty cats can have that smell.

 

[TheYeti]

Have you found a solution for your rotten egg smell? Went on a drive yesterday and upon turning on my 2019 GT2, it reeked of rotten eggs through the vents. Didn’t matter if AC was on or off. It reeked.
It was so bad, almost drove back home to switch cars.

Matt - We need to find other Stinger owners. I believe that KIA is covering-up a defect. My 2019 GT "puked on itself" while in COVID Lockdown storage for 4 months. 4000 miles. Stored in a heated/cooled carpeted showroom, with other vehicles.

I believe that their Climate Control systems are discharging the excess/remaining moisture from the system, directly into the cabin, sometime after the vehicle is turned off. For normal Daily Drivers, this leads to a faint (but increasing) moldy/mildew smell, mainly from the air vents. But, if you leave that vehicle sitting for 4 months without opening the doors, that moisture permeates throughout the entire vehicle and grows mold, from headliner to floor. Every surface has mold. It's a Petri dish.

KIA Corporate QUICKLY blamed a single drill hole in the firewall for allowing mystery water (from indoors) to drain inside the car through that hole, fill my WeatherTech floor mats, get hot enough to become vapor, and then pressurize and project itself all-over the interior of my car...from the dash, steering wheel and seat belts, to the rear deck lid.

Note: That hole was drilled in the Summer of 2019, while the car had less than 1000 miles on it. I had a reputable Performance Shop install a JB4 Performance module and Dyno tune it. Since then, the car was driven 2 times in the rain, and washed a dozen or more times. But, has NEVER has seen snow, ice, or road salt. It has been stored in that same building for 11 of the 17 months that I have owned it.

KIA told me to contact my insurance company..... There is nothing that they can do for me. I was SHOCKED. So basically, I paid them $50K CASH...for a car that I can't drive.

 

[bearstinger]

I saw one of the "Bombs" but I do not want to "Mask" the smell. I want it gone!. a parts guy said to use it but he could not guarantee 1. the car would smell from the Bomb and that after the smell wore off, the issue may not be resolved. I'll call the dealer and ask if they use the Bomb method or what/how they use something else.

We were given a car via a estate when a tenant died in our rental. She was a food hoarder the car and house had dead food in it in hot humid Florida. The brother wanted the car until he sat in it and smelled the rot. So they gave it to us to help settle some of the damage issues.

We used these bags in the car, smell gone!

https://smile.amazon.com/Earth-Care-Odor-Removing-Stinky/dp/B002MHV3LE/ref=sr_1_6?dchild=1&keywords=smell+removal+bags&qid=1603280585&sr=8-6

 

[bearstinger]

Wow @TheYeti that is horrible!

I would call the insurance company see what they say.

Then file with NCDS they helped me lemon law my car back to Toyota. They will need good documentation, pictures etc NCDS - Home

Send a message to Kia Corporate with pictures. kia-consumer-assistance-center@kiausa.com

Start being a real squeaky wheel. It took me about a year, but I won in the end. My rav2019 had 6500 miles on it when they bought it back.

I need to get back home and drive mine! I have not noticed any stink, so far, have around 1000 miles on it. But we are hot and humid here, going to inspect for any mold spots. Leather is known to mold with white mold spots, I had some new leather stuff in the basement that did mold up.

 

[Fred Dietz]

@TheYeti I've got a 2019 GT1 Stinger that developed the same moldy mildewy smell after sitting in my driveway for a vacation of only 7 days. When I got back that's what it had but no mildew on the leather yet. but I can't get the smell to go away either. So you got another guy right here to add to the list if we contact corporate.

 

[STINGER]

I got the mold smell the last two winters were water gathers in the evaporator tray and mold then blocks the drainage.

 

[ChaneRZ]

My Audi Q3 started this musty smell. I bought Kool-It Evaporator and Heater Foam Cleaner and that did the trick.

 

[mandasol]

I don't have the smell but I hear water sloshing around from my dash, most likely from the AC drain line being clogged up. I'm going to take a look to see if I can clear it out. If anyone knows where to look, advice is much appreciated.

 

[Goldy]

My air conditioner smells like rotten eggs when I turn it on. only happens when the air is on. read an article saying to stray Lysol into intake vents. could not find any outside vents by engine cowling so, just sprayed where they usually are in other cars. now the cars smells like Lysol, lovely!
so, where are the fresh air vents for the Air and is this a dealer issue?

I have this same mildew smell when I use A/C or heat. How do I get rid of it? Are there air intakes? I already changed the cabin filter. Also, tried the air freshener bombs. Still have the issue. Any thoughts?

 

[Goldy]

I have this same mildew smell when I use A/C or heat. How do I get rid of it? Are there air intakes? I already changed the cabin filter. Also, tried the air freshener bombs. Still have the issue. Any thoughts?

 

[RVance]

My air conditioner smells like rotten eggs when I turn it on. only happens when the air is on. read an article saying to stray Lysol into intake vents. could not find any outside vents by engine cowling so, just sprayed where they usually are in other cars. now the cars smells like Lysol, lovely!
so, where are the fresh air vents for the Air and is this a dealer issue?

My 2018 GT2 AWD now has the dreaded rotten egg small after 20K miles. Driven almost daily during pandemic for a few short miles/day with two recent longer trips. I will change cabin filter, but I can't imagine that being the culprit.

 

[RVance]

2019 with 20k miles just starting having this issue. I changed the in cabin filter and nothing. I am leaning towards water being trapped and not draining properly.

Same with my 2018 GT2 at exact same mileage.

 

[Matt Shelton]

My 2018 GT2 AWD now has the dreaded rotten egg small after 20K miles. Driven almost daily during pandemic for a few short miles/day with two recent longer trips. I will change cabin filter, but I can't imagine that being the culprit.

Hey man, I haven’t had the smell again, but I believe it was due to no draining of condensation from the AC unit.
Run your AC parked in a spot for 5-10 min. Then pull away and see if there’s a puddle of water.

if no water, I bet you also have a plugged drain and the water is going rank

 

[RVance]

Hey man, I haven’t had the smell again, but I believe it was due to no draining of condensation from the AC unit.
Run your AC parked in a spot for 5-10 min. Then pull away and see if there’s a puddle of water.

if no water, I bet you also have a plugged drain and the water is going rank

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll do that.

 

[Matt Shelton]

Matt - We need to find other Stinger owners. I believe that KIA is covering-up a defect. My 2019 GT "puked on itself" while in COVID Lockdown storage for 4 months. 4000 miles. Stored in a heated/cooled carpeted showroom, with other vehicles.

I believe that their Climate Control systems are discharging the excess/remaining moisture from the system, directly into the cabin, sometime after the vehicle is turned off. For normal Daily Drivers, this leads to a faint (but increasing) moldy/mildew smell, mainly from the air vents. But, if you leave that vehicle sitting for 4 months without opening the doors, that moisture permeates throughout the entire vehicle and grows mold, from headliner to floor. Every surface has mold. It's a Petri dish.

KIA Corporate QUICKLY blamed a single drill hole in the firewall for allowing mystery water (from indoors) to drain inside the car through that hole, fill my WeatherTech floor mats, get hot enough to become vapor, and then pressurize and project itself all-over the interior of my car...from the dash, steering wheel and seat belts, to the rear deck lid.

Note: That hole was drilled in the Summer of 2019, while the car had less than 1000 miles on it. I had a reputable Performance Shop install a JB4 Performance module and Dyno tune it. Since then, the car was driven 2 times in the rain, and washed a dozen or more times. But, has NEVER has seen snow, ice, or road salt. It has been stored in that same building for 11 of the 17 months that I have owned it.

KIA told me to contact my insurance company..... There is nothing that they can do for me. I was SHOCKED. So basically, I paid them $50K CASH...for a car that I can't drive.

Wow! How am I just seeing this?!
Sorry, I’m not too active on the forums. But I’m pretty active on the Facebook group.

did anything ever come of this (nearly a year later, sorry)

 

[Matt Shelton]

I feel bad for you, hope you get your rotten smell resolved. Your Stinger has become a Stinker.

Really sorry, I just had to say that.

My dad has forever changed the name of my Stinger to Stinker after my rotten egg smell stint.

 

[STINGER]

The car definitely has a drainage problem, not sure if this was corrected on later models. I get the smell every autumn/spring when you need the AC but its not hot enough to evaporate the accumulated water in the drainage. The dealer uses a spray can drainage opener/cleaner and it fixes the problem for a few days and then back to square one. Not sure how this isn't a recall or at least KIA coming up with a permanent fix.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm wondering if leaving the A/C on "Auto" prevents this problem: by always keeping the system going.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

Now that I'm permanently back in Florida and running the AC 24/7 in my car I hopefully shouldn't get this problem... I am stunned this issue would occur at such low mileage for these cars...

 

[Matt Shelton]

I'm wondering if leaving the A/C on "Auto" prevents this problem: by always keeping the system going.

I always leave the system on auto and experienced the rotten egg smell