Rotten Egg smell from Air Conditioner

[SoCalSHO]

It is a combination of drainage and running on recirc. The mildew/mold grows on your condenser. The reason to spray lysol (or a specialty disinfectant) is to kil the mold on the condenser. There are kits that will allow you to treat the source of the stench. The best way to control this in the future is to drive your car mostly in the fresh air setting for the last part of your drive. I have had problems on Ford and Infiniti as well.

I drive my Stinger with the system mostly in the auto position, and have not yet encountered this (jinxed myself with that statement). Also, I live in a lower humidity part of the country.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Also, I live in a lower humidity part of the country.

That's my other point: what kind of climate are these moldy complaints coming out of? In Utah we have a normal humidity of single digits. If the humidity goes up to 30 or 40 something it feels "muggy". Hah.

 

[WRXtoStingerGT]

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

 

[Ricky Bobbhy]

Havent really found a great fix either, turn the AC off a few minutes before I turn the car off maybe helps but never had a car with this issue before.

 

[DubT2]

If the issue is plugged drain lines. Where is the drain line or lines and how is a good way to clean them out. Also where do you spray the Lysol? In the opening on the cowl between the wipers?

 

[stoopid]

Havent really found a great fix either, turn the AC off a few minutes before I turn the car off maybe helps but never had a car with this issue before.

I've never had a car (including the Stinger, living its entire life in the desert) that DIDN'T have this issue. The condenser setup is a sealed loop, very easy for any generated sweat/moisture to collect and start growing nasties.

Best advice is to leave the air source set to fresh air, recirculating increases the odds of moisture collection. Nothing fully eliminates the problem though. Starting in the Fall through sometime in the Spring I run my climate control on auto with fresh air selected as the air source. I think it's helping to mitigate the issue. I have to run recirculation during the summer, trying to AC 110F air isn't efficient. lol

 

[MerlintheMad]

Best advice is to leave the air source set to fresh air, recirculating increases the odds of moisture collection.

I've not experienced the least hint of putrid/stale/moldy/eggy smell. And I leave the AC on Auto and set to outside air circulation. Other than high summer (when I set the temp to 79F) I leave the temp setting at the recommended 73F: the manual says that that temp optimizes the Auto AC system. I doubt that an open sunroof has any effect on this, but as long as the outside temp is 50+, I will run with the sunroof open: although I'll close it on the freeway (i.e., over 60 MPH). When the outside temp range is c. 60-70F I will often turn the AC OFF altogether.

 

[stoopid]

I've not experienced the least hint of putrid/stale/moldy/eggy smell. And I leave the AC on Auto and set to outside air circulation. Other than high summer (when I set the temp to 79F) I leave the temp setting at the recommended 73F: the manual says that that temp optimizes the Auto AC system. I doubt that an open sunroof has any effect on this, but as long as the outside temp is 50+, I will run with the sunroof open: although I'll close it on the freeway (i.e., over 60 MPH). When the outside temp range is c. 60-70F I will often turn the AC OFF altogether.

I'm happy (for you) that you are not experiencing this issue.

 

[n8hegr8]

Just a thought... what octane of gasoline are you putting in your car, are you consistently putting the same octane in?
I've had a honda accord and a nissan altima and a chevy car that would stink like eggs after i hit the gas pedal hard a few times or drove them with spirit sts. I feel for ya because it's embarrassing to drive around a smelly car. I didn't know the stingers smelled too.

 

[nhcowboy28]

My rotten egg smell out of my tailpipe is my own fault… vegan.

 

[n8hegr8]

Could be all the chemtrailing they've been doing.

 

[n8hegr8]

Oh and yeah check your footwear, nothing more putrid than car vents blowing on shoes or especially if it's blowing heat.

 

[G-933099]

After 9000 miles in my beautiful Stinger GTS there was a bad egg smell virtually every time I started the engine. I took it to my Kia dealer and after two days they told me I should have used my windscreen washer fluid more (??!!) and that when they had serviced my car they added a different washer fluid which may have reacted badly with my old fluid to chemically produce this bad smell. They flushed everything through, changed all my filters and advised me to use my washer more frequently. I am now up to 17000 miles and the same odour has returned. I have been using my windscreen washer religiously and wastefully over the last several months. There is no bad odour at all when I have smelled the open fluid container under the bonnet. I am due a service soon and shall await their view this time. I can confirm there are no dead rats mice elephants or tigers tucked away under my bonnet so I don’t accept the dead animal explanation. In opening the bonnet there is no bad smell at all. It is only when I turn the engine on and the smell appears to come through the a/c system. I am disappointed that only one other person appears to have suffered with this. I hate being unique sometimes! Any advice appreciated. My Stinger is the best car I’ve ever driven.

Mine is ding the same and my rotten kia dealer told me to take it home a drain it. Isn’t this their responsibility and what I’m paying them to do? SMH

 

[RVance]

Mine is ding the same and my rotten kia dealer told me to take it home a drain it. Isn’t this their responsibility and what I’m paying them to do? SMH

I got rid of my persistent rotten egg smell by running the A/C with high fan and heat on, letting it idle after driving to get the condensate flowing.

I don't know if the heat setting was needed, but after a few short cycles it went away...and it was BAD. My take is I previously ran the system with the lowest fan speed too often.

 

[G-347121]

After 9000 miles in my beautiful Stinger GTS there was a bad egg smell virtually every time I started the engine. I took it to my Kia dealer and after two days they told me I should have used my windscreen washer fluid more (??!!) and that when they had serviced my car they added a different washer fluid which may have reacted badly with my old fluid to chemically produce this bad smell. They flushed everything through, changed all my filters and advised me to use my washer more frequently. I am now up to 17000 miles and the same odour has returned. I have been using my windscreen washer religiously and wastefully over the last several months. There is no bad odour at all when I have smelled the open fluid container under the bonnet. I am due a service soon and shall await their view this time. I can confirm there are no dead rats mice elephants or tigers tucked away under my bonnet so I don’t accept the dead animal explanation. In opening the bonnet there is no bad smell at all. It is only when I turn the engine on and the smell appears to come through the a/c system. I am disappointed that only one other person appears to have suffered with this. I hate being unique sometimes! Any advice appreciated. My Stinger is the best car I’ve ever driven.

I have the 2022 Stinger and this smell has made its self known. It is from the AC condenser that does not dry out and gets mold and bacteria. You can clean it with a form AC cleaner ( CRC Auto AC Pro Air Conditioner Cleaner) this one worked for me. The reason it happens is the Stinger AC work on Auto turning on the AC when needed and we run recirculation to keep the dirt out but what you need to do is just 2 min before you park turn off the AC and open fresh air so when you stop the car the outer vent is open and can dry out better. Just something you have to do and that smell will not come back but do the AC cleaner every year before Sumner

 

[n8hegr8]

im getting the egg smell after i smash the gas pedal. i notice it happens on all vehicles when youre smashing the pedal. wtf is that? cant go fast in my stinger without it letting out the damn egg smell. cant believe how strong it comes into the cabin because i thought it came out of the exhaust tips.

 

[rpoffen]

im getting the egg smell after i smash the gas pedal. i notice it happens on all vehicles when youre smashing the pedal. wtf is that? cant go fast in my stinger without it letting out the damn egg smell. cant believe how strong it comes into the cabin because i thought it came out of the exhaust tips.

Do you have an OCC? If so, is part of the install to replace one hose with a breather? (like the ADD). If so, this can vent vapors under the hood.

 

[socalvn]

Try replacing your cabin filter. When
You smash the pedal. You're just moving more air

 

[Landshark]

I have the 2022 Stinger and this smell has made its self known. It is from the AC condenser that does not dry out and gets mold and bacteria. You can clean it with a form AC cleaner ( CRC Auto AC Pro Air Conditioner Cleaner) this one worked for me. The reason it happens is the Stinger AC work on Auto turning on the AC when needed and we run recirculation to keep the dirt out but what you need to do is just 2 min before you park turn off the AC and open fresh air so when you stop the car the outer vent is open and can dry out better. Just something you have to do and that smell will not come back but do the AC cleaner every year before Sumner

THIS^

i switch from RECIRC to FRESH AIR with fan fairly high near the end of my drive ... you need to dry out the AC evaporator, otherwise you're putting it away wet, and then the moldy musty smells can begin.

learned this several cars ago when it started smelling like old socks LOL. Lysol into the fresh air intake treatment, and the switch to FRESH AIR on the tail end of a trip fixed it, and prevented it from happening again ...

 

[LordKOTL]

I don't know if Stingers have an afterblow function available--where it can run the fan after the car is shut off to clear out the moisture in the vents after the car is shut off, but if it doesn't then the best way to clear the musty smell out of the vents is, a few minutes before you're about to park the car, turn off the AC and run the fan full.