damp smell when turning on air conditioning

[trave13]

Hi, I have a Chrysler 300 touring, when we turn the AC on, and the fan blows, we smell a nasty damp smell initially. I replaced the air filter, did feel better for a couple of days and then the same smell again. Any suggestions? Thanks,

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[United1]

My suggestion would be to check the HVAC drain. Sounds like it may be clogged, causing the water from the condensation not to drain out of the box. The settled water gets stagnant and smells musty.I am not sure where it is on the 300 but it is usually on the passenger side and pokes thru the firewall relatively low. It typically looks like a small stub about 1/2" in diameter. Crawl under there with something small and see if you can rod it out.

[trave13]

Thanks United1, I did look at the tubing, did not find any clog, but apparently when I was working on it, whatever I did, the smell disappeared.

Thanks a lot for your suggestion, I really appreciate it.

[LX_Expert]

ORIGINAL: United1

My suggestion would be to check the HVAC drain.Â* Sounds like it may be clogged, causing the water from the condensation not to drain out of the box.Â* The settled water gets stagnant and smells musty.Â*Â*I am not sure where it is on the 300 but it is usually on the passenger side and pokes thru the firewall relatively low.Â* It typically looks like a small stub about 1/2" in diameter.Â* Crawl under there with something small and see if you can rod it out.

All LX HVAC drains are directly over the transmission housing on the centerline of the vehicle. Because of the location and design of the drain grommet it's not common for them to become plugged up like most other vehicles.

If possible try to dry off the evaporator by turning off the A/C compressor for a couple of minutes before you shutoff the blower and the vehicle. This will cut down on the excess condensate that is left behind and will lead to less organic materials forming on the fins which is what causes the musty odors.