# Air condition smell **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** airconditioning, prius, toyota\ **Created:** [June 29, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-condition-smell/51080 "2010-06-29T21:45:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![fonlai2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ec9cab/32.png) [@fonlai2004](https://community.cartalk.com/u/fonlai2004)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 9:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-condition-smell/51080/1 "2010-06-29T21:45:55Z")
my air vent in my toyota prius 2006 18000 miles is letting out a foul smell when i drive, the car is doing this after i came back from a 3 month trip during which the car has only been driven around the parking lot a couple of times and one 6 mile trip at the end of the 2nd month, after which the car had sat for one month without moving. ---
**Author:** ![shadowfax](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/shadowfax/32/13026_2.png) [@shadowfax](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shadowfax)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2010, 10:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-condition-smell/51080/2 "2010-06-29T22:13:06Z")
What does foul smell mean? musty? Moldy? If so, you have bacteria/mold growth in your vents. Open all the windows, turn the fan on high, and dump a can of lysol into the air intake vent (usually near the wipers). If it’s a different smell, then describe it. ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 1:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-condition-smell/51080/3 "2010-06-30T01:37:18Z")
Look at the vents in front of the windscreen. Open the hood and clean out that area making sure it drains properly. If that does not do it, you might have enough build up inside the AC causing mold. In both cases I usually use a can of Lysol or like product. Turn the fan on high before spraying. ---
**Author:** ![Dsorgnzd](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dsorgnzd/32/5751_2.png) [@Dsorgnzd](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Dsorgnzd)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/air-condition-smell/51080/4 "2010-06-30T21:53:23Z")
When this happened to me, it turned out to be a dead mouse inside the vent system. If the Lysol approach doesn’t work, consider looking inside the ducts. I never figured out how the mouse got in there, and it was a problem getting it out, but that’s what it took to eliminate the odor.