# Horrible putrid vinegar smell in air conditioner 2008 hyunia Santa fe

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/horrible-putrid-vinegar-smell-in-air-conditioner-2008-hyunia-santa-fe/32504>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** hyundai, used\
**Created:** [June 28, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/horrible-putrid-vinegar-smell-in-air-conditioner-2008-hyunia-santa-fe/32504 "2009-06-28T01:16:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Funnybone1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/59ef9b/32.png) [@Funnybone1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Funnybone1)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/horrible-putrid-vinegar-smell-in-air-conditioner-2008-hyunia-santa-fe/32504/1 "2009-06-28T01:16:21Z")

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What is the smell in my air conditioner.It only smells when the air cond. is turned on .Not For the heater or vent???Help me?

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**Author:** ![waterboy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/waterboy/32/764_2.png) [@waterboy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/waterboy)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/horrible-putrid-vinegar-smell-in-air-conditioner-2008-hyunia-santa-fe/32504/2 "2009-06-28T01:23:31Z")

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After running the air do you notice any fluid under the car? If not there is a chance your drain hose for the condenser is plugged and can be cleaned out by having a friendly mechanic blow some air into it.

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**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\
**Post date:** [June 28, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/horrible-putrid-vinegar-smell-in-air-conditioner-2008-hyunia-santa-fe/32504/3 "2009-06-28T02:01:27Z")

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GM has a really good product that kills the microbes/bacteria that grows on the evaporator. It is expensive (Dealer parts counter item)I think it works the best and smells the best but smell issues are subjective.

Kits are made that keep you blower running after you shut the car off (they are coincidently called “after blow” kits) and these help. Use the Forums search feature as there are many existing threads on this issue.

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**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2009, 12:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/horrible-putrid-vinegar-smell-in-air-conditioner-2008-hyunia-santa-fe/32504/4 "2009-06-29T00:31:09Z")

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Be sure you are leaving the HVAC controls in the position(s) recommended in your owner manual. That is usually anywhere but “off” or "max’/“recirculate”. IN addition to Afterblow, you can have a coated evaporator installed, but it is expensive. The dealer cleaner is probably manufactured by someone else and re-branded. Take a look at Airsept’t products.