brihvac

I can guarantee you this. Refrigerant has a sweet smell. I have not used the AC in my truck yet but my Lincoln MKX smells. Its caused by condensation somehow getting caught in the evap box even though my drain is clear. Stagnant water

Azuri

I completely agree with this statement since day one. I was told the coating on the evap core was changed to meet environmental pressure put on car manufactures which includes using less harsh chemical substitutes which now leads into less effective "drying" of the evap which over time results in this stagnate water we smell.

There are some chemicals used in the manufacturing environment that have deadlines to be replaced I know for fact since I work in the OEM sector and we have had to find alternatives for some of the ingredients we use in our process. I never bought the leaking freon debate since the beginning, beyond the odd isolated case.

Masi1926

Is this good news..or bad news ?
I can't tell yet.

I do think I'll get that can of cleaner- deodorizer, with the tube and give that drain the ole' shocker!

Lethal Weapon

I have to admit that I did think it was a freon leak at first. (Never smelled freon), but it was the only thing that kinda made sense & convenient to blame. After getting my evap changed last year... It NEVER, ever had the smell at all. So I thought: problem solved.
But after this reoccurring problem, I now agree 100% with what brihvac & Azuri is saying, that a freon leak is NOT what we are experiencing, (even though a few other members indeed had a leak), I feel that it is not related with our "manure" or "band aid" smell.
It has to be a drainage/ moisture & stale stagnant water & moisture & will have to see the best way to eliminate & fix this.
Just may have to give my drain "the shocker" too!

MEZERR

I don't know 100% what the issue is, but the cow manure smell has a distinct chemical type smell to it. Best I can describe it is a chemical cow manure type smell. It's a different smell then what you'd smell on a cow farm, in that it has a chemical flavor to it.

I know what stagnent/stale water smells like, and it doesn't have a chemical type smell to it.

As well, as soon as I started having my chemical cow manure smell, I was also getting an oily substance out all my vents, and on my front windshield. Core was replaced, oily substance disappeared. As well, my interior smelt like chemicals for 2-3 months after the core was replaced. Whatever was coming out of the vents really tainted the whole cabin. Stale/Stagnent water wouldn't do that.

Lethal Weapon

I also had the manure smell last year. Then I had my evap finally changed in fall.... But the exact smell has come back.
You're right about the stale water doesn't normally smell like that, and also agree as another member states that freon does not smell like that. A combination of all of it????
I highly doubt it now because of the weird temp changes that I can definitely tell you that at 35 degrees, or below, it does NOT ever smell. Any temp above 45.... It does it every time. Temp at night drops again in the 30's.... Morning start up... Nothing-nada- NO smell. Go to work, get done...temp is now above 45 & smells like ole McDonald's Farm....WTF???
I really don't know what to think or blame.
What I do know for 100% fact: a new evap indeed will illuminate the smell .... Temporarily.
How can we get this taken care of & resolved?
Reach out to Brittany from Ford service again....
Ford needs to figure something out. It's consistent and does it every time it sits for a few hours. And the A/C has not even been used yet this year in my truck.
Dumbfounded. ..... ??????
What is it that we are smelling?

joek03

Pages 29 and 50 of this thread show that it is not a smell caused by mold or bacteria -

https://www.f150forum.com/f38/strang...52436/index29/

I've been told there is nothing wrong with mine and that its not leaking because the freon level is correct. They offered to do a deodorizing but I declined for now. Also told this "is kind of an ongoing issue with Ford vehicles". It may not be a freon leaking issue But I don't really care what it is, not acceptable on a 52k truck. My assumption is there is some sort of issue with who would pay to fix it a second time now that it is out of warranty - Ford or the dealer - and they don't want to mess with it. If I was under warranty still or they hadn't already fixed it my feeling is they'd tell me it needs to be replaced.

Azuri

Depends who you talk to. I wonder if the people on page 29 and 50 have had the issue resolved. I do have communications from two different sources from Ford saying it is bacteria from the evaporation not drying off effectively anymore. The problem is big in the Fusions as well. Regardless I think that anyone who has it or the smell returns will eventually be out of warranty and SOL.

flyingpostman

I had my evap changed late last summer. I thought the smell might have come back late in the fall, but it could have just been real manure from a farm field (I live in the country). The weather is slowly warming up here and I haven't smelled it yet. We'll see.

FordService

What's the current mileage on your truck, joek03? I'll investigate this further.

I'm here to help, lethalweapon_09! Please send a private message my way with your full name, VIN, servicing dealership, updated mileage, and best daytime contact number; I'll get the ball rolling.

Brittany