growe3 Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 I have been considering using a spray cleaner on my Cadillacs. Has anyone used a spray cleaner to clean their A/C? Recommended brand? Good or bad experiences with A/C spray cleaners? -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Texas Posted May 19, 2009 Report Share Posted May 19, 2009 What part of the AC system are you needing to clean? GM Reman 4.1 engine Dec '08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Yeah, I'm a little confused as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 My brother is in Commercial/Residential AC. He uses some type of weak acid (I think) to clean out the fins of outside AC units. If this is something like you want to do... I will ask him what he uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 I am talking about the under dashboard components; the evaporator coils and connected ducting. When the AC is on recirculate, it has kind of a musty smell, not horrible, but I would like to eliminate it. I don't often use the recirculate, but at times you get stuck behind a diesel pickup spewing fumes, or a car with a bad catalytic converter (rotten egg smell). I have heard of spray-in foam cleaners that will disinfect and deodorize this area. Basically you spray in the foam, it expands filling the areas, and then drains out of the discharge tube. The basic idea sounds reasonable, but I do not want to damage anything in this hard to get at, and expensive area. 1. Do we have any professional or knowledgeable AC people on the board who have used this type of treatment? 2. I was hoping someone has tried this and could comment on weather it works, or not? 3. Is there and danger of this treatment removing any lubricate, that would cause the ducting doors to get stuck? Please view links below for sample products and information: http://www.air-conditioner-cleaners.com/CarAirPurifier.html http://www.imcool.com/articles/aircondition/evap_stinks.php -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 George, Does your DTS have the filter in the cowl area...by the passenger side windshield wiper? If so, and if it hasn't been changed recently, it can get real dirty and cause smells. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 George, Does your DTS have the filter in the cowl area...by the passenger side windshield wiper? If so, and if it hasn't been changed recently, it can get real dirty and cause smells. Yes, it does. I changed it shortly after I got the car, and the current filter is clean. This musty smell is also in my 93 STS's, and they do not have any filters, that I know of. Again not a horrible odor, just would like to clean all of my vehicles, IF I can do so without causing a bigger problem. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted May 20, 2009 Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Make sure to smell the cleaner before you use it on the evaporator. Some of the cleaners smell worse than the mold/mildew... I'd be afraid of drilling a hole in the evap case - one slip or wrong location and you're replacing the evaporator. GM sells a two-part evaporator cleaner - you mix the contents and saturate the evaporator core with a high-pressure siphon gun, let it sit for 10 minutes and then flush out completely with water. If you can access the evaporator by pulling a module, etc., it will work. You could also use Lysol and spray the core. I would not use anything that has bleach or is acidic. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2009 Make sure to smell the cleaner before you use it on the evaporator. Some of the cleaners smell worse than the mold/mildew... I'd be afraid of drilling a hole in the evap case - one slip or wrong location and you're replacing the evaporator. GM sells a two-part evaporator cleaner - you mix the contents and saturate the evaporator core with a high-pressure siphon gun, let it sit for 10 minutes and then flush out completely with water. If you can access the evaporator by pulling a module, etc., it will work. You could also use Lysol and spray the core. I would not use anything that has bleach or is acidic. I would rather not drill any holes for exactly the reasons that you state. Regarding the GM approach, this sounds like a really messy proposition, what with flushing out with water. If I cannot reasonably clean it, I will just leave it alone. Thanks for the feedback. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 DO NOT USE LYSOL! unless you like the smell of it because it will be with you for years. Been there, done that. Follow Kevin's advice. Smell it and be sure you like it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave in Texas Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 This is just my idea on this, but I'd be looking at the evaporator drain. Must not be draining properly and the condensation is where the odor is emanating from. If it was draining properly what little moisture is present should be 'dried' by air flow over the coils. I have a friend who is a contractor in the commercial/industrial HVAC business. He swears by Formula 409 for cleaning coils. GM Reman 4.1 engine Dec '08 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted May 21, 2009 Report Share Posted May 21, 2009 This is just my idea on this, but I'd be looking at the evaporator drain. Must not be draining properly and the condensation is where the odor is emanating from. If it was draining properly what little moisture is present should be 'dried' by air flow over the coils. I have a friend who is a contractor in the commercial/industrial HVAC business. He swears by Formula 409 for cleaning coils. Dave, The problem is prevalent even with a properly draining coil. A trace amount of condensate remains on the evaporator core fins and when the car is turned off, that's where the mold/mildew begins to grow. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Texas Jim Posted May 22, 2009 Report Share Posted May 22, 2009 Some models can be set so that the fan stays on for a few minutes "AFTER" you turn the car off to dry the coil. It is called "AFTERBLOW." It can be enabled with a TECH 2. I am not sure WHICH ONES can be enabled. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 I think after blow can be enabled on all of them. I wouldn't swear to it, but I think the OBDI can be done through the DIC and OBDII needs a Tech II. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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