I have a 2000 dakota v-6. When I turn on my AC, there is a really bad kind of moldy smell for the first few minutes. Does the system need cleaning ar does it need a recharge? thx

 

As long as the AC is cold it should not need a recharge. There could be mold and gunk down in the HVAC housing. You can stick a cut-up coat hanger or stiff wire up in the drain tube to clean it out. It may be plugged up causing the AC condensation to not drain out and then you get mold and fungus in the HVAC housing. Then you can spray Lysol or some other kind of disinfectant-mold killer spray in the fresh air intake vents on the cowl with the AC on high and set on fresh air. Spray it liberally in both sides of the vent. If that doesn't help, BG has a service that injects their brand of AC disinfectant into the AC system directly. The disinfectant is called Frigi-Fresh and should clean up the moldy smell at least for a while. Then using Lysol every few weeks or so should give better results. You can get the BG service done just about anywhere that does AC work. Dealer, independent mechanic, tire store etc. You can visit www.bgfindashop.com for more info on Frigi-Fresh and which shops in your area have it. www.aircondition.com is a great web site for automotive AC info too.

If the HVAC housing has moldy leaves, dirt, sticks etc in it, the housing may have to be removed and cleaned out to get rid of the funky smell. If it needs that you might as well get the evaporator and heater core replaced while it's all apart. No sense in doing it again later or having it done later. It's an expensive job if you have to pay a shop to get it done.

Jimmy

 

from what i remember theres a drain tube in the engine bay running down the firewall, pain to get to and that can clog easily, you should note a wet floor because of it.