The day is hot, the sun is beaming down, but you know when you climb in your car, there is a nice healthy burst of cold air just waiting for you. Some vehicle owners would easily agree that having AC in the car is one of the most beneficial modern amenities as a driver. But if your car's air conditioner starts spewing out some kind of stench when you flip the switch on the air, you will probably never use it. Car AC systems are a little more prone to issues than the average home-sized system because the system is compact and it is situated alongside a hot, vibrating engine. So AC odors can actually be common, but they usually have some simple solutions. 

Try cleaning out your car's AC vents. 

At home, you clean out the ducts to eliminate dust, debris, and buildup and keep the air quality good. However, most drivers never give such an act in their car a thought, and dirty ventilation lines could easily lend funky odors when you use the air conditioner.

Pop off those vent covers in your car with a small flat screwdriver, being careful to not damage them as you do, and use a dampened towel to wipe the insides of these vent lines clean. To clean even deeper, attach a paper towel to the hooked end of a straightened wire clothes hanger and gently push the towel down into the vents. You will probably be amazed at how much gunk you pull out and there is no doubt the air coming through will smell better afterwards. 

Check your AC system for moisture issues. 

If you turn on the air conditioner in your car and what comes rushing at you from the vents smells something like a moldy gym sock, there is a good chance there is moisture leaking into the air system and it is creating mildew. Unfortunately, the mildew may be hard to track down because it could be anywhere from inside the vents to down in the fan, but leaks are usually pretty easy to spot because your AC will actually spit out moisture while in use.

Turn on the air and roll the windows up in your car on a hot day and see if the windows start to fog up. If they do, there is unwanted moisture in the system and you need to have the system checked out by a professional., like one at Modern Auto Air.

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