Smelly A/C?

[Nixapatfan]

Okay smart people, where is/are the R1T/R1S evap coils? Has someone already done this with a Rivian? I swear, I'll tear apart my frunk blindly if you don't share!

Cross-posting in hopes someone has decent pics and experience.

The way I cleaned this in my CTS was with Lysol get the lightest scent possible, remove the cabin air filter, open all windows crank AC to high open all vents, spray Lysol into the cabin air filter intake, spray intermittently so as not to make puddles. Wear mask and set AC to recirculate and repeat by spraying into the floor intakes. I used up the entire large can but smell has not returned for the past 3 years. Run fan without AC for another 10 minutes or so to dry out. Install new cabin are filter, leave windows open for next several hours for the alchohol/lycsol scent to dissipate.

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[NY_Rob]

I wish I could help with specifics, but I don't own my R1T any longer so I can't tell you how to access the evap coils.

I can offer some advice for after you get the coils cleaned/sanitized..
When using the A/C, a few min before reaching your destination, just switch the A/C off, but keep the fan running at a decent speed with the recirc off. The idea is to have fresh outside air pass over the coils to dry them before shutting the vehicle down.
The Plug-In-Prius and the model 3 are both known to have the smelly evap coils issue, and after cleaning them and using the fresh air drying procedure above, neither ever had the smelly coils again. If after cleaning the coils, you just go back to the same "put it away wet" procedure, the coils will grow mold again and the smell will return.

 

[mudito]

Okay smart people, where is/are the R1T/R1S evap coils? Has someone already done this with a Rivian? I swear, I'll tear apart my frunk blindly if you don't share!

Cross-posting in hopes someone has decent pics and experience.

I did actually perform this to my R1T the same way I did all of my other cars:

• Set the HVAC system to the open air (not recirculation), and then TURN IT OFF completely.
• From the front vents below the screen, stick the long spraying hose of the product all the way down as far as it can go.
• Spray the foam moving the spraying hose back and forth and sideways JUST A BIT.
• Let it soak for 15-20 mins (you should see the product dripping from underneath the truck) or until it stops dripping
• Turn on the HVAC with AC/HEAT OFF (just outside air circulating) to the maximum speed to let it vent/dry the product.
• WARNING - HAVE the windows (or even better, the doors!) open when venting this for at least 15 mins so no fumes are sent to the cabin

Lastly, before following advises on the internet like the one you just read above, make sure you do your due diligence and investigations/questions so you don't damage anything in the process as I'm not liable for any damage done to any vehicles here I'm just describing my process.

Also, the product you buy normally have instructions that are very similar if not identical of what I've described above

I might record a video of my process. Should I?

cheers!

 

[Riviot]

I might record a video of my process. Should I?

I did the @Electrified Outdoors method of running on HI max for an hour, and it smells fine now, but BOY was the truck hot! Even my garage was warm when I went out. I cracked the windows but apparently should've left the doors open too. It used 6% of the battery running the heat for that long.

 

[mudito]

I did the @Electrified Outdoors method of running on HI max for an hour, and it smells fine now, but BOY was the truck hot! Even my garage was warm when I went out. I cracked the windows but apparently should've left the doors open too. It used 6% of the battery running the heat for that long.

ha! that's a lot of kWh!!

Let us know how long it last long-term, I did that for a few years but as soon as summer started, I just got tired of running the heat and removing the mold was the only long-term suggestion.

 

[chrismc]

I did actually perform this to my R1T the same way I did all of my other cars:

• Set the HVAC system to the open air (not recirculation), and then TURN IT OFF completely.
• From the front vents below the screen, stick the long spraying hose of the product all the way down as far as it can go.
• Spray the foam moving the spraying hose back and forth and sideways JUST A BIT.
• Let it soak for 15-20 mins (you should see the product dripping from underneath the truck) or until it stops dripping
• Turn on the HVAC with AC/HEAT OFF (just outside air circulating) to the maximum speed to let it vent/dry the product.
• WARNING - HAVE the windows (or even better, the doors!) open when venting this for at least 15 mins so no fumes are sent to the cabin

Lastly, before following advises on the internet like the one you just read above, make sure you do your due diligence and investigations/questions so you don't damage anything in the process as I'm not liable for any damage done to any vehicles here I'm just describing my process.

Also, the product you buy normally have instructions that are very similar if not identical of what I've described above

I might record a video of my process. Should I?

cheers!

This is what I’ve been waiting for. I bought a can of the cleaner almost a year ago but have no idea what to do with it and didn’t want to damage things.

 

[mudito]

This is what I’ve been waiting for. I bought a can of the cleaner almost a year ago but have no idea what to do with it and didn’t want to damage things.

My disclaimer is important...

 

[Riviot]

ha! that's a lot of kWh!!

Let us know how long it last long-term, I did that for a few years but as soon as summer started, I just got tired of running the heat and removing the mold was the only long-term suggestion.

It lasted a month, I got the funky smell back on Friday.

Onto the evap coil spray method!

 

[Riviot]

From the front vents below the screen, stick the long spraying hose of the product all the way down as far as it can go.

I'm trying to do this now, but looking down the vents, I see the path actually bending upwards and not down. The straw doesn't really get beyond the immediate area.

 

[Riviot]

I did actually perform this to my R1T the same way I did all of my other cars:

• Set the HVAC system to the open air (not recirculation), and then TURN IT OFF completely.
• From the front vents below the screen, stick the long spraying hose of the product all the way down as far as it can go.
• Spray the foam moving the spraying hose back and forth and sideways JUST A BIT.
• Let it soak for 15-20 mins (you should see the product dripping from underneath the truck) or until it stops dripping
• Turn on the HVAC with AC/HEAT OFF (just outside air circulating) to the maximum speed to let it vent/dry the product.
• WARNING - HAVE the windows (or even better, the doors!) open when venting this for at least 15 mins so no fumes are sent to the cabin

Lastly, before following advises on the internet like the one you just read above, make sure you do your due diligence and investigations/questions so you don't damage anything in the process as I'm not liable for any damage done to any vehicles here I'm just describing my process.

Also, the product you buy normally have instructions that are very similar if not identical of what I've described above

I might record a video of my process. Should I?

cheers!

Where's your damn video?!

In an attempt to get directly at the evap coils, I dug in the front and found this.

Intake is closed when off (duh)

Intake only opens halfway when on, regardless of fan speed. I tried opening more by hand, there was resistance, so I didn't force it.

Blower running.

I assume the evap coils are beyond the blower, but I can't get to it when it's off because the intake is closed. Again, prying a little by hand, it didn't want to budge so I didn't force it open.

 

[Riviot]

Call me crazy: the dash vent might be the best way to get to the evap

 

[Riviot]

@mudito when you did this, where did you see the dripping from? I might start pulling panels to see if I can find the drain hose and connect to it. I like the Toyota way:

 

[Riviot]

I did actually perform this to my R1T the same way I did all of my other cars:

• Set the HVAC system to the open air (not recirculation), and then TURN IT OFF completely.
• From the front vents below the screen, stick the long spraying hose of the product all the way down as far as it can go.
• Spray the foam moving the spraying hose back and forth and sideways JUST A BIT.
• Let it soak for 15-20 mins (you should see the product dripping from underneath the truck) or until it stops dripping
• Turn on the HVAC with AC/HEAT OFF (just outside air circulating) to the maximum speed to let it vent/dry the product.
• WARNING - HAVE the windows (or even better, the doors!) open when venting this for at least 15 mins so no fumes are sent to the cabin

Lastly, before following advises on the internet like the one you just read above, make sure you do your due diligence and investigations/questions so you don't damage anything in the process as I'm not liable for any damage done to any vehicles here I'm just describing my process.

Also, the product you buy normally have instructions that are very similar if not identical of what I've described above

I might record a video of my process. Should I?

cheers!

Well, I just did this and learned quite a lot. Most importantly, DO NOT DO THIS YOURSELF. DO NOT SHOVE TUBES INTO VENTS AND START SPRAYING.

I'm kind of mad at myself for doing this now. I'm very much a DIY person, but I risked royally fucking up the electronics following these instructions and videos. They work for conventional cars and where you can access the blower/evap easily. NOT Rivians.

Highlights:
-Sprayed myself in the face a couple times trying to shake the can and the tube popped off
-Fluid started dripping out under the dash below the vents
-Learned how to pry off the under dash plastic
-Found the passenger fuse box
-Zero dripping underneath the truck, which is even more concerning

Wish me luck reassembling. This is not what I wanted to do on my Sunday.

 

[Riviot]

Underdash is back together. I found the other side of the blower intake. I didn't think to turn off the fan when I was under there, but if this stays open when you turn the fans off, it may be a way to get through the blower.

 

[mudito]

Just saw all this @Riviot . As I stated, I stuck it into the vents and pry it back/forth until it went very deep into... Somewhere? I might have been lucky and got the tube past the blower or no idea really.

The dripping part is interesting since I had an "oh shit moment". I heard dripping for a few seconds with nothing visible on my garage floor, but the noise was there. Then I pulled my truck out from the garage to the driveway which has a SLIGHT incline and then everything dripped from underneath.

I tried to see if I could spot a tube or anything from the underneath but I couldn't, might be routed/protected in a weird way.

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