'05 F150 mold growing in vents! How to get rid of it?

[Stefanie Bates]

The shop wanted to charge me $300 to clean out my vents and get rid of the mold but said it would come back next year anyway. Saw on here someone having the same issue said to get Lysol and spray into the air intake. But I'm not really sure where that is as I normally don't do my own maintenance...anyone care to help a sister out?

[Neggy]

And how did they come up with this diagnosis of mold in the vents?

Air samples taken and sent to a lab?

Are you experiencing a respiratory system reaction while in the truck?

Mold in the vents? Was the vehicle ever underwater? Salvage vehicle from Katrina maybe?

Even if the AC drain hose was blocked, you would see water on the carpets long before mold set in.

Are you sure it is mold?

I would make sure the AC drain is not partially blocked.

BTW mold hates cold, crank the AC

[tbear853]

Just this past week I was between parts deliveries and a customer came into the Advance Auto Pts. store I work at and asked for a spray made just for cleaning or killing mold in the vents and we found it in the AC section. Green looking can? First time I had ever noticed it?

[01supercrewSD]

If you are running the AC alot, turn it off about a mile or a couple minutes before you turn the engine off. Let the blower dry out the moisture that developes in the vents.

[Stefanie Bates]

They diagnosed it based on the smell...when the ac is on there's no smell but when it's off there is this sweet musty smell coming from the vents. Can anyone tell me where the air intake is so I can try spraying some Lysol up in there and then running the ac?

[jr105]

The intake is in the cowl area just in front of the windshield.

[glc]

Isn't there also an inside intake for when it's in the recirculate mode?

[Peladho]

Bleach wil work, spray bleach into the air intake, I heard this on NPR radio the Car Talk show saturday mornings atleast I think I heard it there.
Bleach will kill the spores but you would have to deal with the bleach smell for a little while.
Good luck

[worm5932]

i wouldnt use bleach

[Stefanie Bates]

Originally Posted by jr105

The intake is in the cowl area just in front of the windshield.

Ok I gotcha! Thanks!!

[Stefanie Bates]

Originally Posted by Peladho

Bleach wil work, spray bleach into the air intake, I heard this on NPR radio the Car Talk show saturday mornings atleast I think I heard it there.
Bleach will kill the spores but you would have to deal with the bleach smell for a little while.
Good luck

I think I'll stick with Lysol for now...Lysol is a mold killer too! ;-) and smells much nicer!

[leopold]

I heard that bleach will not kill mold spores.