Whenevre I turn on the A/C, I smell dirt. No actual dirt comes out of the vents but thats what it smells like. I do wheel the truck. Mostly in southern california. Lots of sand and deep loose dirt. How can I clean out the evaporator or ducting? I wish that it came with the cabin air filter. When I bought it, I thought they were standard equipment.

 

The box that contains the evaporator & heater cores has a drain to the outside, which is where you see water dripping when the A/C is running on a humid day. So it's conceivable that you could rinse them down with a water hose, but it's equally possible that your drain is blocked, and you're smelling the mildew from the moisture.

You should also know that Ford has replaced many evaporator cores due to a fungus growing on them, causing odor, so washing it might not do any good. If you have an extended warranty, take it to a dealer & complain - maybe they'll cover it for just your deductible.

If not, search up some of the threads about changing the heater core & see what's involved in getting inside the box. I think it requires removing the dash, but I could be wrong.

 

Thanks. Looks like I have a weekend project.

 

Before you rip the truck apart, get some Lysol Disenfectant Cleaner like that used in the kitchen or bathroom and at the end of the day when you are not oing to drive anymore spray a libral dose into eachof the A/C outlets and let it sit overnight.

You might get an odor of Lysol in the morning but, the stuff will ill some of the mold that builds up in there.

Also, when I shut my truck down I leave it in the vent position in stead of A/C or OFF. Vent seems to let some air get in there and keep mold from building up.