Mold/mildew smell from vents

[mcfly223]

We had mold/mildew in our 2020 Limited that was caused by the cracked rear window frame which was allowing water inside the cab. But it didn't smell like it was coming from the vents. You might check your AC drain to make sure it's not plugged. Some people have had that happen.

HI! I have recently noticed that my Ram has this weird smell coming from the AC vents. I was wondering where the AC drain plug is located. Could you point me in the right direction? Thanks

 

[mikeru82]

HI! I have recently noticed that my Ram has this weird smell coming from the AC vents. I was wondering where the AC drain plug is located. Could you point me in the right direction? Thanks

It's not a drain plug, it's an open tube. It's supposed to remain open to allow the condensate from the AC coils to drain out. It's located on the firewall above the passenger side frame rail. Here's a pic of mine (circled in red) but I have attached a hose with a 90 degree bend to keep the water from draining onto the frame rail below it. Yours will look like a black plastic tube with about a 1/2" inside diameter and about two inches long. Sorry, I don't have any pics with the hose not installed.

 

[theblet]

It's not a drain plug, it's an open tube. It's supposed to remain open to allow the condensate from the AC coils to drain out. It's located on the firewall above the passenger side frame rail. Here's a pic of mine (circled in red) but I have attached a hose with a 90 degree bend to keep the water from draining onto the frame rail below it. Yours will look like a black plastic tube with about a 1/2" inside diameter and about two inches long. Sorry, I don't have any pics with the hose not installed.

Nice!

 

[theblet]

Here's what it looks like without the hose

 

[Merlin]

Maybe the cabin filter needs to be changed as well. Remove the lower glovebox door, and pop the tabs and slide it out. There are videos on youtube for this. Super easy to do, just be patient. Don't force anything back together. It may be packed with debris or it could have gotten wet and got some mildew on it. Good luck.

 

[UltraMadMax]

I was having this same problem and changing the filter was not addressing the smell. I did some research and the number one suggestion was to turn off the recirculation of the air while the AC was on. I did that and have not had the problem since for the last couple of years.

 

[Vulpes]

HI! I have recently noticed that my Ram has this weird smell coming from the AC vents. I was wondering where the AC drain plug is located. Could you point me in the right direction? Thanks

Sometimes bacteria can grown within the fresh air inlet system. Smells can range from wet gym clothes that have been sitting around to sulfur-ish, to rotting food, either way, yuck. One way to address it is to pull the cabin air filter, run the AC on fresh air inlet, and spray something like Lysol it into the cowl inlet, where the truck intakes the fresh air for the HVAC system.

Some things to consider:

1. Some folks say Lysol or similar damages plastic parts, however, I have never seen this occur. So beware.
2. Make sure to replace the cabin air filter with a new one after.
3. I had a trench foot odor that started coming out of my vents one day, and just changing the cabin air filter did not make the smell go away. I ended up using a biocide which did make the smell go away.