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Why Does My Car Smell After It Rains?

Updated: Aug 8, 2022

Monsoon Season is upon us in New Mexico and that is a wonderful thing! It is great see all the plant life respond so vividly in Albuquerque. The moisture and cooler temperatures are welcomed by our city after a very hot and dry beginning of the Summer. With all that moisture, you may notice a few things are different with your car Air Conditioning System. A change in Cooling Performance, Musty Odors, or even puddles forming underneath the car! So what exactly is happening and what should we be doing about it?

Humidity isn't something we are used to dealing with very often in Albuquerque. Our swamp coolers at the shop don’t work very well because they can't evaporate water into an already saturated environment. Luckily our Modern Cars and Trucks are not equipped with Evaporative cooling systems. Imagine trying to drive around with a swamp cooler sticking out of your window! Modern refrigeration is much more efficient and effective, but what happens to the water in the air when it is humid? The automobiles climate control system can make adjustments based of information it gets from sensors inside and outside of the cabin. Water that condenses in the blower case is drained underneath the car sometimes causing a puddle to form. This is a completely normal operation of the vehicle, but you may only notice when it is humid outside.

When you begin to smell odors from the vents there may be an issue with moisture collecting inside the Evaporator Case. Mildew and mold prefer to grow in dark damp places. An easy cure for this problem is dry out the Blower Case by running the Climate Control on the Fresh Air Function at the end of your trip. Many Automatic Climate Control Systems will select the Recirculate Function because it is easier to cool the air inside the car than the outside. A simple press of a button or flip of a switch depending on how old your Subaru is will pull that hot air into the car and help dry out any excess moisture that has collected.

Reincarnation Inc The Subaru Guys is an Award-Winning Shop Located in Downtown Albuquerque. Our Facility Features the Latest Technology, Software, Equipment and Training to help our community with its Import Automotive Needs. Please contact us with any questions you may have concerning your Subaru, Toyota or Honda. We Also service many other Makes as well!


Cheers,

The Subaru Guys


1300 2nd St. NW

Abq NM 87102

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