FJC Foaming Evaporator Cleaner Review

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Like many of you I am a maintenance freak when it comes to things with engines and wheels. I am super regular about cabin filter replacements and am also careful not to let too much organic debris collect in the windshield cowl area. The vehicle gets a thorough driveway bucket wash once a month which means the cowl drains are flushed clean with soap as well.

Well despite all this, I got the nasty mildew odor in the HVAC system after running the AC. In the past, I have been able to address this early on by drying out the evap coil with the fan on HI and AC off, but that trick stopped working.

I picked up a can of this FJC stuff off amazon and finally had time today to try it out. Per the instructions, you are to snake the vinyl tube into the evap drain tube and then depress the can top, filling the entire "system" with the foam. It will then clean the dirt and drain back down the evap drain tube. It's then recommended to wait 20 minutes for a complete draining and then to run the HVAC fan on HI to dry out the coil.

I found that the trick is to block off the evap drain hole with your hands or a rag (while the vinyl tube is in there), which allows the propellant in the can to shoot entirely into the system. I pretty much emptied the entire can and then let it all slowly drain out.

Got into the cab, turned on the key, and was IMMEDIATELY greeted with the windex type smell of the product for a minute or two and then just clean fresh air. Smells like factory new for the most part and could not detect any more mildew odors.

The stuff is pricey at $15 per can and I could not find it locally, but it does work and does not have any artificial scents that stick around. The ingredients were mostly propellant, alcohol, and water, so I didn't see anything that would linger around inside the evap box or cause corrosion there.

I'm hoping whatever i cleaned out was a one time thing and I won't have to repeat this, but it's easy enough and beats trying to odor bomb the system with lysol cans or whatever else people usually do for this.
 
Three cheers for stuff that works!

And lucky you that you could locate the end of the drain tube. They're often hidden or behind something.

As with the dread transmission flush, I hope no glob of crud will break free and clog your drain tube.

How long was the vinyl tube (aka straw?) they gave you? Gotta be 18" long, no?
 
Originally Posted by Kira
Three cheers for stuff that works!

And lucky you that you could locate the end of the drain tube. They're often hidden or behind something.

As with the dread transmission flush, I hope no glob of crud will break free and clog your drain tube.

How long was the vinyl tube (aka straw?) they gave you? Gotta be 18" long, no?


Correct about 18" long. It's a common size where you could supply your own though.
 
Well, with all the deep cleaning going on my employer took to this product.

http://www.performacide.com/

I find the "hard surface type mix" to be a very effective odor eliminator when sprayed directly into your cabin air intake. The mixed product should be used within 15 days, I certainly was not going to waste what was left over! Also gave the home window AC a treatment, you know how nasty they can get. Poke around Star Brites site to find specific car interior odor eliminators that work in 4-6 hours after chemically activated and work with the windows rolled up. Oh, and while you are at it, check out their marine supplies too!

http://www.starbrite.com/
 
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I sprayed a can of Lysol into the cabin air intake of my 1995 Dakota. Two months later my evaporator core blew out.

Cause / coincidence? Can't say, but I ain't doing it again.
 
This stuff is water and leaves no residue behind after it evaporates. The chemical created is Clorine Dioxide.

quote=twouvakind]Well, with all the deep cleaning going on my employer took to this product.

http://www.performacide.com/

I find the "hard surface type mix" to be a very effective odor eliminator when sprayed directly into your cabin air intake. The mixed product should be used within 15 days, I certainly was not going to waste what was left over! Also gave the home window AC a treatment, you know how nasty they can get. Poke around Star Brites site to find specific car interior odor eliminators that work in 4-6 hours after chemically activated and work with the windows rolled up. Oh, and while you are at it, check out their marine supplies too!

http://www.starbrite.com/[/quote]
 
You might be able to do something similar if you have a steamer. You can put the system on recirculate and let it suck the steam.

It might work fast if you remove the cabin filter first and install it later on.

Dirty sock syndrome means the AC drain is clog or partially block.
 
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