Why does my car AC smell musty after Ann Arbor’s winter?

If your car's AC smells musty or moldy after struggling through an Ann Arbor winter, moisture and debris in the evaporator box or a dirty cabin air filter are usually to blame, especially when the system hasn’t run regularly in cold, damp weather.

• Common Symptoms: AC smells bad, moldy vents, damp smell when I turn on the AC, stale air.
• Local factors: Snow, road salt, and slush tracked into the car, plus spring humidity around the Huron River area, encourage mold growth in the HVAC box.
• Quick checks: If the vent air is weak and smells musty, the cabin air filter may be clogged and needs replacement.
• Fix options: Cabin filter replacement, evaporator cleaning, and checking for drainage clogs usually restore fresh, clean airflow.

Hoover Street Auto Repair can inspect your cabin air filter, clean and deodorize the HVAC box, and restore AC performance so your car smells fresh on the way to downtown Ann Arbor or the U‑M campus.