When I have the A/C set to recirculate, sometimes I get a musty smell for the first few mins after I turn it on.

Where is the A/C "intake"? The spot where the air get's sucked in to be recirculated? I was thinking of putting a dryer sheet or air freshener over or right by the recirculation intake, so get some fresh smell coming through the A/C.

Is it those things under the two front seats?

I get this, but have had it with all Toyota cars :?

The air filter mod might help, but I dunno. . .

Jason, does the smell seeem stronger when you let the Xb sit for a while, like over night, especially when it rained? I notice that in mine. I haven't done the filter thing yet but I will soon. I'll let you know if it works. Bill

musty? maybe there is mold growing. That happens when there's condensation sitting in the AC. Unless you want to pay $$$ to get it cleaned out, all you can do is deal with it until it goes away.

You need to follow the link below to an FAQ on putting a filter in. Although there is a filter holder, there is no filter delivered with the xB.

http://www.scionlife.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=20753

I guarantee that it is a mildew / moisture issue... there is no way to stop an A/C from "making" water. Paying to have it cleaned will make it "as new" again, but it a short time it will be back to being smelly.

Use fresh air, or learn to live with it - this is not the fault of Toyota - move to a dryer climate and you won't suffer as much. Move to a colder climate and avoid using the a/c... the filter might help, but you need to change it frequently.

OK.. but would putting a dryer sheet over the recirculation air intake make it smell better, and where does the A/C take in the air to be recirculated?

air intake for recirculate is behind the glove box...

putting a dryer sheet is like putting a bandaid on a bullet wound... keep in mind that masking the problem won't help the problem, but it will only work for a short time as the problem will grow and the effectiveness of the dryer sheet will decrease day by day...

I would go back to the dealership and have them take a look at it... people who live in moist climates suffer with this... run your a/c every day... make sure that it is draining properly...

I guarantee that it is a mildew / moisture issue... there is no way to stop an A/C from "making" water. Paying to have it cleaned will make it "as new" again, but it a short time it will be back to being smelly.

Use fresh air, or learn to live with it - this is not the fault of Toyota - move to a dryer climate and you won't suffer as much. Move to a colder climate and avoid using the a/c... the filter might help, but you need to change it frequently.

Makes sense. . . being that most of the cars I/family have owned are Toyota's, my bad

use outside air it works here and we get tons of rain

bondobob
ga.

My xB's a/c smells sometimes. It's not a mildew smell, but more like Windex or a chemical. It was really strong when I first got the car, but now just shows up every so often. Anyone else notice this smell?

Yea, I didn't notice mine doing this until I brought it in for the TSB. It does it on vent, when the A/C actually kicks in you can't smell it. It's like, ammonia or mildew or musty or something odd...

Hmmm.... I made a filter, 3 stage carbon with a regular filter sandwiched... still didn't help all that much.