Weird, the AC works great. After running in 95 degree weather running around town, I get the smell of AC gas in the cabin but not for an hour or so. What is up with that? Any ideas?

Bob
95 F350 4x4 CC 460 V8 Auto. 92k mi.

 

Leaking evaporator core? Put some gauges on it and see if you're losing gas.

 

I will do that. I will post what I find.

 

Refrigerant is a nearly odorless gas, so it's highly unlikely that you are smelling it.

The manufacturers want it odorless, can you imagine if, like natural gas, they added an agent to it so leaks could be detected by scent?

Maybe if the air was saturated with it, like opening a service valve, but refrigerant oil may have a smell if contaminated.

It seems more likely that mold or some other dirt or particulate has been introduced into your evaporator/ductwork.

 

It only smells when the AC has been running in high ambient heat in stop n go situations after a while, sometimes never (on warm but cooler days).
If you run the heater or vent no smell.

 

r134a has a slight ether-like smell, and the oil inside the compressor also has a quite distinctive smell.

 

Maybe some crud and buildup on the evap coil that only smells when the coil is making condensate. Once you shut the truck off, the crud dries out and the water vapor takes the smell with it?

You can pull the blower from the engine bay on a 95 and see the evaporator coil. I just cleaned mine not long ago. AC blew cold despite having a **** carpet of dust coating the coil with some small oak leaves for extra holding power. I taped a smaller, flexible hose as an extension to my shop vac hose and got most of it off that way. Then some spray on cleaner like Purple Power and a really good rinse with clean water in a spray bottle using the stream setting to try and push lodged in dirt all the way through and out the drain.

 

Sounds like it could be.