Weird smell in the car won't go away. Smells like a mixture of old car parts and leather? Kind of? 2013 prius v 205,000 miles
Probably old sock syndrome Toyota and others make a foam cleaner that injects through the condensate line.
does the 2013 still have the smelly vent tubes on the hybrid battery? if it turns out to be the a/c, once you get it cleaned up, make a habit of turning the a/c off and turning the fan up a few minutes before arriving at your destination to clear out the ductwork.
I have found once you have this ac issue it has to be cleaned. It will solve the issue quickly and there is no need to play games with the compressor on off. Cleaning two or three times over a period of years often eliminates any return growth. In home ac's or heat pumps the same thing can happen and the cure is cleaning the evaporator directly. In the case of home units a uv light will keep the clean coil clean with a side benefit of higher efficiency.
Yep, Toyota's are known to get mildew and mold inside the A/C because leftover water is in there and then folks park in a dark garage where they can grow. Whenever you're about 5 minutes from home, and parking for the night, turn the A/C off and turn the blower fan on HIGH....(and don't have it on recirculate but bring in outside air) This will dry out that stuff where mildew and mold can grow. (I just had to teach this to my wife in her new Corolla....started to get that smell and I don't want to have to run the Toyota A/C refresher kit through it.) Also, change out the cabin air filter with a charcoal activated one (they only last a year.) The Toyota OEM filters are way overpriced so I buy them on Amazon. (The "Fun Driving" one comes in a 3-pack and is only $20)
