Technical Service Bulletin

S-SB-0035-13

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September 12, 2013

HVAC Odor Maintenance
Service
Category

Vehicle Interior

Section

Heating/Air Conditioning

Market

Scion Supports ~
ASE Certificat ionW

USA

Applicability
YEAR(S)

MODEL(S)

2011 - 2014

tC

2008 - 2014

xB

2008 - 2014

xD

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Introduction
Some 2008 - 2014 model year Scion vehicles may exhibit odors naturally occurring from the HVAC
system and/or related environmental factors . Although there is no way to eliminate these odors,
follow the General Procedure in this bulletin to minimize the odors experienced.
Warranty Information
OP CODE

DESCRIPTION

TIME

OFP

T1

T2

N/A

Not Applicable to Warranty

-

-

-

-

Parts Information
MODEL

MODEL YEAR

Scion tC

2011 - 2014

Scion xB
Scion xD

2008 - 2014

PART NUMBER

PART NAME

87139-50100

High Performance Charcoal Filter

General Procedure
When diagnosing HVAC odors it is important to remember the follONi ng possible causes:
•

During use, various odors from inside and outside the vehicle may enter into and accumulate in
the air conditioning system . These odors may then be emitted from the vents.

• Odors coming from the outside air and interior can accumulate on the evaporator. As the
evaporator core changes temperature, some of these odors may be released resulting in an
unpleasant smell from the HVAC vents.

© 2013 Toyota Motor Sales , USA

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

September 12, 2013

S-SB-0035-13

HVAC Odor Maintenance

General Procedure (Continued)

•

Interior odors from sources such as air fresheners , animals, dirt, or trash can also accumulate
within the HVAC system and contribute to unpleasant odors.

• Odors em itted from the A/C system are a normal characteristic of automotive A/C systems.

•

It is normal to experience odor upon the initial startup due to the moisVhumid air that is trapped
in the HVAC system , after the vehicle has been parked.

NOTE
This procedure will NOT eliminate the odors experienced, but it's provided to help reduce the
intensity of these odors.

1. Confirm the condition as described in the
introduction.

Figure 1.

If the condition is constant or is caused by outside
influences (such as debris) this bulletin may not
be effective in reducing the odors experienced.

©
1

Evaporator

2

Odor Source

3

Insoluble Odors Are Blown Into the Vehicle ' s
Interior

4

Water Soluble Odors Are Dissolved in Moisture
on Evaporator and Drain Out Evaporator Drain

2. Advise the customer to set the HVAC system to the outside (fresh) air mode when parking the
vehicle to assist in the reduction of odors that could be trapped in the HVAC system.

© 20 13 Toyuta Motor Sales , USA

S-SB-0035-13

September 12, 2013

Page 3 of 3

HVAC Odor Maintenance

General Procedure (Continued)

3. Replace the HVAC filter on an annual basis or every 10,000 miles with a charcoal impregnated
filter (refer to Parts Information for correct part).
4. If the condition sti II persists, conduct an AJC evaporator cleaning service on an annual or
bi-annual basis depending on climate conditions and customer preference.
NOlE
If an A/C evaporator cleaning service is NOT perfonned prior to the installation of the High
Performance Filter, the filter may take several days to produce a noticeable improvement in
the A/C Odor.

© 2013 Toyota Motor Sales, USA