L-SB-0060-13

September 12, 2013

Techn ica l Service Information Bulletin

HVAC Odor Maintenance
Service
Category

Vehicle Interior

Section

Heating/Air Conditioning

Lexus Suppor t~

Market

ASE

USA

~

Certification ~

Applicability
YEAR(S)

MODEL(S)

2006 - 2014

CT200H, ES300H,
ES350, GS300 ,
GS350 , GS430,
GS450H, GS460 ,
GX460, GX470,
HS250H, IS F,
18250, IS250C , 15350,
IS350C, LFA, LS460 ,
LS600H, LX570,
RX350, RX400H,
RX450H

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Introduction

Some 2006 - 2014 model year Lexus 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

-

-

-

-

© 2013 Lexus , a division of Toyota Motor Sales , USA

Page 1 of 3

September 12, 2013

L-SB-0060-13

Page 2 of 3

HVAC Odor Maintenance

Parts Information
MODEL

MODEL YEAR

GS 350/450h

2013 - 20 14

IS 250/350

2014

CT 200h

2011 - 2014

ES 350

2007 - 2014

ES 300h

2013 - 2014

GS 300/350/430/450h/460

2006 - 2011

GX 460

2010 - 2014

HS 250h

2010 - 2012

IS 250/350

2006 - 2013

IS 250C/350C

2010 - 2014

IS F

2008 - 2014

LFA

2012

LS 460

2007 - 2014

LS 600h

2008 - 2014

LX 570

2008 - 2014

RX 350/450h

2010 - 2014

GX 470

2006 - 2009

RX 350

2007 - 2009

RX 450h

2006 - 2008

PART NUMBER

PART NAME

87139-30100

87139-50100

High Performance Charcoal
Filter

87139-33010

General Procedure
When diagnosing HVAC odors it is important to rememberthe follONing 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 .
•

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 emitted 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 moist/humid air that is trapped
in the HVAC system , after the vehicle has been parked .

© 2013 Lexus , a division of Toyota Motor Sales , USA

L-SB-0060-13

Page 3 of 3

September 12, 2013

HVAC Odor Maintenance

General Procedure (Continued)

NOlE
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
i ntrod ucti on.

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 .
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 still persists, conduct an A/C evaporator cleaning service on an annual or
bi-annual basis depending on climate conditions and customer preference .
NOlE
If the A/C evaporator cleaning service is NOT performed 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 Lexus , a division of Toyota Motor Sales , USA