L-SB-0060-13

September 12, 2013
L-SB-0060-13
HVAC Odor Maintenance
Service
Category
Vehicle Interior
Section
Heating/Air Conditioning
Market
USA
Applicability
YEAR(S)
MODEL(S)
2006 – 2014
CT200H, ES300H,
ES350, GS300,
GS350, GS430,
GS450H, GS460,
GX460, GX470,
HS250H, IS F,
IS250, IS250C, IS350,
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
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L-SB-0060-13
September 12, 2013
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HVAC Odor Maintenance
Parts Information
MODEL
MODEL YEAR
GS 350/450h
2013 – 2014
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 remember the following 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
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September 12, 2013
HVAC Odor Maintenance
General Procedure (Continued)
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
2
3
4
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.
NOTE
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