The Family Handyman – August 2019

FAMILYHANDYMAN.COM JULY/AUGUST 2019 75

The two most common odors in a
truck cab are tobacco smoke and
that gym-socks “aroma” coming
from your A/C ducts. We’ve got the
fixes for both offenders.
To neutralize smoke, buy an
aerosol can of Dakota Non-Smoke
($11 online). Holding the can 12
to 14 in. away from fabrics, lightly
spray the headliner, seats, door
panels and carpet. Then spray the
rest of the can into the A/C system
(Photo 1). Leave the windows
closed for at least one hour. Your
vehicle will smell like baby
powder for a while, but that’ll
go away.
To kill off mold and mildew in
your A/C system, buy a can of
Kool-It Evaporator & Heater Foam
Cleaner ($14 online). Find the
rubber drain tube from the evapo-
rator coil (usually located under
the dash) and remove it from the

evaporator housing. Following the

product directions, shoot the

entire contents of the can into the

evaporator housing (Photo 2).

The foam expands to coat the

evaporator coil, killing the stinky

culprits. After 15 minutes, turn the

blower fan to low and let it run

for five minutes. Bye-bye, locker

room smell.

1

SPRAY SMOKE NEUTRALIZER

Turn the fan to high and set the

system to recirculate mode (“max

A/C” if you don’t have that option).

Find the intake opening by holding a

tissue near the blower motor. Then

spray the mist into the opening.

2

INJECT MOLD-KILLING FOAM

Thread the plastic hose into your

A/C evaporator case. Then shake the

can and depress the valve until the

can is empty. Replace the drain hose

and any other parts you removed.

Two ways to destink your truck cab

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retainers to hold door and splash

panels in place. They’re easy to

remove and reinsert if you use the

right tool. If you don’t, you’ll

destroy the fastener and possibly

damage the panel.

“Christmas tree” fasteners are

the most common. You’ll need a

door panel trim removal tool

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Rivet fasteners are also popular.

They operate like a plastic drywall

Trim panel

fastener

“Christmas

tree” style

Rivet

style

Splash guard

fastener

Screw

rivet Pushpin

rivet

REMOVING

PLASTIC RETAINERS

Q

I hear a loud noise

when my truck is

rolling. I replaced the tires

because I thought they

were shot, but the noise is

still there. Any ideas?

A

Bad wheel bearings

may make a loud

rumbling or humming noise

at highway speeds. Or they

can make a rhythmic “whoa,

whoa, whoa” sound. At lower

speeds, they make more of a

growling sound. Drive on a

straight, smooth road and let

up on the gas. Then turn the

wheel slightly off-center. If

the noise changes, you

probably have a worn wheel

bearing. Take it to a mechanic

to have it checked out. If it’s a

bad bearing, you could have a

very serious and expensive fix

on your hands when it finally

fails—not to mention being

stranded somewhere.

anchor; you push

them into place and then

they expand as you drive in

a screw or a plastic “rivet.”

Remove the screw or rivet first.

Then pull out the entire fastener.

You can find replacement fasĥ

teners at most auto parts stores

for about 40¢ each. So don’t waste

time trying to fabricate a new one

out of nuts and bolts. Just take

the old fastener with you and the

store clerks will match it with a

new one.

Blower

intake

Tire vs. Wheel

Bearing Noise