Found a cheaper AC evaporator cleaning kit… Any Toyota owners here?

Hey everyone,

Wanted to share something useful for anyone with AC issues in their car. I had a moldy smell coming from my AC and found out Toyota has an AC cleaning kit for this. Problem is, it costs around $40, which seemed high to me.

After some digging, I found Subaru has what looks like the exact same kit (part number: SOA868V9315), and it only cost me $21 from a nearby dealer! Everything about it looks and weighs the same as Toyota’s, so I think it’s probably the same manufacturer.

If you’re dealing with that musty AC smell, this might be a more affordable option to try. Let me know if anyone else has tried this, and I’ve attached a screenshot of the product page if you want to check it out.

Thanks for posting this… My RAV4 recently started with that odor from the vents and I was just about to search for a solution. You saved me the trouble .

Nice find! Have you tried it yet? Did it work as well as Toyota’s?

allson said:
Nice find! Have you tried it yet? Did it work as well as Toyota’s?

Yeah, I tried it, and it worked just like the Toyota kit. Even the instructions were identical :slightly_smiling_face:

Thank you for sharing this… I know I’ll need it soon for my Venza .

Thanks for this… Just started getting a musty odor when I start the car. We’ve already changed the air filter, so this might be our next move .

Bowie said:
Thanks for this… Just started getting a musty odor when I start the car. We’ve already changed the air filter, so this might be our next move!

Yep, sounds like you need this kit. I tried a few other tricks, but none worked as well as this.

There’s another method using a WD-40 spray nozzle and some scrubbing bubbles directly into the block. You pull the hose, spray, and cover it with your hand right after.

Jason said:
There’s another method using a WD-40 spray nozzle and some scrubbing bubbles directly into the block. You pull the hose, spray, and cover it with your hand right after.

WD-40 isn’t designed to kill mold or bacteria, though. It might help with rust, but AC evaporators need a different approach.

Haha… the WD-40 nozzle is just for the setup. The scrubbing bubbles is what does the cleaning.

Jason said:
Haha… the WD-40 nozzle is just for the setup. The scrubbing bubbles is what does the cleaning.

Oh! Totally missed that :joy: Thanks for clearing it up .

Was this a big job? Or just something quick you can do under the hood?

Merrick said:
Was this a big job? Or just something quick you can do under the hood?

Just followed the steps in this video: https://youtu.be/eRy23TFpM4I?si=uICv0Z1aLhazWBki