I am planning to perform A/C cleaning in my 110. In some of my previous cars I was able to get to the A/C evaporator by disassembling a few parts around the cabin filter and the fan next to it. Then I would spray on the evaporator, assemble everything back, then apply A/C "bomb" finally treat the interior with ozone. I found some videos on replacing cabin filter in the Defender - easy. But I could not find any info on how to access the evaporator. Is this doable without disassembling the entire dash? If not - is there any way to access the drain pipe and inject foam through that?

 

Did you ever find a good pathway for the spray bomb tube? I’m looking for it right now.

Once the filter is out, it’s easy access to the fan, but I can’t figure out the pathway to the evaporator. I thought it is up and behind the fan, however when I opened up that area, that is one of the fuse boxes.

I’ll keep searching…

 

Unfortunately I haven't. And I'd really prefer to spray directly onto the evaporator, not fill all the pipes and mess up the dash (foam coming out of the vents). By "bomb" you mean the cleaning foam right? When I wrote "bomb" I mean the other agent, which you just fill the cabin with, and let the car recirculate it. This refreshes the interior and vents, but doesn't really clean the evaporator that well.

 

Thanks for a prompt reply. I'm just about to give up for now. Can't locate the evaporator drain hose either. The skid plate does a god job of covering everything up...

And yes, I was referring to the foam spray as 'the bomb'.

 

Here is some info from the almighty AI. I'll need to go in and take out the cabin filter to see if this makes any sense:

When you remove the cabin filter on the Defender L663, the evaporator sits a bit higher inside the HVAC housing.
Steps:

• Lower the glovebox — you likely drop it to its service position already.
  
• Remove the cabin filter — this leaves a clear opening just before the evaporator fins.
  
• Insert the foam tube — angle it upward and slightly inward, aiming toward the evaporator. The cavity gives just enough direct access.
  
• Spray the foam across the evaporator face evenly; allow it to dwell.
  
• Activate airflow — first turn the blower on (with A/C off) for a few minutes, then switch to A/C to rinse it through and clear out residue and debris.
  

A bit more info when I asked about the exact location of the evaporator and fuse box:

• The evaporator is located deeper inside the HVAC unit, behind the cabin filter slot—not immediately behind the fuse box or fan assembly.
  
• The fuse box indeed resides directly behind the glovebox, but this is merely adjacent to the general area—not directly overlapping with the evaporator’s position.
  

 

So I did remove the cabin filter and the bottom cover (below the glovebox). It looks like there is a vent duct going from the side of around the fan and then straight towards the center of the vehicle. I'll need to grab an inspection camera and look inside that duct. The instructions from AI above are incorrect.

EDIT: it should be possible to reach the evaporator by removing the fan: https://www.lrdefender.org/blower-703.html
And here is a pic of the entire unit, the duct is clearly visible:

 

I'm assuming this is to remove the damp rag smell when you first turn on the AC? With all my cars, I've made it a practice to shutoff the AC, before my destination, and just let the fan run for 1-2min to blow out the damp cold air from the vents. No musty odors.

 

Thanks @Midwest , this is a good advice, I try to do the same, but sadly I often forget to. Also I often wonder if it's not better to keep A/C on but set it to high temperature.
No smell in my car yet, I do A/C cleaning every year to prevent potential smells and break anything that managed to build up in the system.

 

Anyone used an ozone generator, like the dealerships do to eliminate used car smells?

 

careful with doing this. It can degrade materials in the car such as foams, plastics, and or rubber gaskets among others. if you do this.... limit the time on to 5 min or less