Smelly Air Conditioning

MFrost

MFrost

MFrost

Associate
Joined
20 Feb 2007
Posts
131
Hi chaps,

I've noticed in the recent heat wave that my AC has a pretty faint but bad smell to it (something not dissimilar to a wet dog). I've had the car (07 Focus) since January and its 6 month warranty has unfortunately run out. Also it has become apparent that the aircon is not very effective at all. I was still uncomfortably warm after a 25mile drive to work this morning with it on full whack.

A quick Google search reveals that the smell could be a pollen filter/cabin filters that have bacteria growing on them. I've found some replacement filters on that auction site which could end up being quite expensive and time consuming to replace depending on how many there actually are? Anyone done this or know anything about it?

The problem with it not actually getting cold I’m guessing is just because it needs a re-charge. I know kwik-fit does them, but I’ve always been told to steer away from them. Unfortunately i don’t know of any other places that do it. Can anyone give me re-assurance that Kwik-fit is any good at this, or suggest any alternatives?

Thanks in advance!!

MFrost
 
Replacing pollen filters may help the smell, and it's usually a fairly simple job (it was on my MK1 Focus). That said, most air-con systems will have a musty smell if you turn them on after a period of inactivity, caused by a build up of bacteria. You can buy air-con refreshers in Halfords which might help clean bacteria out of the system, although the best way to keep the smell at bay is to leave the air-con on.

As for Kwik-Fit refills, I think a lot of people on here have used them with no problem. The system is pretty much entirely automated. They hook the system up to a machine which discharges it, tests for leaks, then refills it with fresh coolant. However there are a fair few air conditioning specialists who will do the same for not much more, so up to you if you want to avoid KwiKFit and try and find someone more specialised.
 
Thanks for the quick reply Conscript. I'll give Kwik-fit a chance and try and get it re-filled.

Just out of curiosity, how many filters were there to change when you did your MK1 Focus? Did you change them all, or just the main one on the unit itself?

edit: Or am i being really dumb and there is actually only one to change? It could be me getting confused with the thosand different air filters available to buy!
 
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Neutradol spray or similar liberally sprayed in the car with the air con on full whack and recirc switched on works wonders for the smell in my experience.
 
im just leaving it to vw when i send it in for an MOT, ill get them to do a complete service and aircon drain/refill.

my car had an aircon service with kwikfit 2 years ago and tbh its not amazingly cold but it works
 
I used Kwik fit for a re-gas a few weeks ago, no issues, £50 and took about 40 minutes, from what I can see it is a case of hooking the car up to the machine and regularly checking the progress, something that not even they can make a mess of.
 
Bat said:
Neutradol spray or similar liberally sprayed in the car with the air con on full whack and recirc switched on works wonders for the smell in my experience.
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This works well, and only about £1.50. Just put the heat on full and leave for 10 mins with the recirc as mentioned.

Can even spray directly into the vents.
 
Trouble with Kwik fit is that if something's wrong they have no clue. I had a £400 repair bill after a Kwik fit regas. Could easily have been £700 if I'd not shopped around.

It would be stitching things to say they caused the problem but it definitely got a lot worse immediately after regassing with them. That's when the metallic crunching noises started...
 
Uriel said:
Trouble with Kwik fit is that if something's wrong they have no clue. I had a £400 repair bill after a Kwik fit regas. Could easily have been £700 if I'd not shopped around.

It would be stitching things to say they caused the problem but it definitely got a lot worse immediately after regassing with them. That's when the metallic crunching noises started...
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The re gas couldn't have caused it, as al they are doing is adding gas to the system.
 
Matt82 said:
im just leaving it to vw when i send it in for an MOT, ill get them to do a complete service and aircon drain/refill.

my car had an aircon service with kwikfit 2 years ago and tbh its not amazingly cold but it works
Click to expand...

There's your problem. It was 2 years ago... I'm always amazed at the difference a re-gas makes :)
 
Kol said:
There's your problem. It was 2 years ago... I'm always amazed at the difference a re-gas makes :)
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and occassionally i get some whiffs coming out and the vw aircon service cleans this that and other things

i bought the car last year (so kwik fit had only worked on it a year earlier) and the ac wasnt really remarkable but yesterday the car said it was 37*-38* outside, on the motorway and the ac kept it nice inside :D
 
Slightly off topic but it amazes me the amount of people who claim that you do not need AC in England. I wouldn't live without mine!! I currently have a Gen 7 Celica and the AC is the best ive used.

Getting back on topic, I find that there is a smell for a about 30 seconds if I do not use it often.
 
Orange Peel said:
This stuff works wonders.

My old car had really pongy aircon at first. After using one of these the car had a slight chemical smell for a couple of days then that went and the aircon was factory fresh.
Click to expand...

Neutradol is much cheaper and works just as well, its probably the same stuff.
 
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