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A4 Aircon smels on startup



 
 
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  #1  
Old May 24th 04, 06:38 PM
Monkeys
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Default A4 Aircon smels on startup

Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up I'm
getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs, but is
getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans start
up, so it's not something in the cabin.

What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly set to
manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is related.
Any ideas?

BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.



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  #2  
Old May 24th 04, 06:57 PM
Ron
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"Monkeys" > wrote in message
...
> Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up I'm
> getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs, but

is
> getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans start
> up, so it's not something in the cabin.
>
> What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly set

to
> manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is related.
> Any ideas?
>
> BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.
>
>
>


Is it a musty smell? this is normal its just damp air that forms when the
aircon unit is switched off, to stopit you can turn the aircon off for the
last 10 mins of the journey and put some heat on to evaperate the water but
tbh just live with it, it's actually quite nice , sorta reminds you of the
fact you have aircon

Ron


  #3  
Old May 24th 04, 07:13 PM
JimV
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Monkeys wrote:
> Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up I'm
> getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs, but is
> getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans start
> up, so it's not something in the cabin.
>
> What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly set to
> manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is related.
> Any ideas?
>
> BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.


It's mold. Pretty common. Are you running on recirc all the time?


  #4  
Old May 24th 04, 10:46 PM
Pete
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Monkeys" > wrote in message
...
> Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up

I'm
> getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs,

but is
> getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans

start
> up, so it's not something in the cabin.
>
> What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly

set to
> manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is

related.
> Any ideas?
>
> BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.


It's just fungus growing inside your ventillation system. Nothing
unusual really, well at least not for VAG cars. Dealer should take care
of it (replace pollen filter and spray anti-fungal substance into the
fresh air intake) or you can do it yourself. BTW, you've had the car
for over a year and still haven't had a first service? How does that
work in the UK?

In the US, first service used to be at 5K miles, and it is free just
like all the others up to 50K miles. They may have changed it to 10K
miles for the first service though. Anyway, I had my pollen filter
replaced and ventillation ducts "desinfected" at 10K cause the smell was
getting bad.

Cheers,

Pete



  #5  
Old May 26th 04, 06:18 PM
Monkeys
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Posts: n/a
Default


"JimV" > wrote in message ...
> Monkeys wrote:
> > Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up

I'm
> > getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs, but

is
> > getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans

start
> > up, so it's not something in the cabin.
> >
> > What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly

set to
> > manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is

related.
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.

>
> It's mold. Pretty common. Are you running on recirc all the time?
>


No, I hardly use recirc. At all.


  #6  
Old May 26th 04, 06:19 PM
Monkeys
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Ron" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Monkeys" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up

I'm
> > getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs, but

> is
> > getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans

start
> > up, so it's not something in the cabin.
> >
> > What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly

set
> to
> > manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is

related.
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.
> >
> >
> >

>
> Is it a musty smell? this is normal its just damp air that forms when the
> aircon unit is switched off, to stopit you can turn the aircon off for the
> last 10 mins of the journey and put some heat on to evaperate the water

but
> tbh just live with it, it's actually quite nice , sorta reminds you of

the
> fact you have aircon
>
> Ron
>


Yes, it's certainly musty. I'm not sure i'd call it nice tho. 8-0

If it doesn't get any worse or any longer to clear then I can live with it.


  #7  
Old May 26th 04, 06:24 PM
Monkeys
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Pete" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Monkeys" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Over the last few days, when getting back into the car and starting up

> I'm
> > getting a nasty smell from the blowers. It clears in about 30 secs,

> but is
> > getting worse each time. Note the smell only starts after the fans

> start
> > up, so it's not something in the cabin.
> >
> > What with the recent hot weather (UK), I've got the aircon constantly

> set to
> > manual and 'LO' with the fans on about 25%. Not sure if this is

> related.
> > Any ideas?
> >
> > BTW: It's a Jan-2003 and so not yet had it's first service.

>
> It's just fungus growing inside your ventillation system. Nothing
> unusual really, well at least not for VAG cars. Dealer should take care
> of it (replace pollen filter and spray anti-fungal substance into the
> fresh air intake) or you can do it yourself. BTW, you've had the car
> for over a year and still haven't had a first service? How does that
> work in the UK?
>
> In the US, first service used to be at 5K miles, and it is free just
> like all the others up to 50K miles. They may have changed it to 10K
> miles for the first service though. Anyway, I had my pollen filter
> replaced and ventillation ducts "desinfected" at 10K cause the smell was
> getting bad.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Pete
>


Thanks for the info. The first service should be in about 6/8 weeks so I
will wait for then if it doesn't get any worse.

UK Diesel A4's now have variable service based on how the car thinks it has
been driven. The max time before the first service is the less of 2 years
or the mileage stated by the computer - there is a button telling you how
many days or how many miles are estimated to go before servicing. My first
service should be at about 18,000 miles / about 18 months according to the
computer. I expect if you drive like a hooligan and/or do loads of short
trips that its more like 12 months / 12,000 miles.

We don't get free servicing in the UK unfortunately.


  #8  
Old May 26th 04, 08:26 PM
Pete
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Posts: n/a
Default


"Monkeys" > wrote in message news:c92jrp$od1
> My first
> service should be at about 18,000 miles / about 18 months according to

the
> computer.


Wow... that's a lot of miles, especially for a diesel engine. I'd be
curious to see what a used oil analysis of that would look like. :-)

BTW, mine is a 1.8T petrol engine and I change its oil every 5K miles,
but at the current rate I'm going, it takes me approx. a year to do so.

Cheers,

Pete


  #9  
Old May 26th 04, 09:59 PM
Jim
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Posts: n/a
Default

If it's climate control (sounds like it) just leave it on all year with the
temp set to something comfortable. It'll probably clear up in a couple of
weeks. Mine did this when I bought it (2 years old) I think the previous
owner didn't run the air con much. I leave it on all the time and the smell
cleared up after a few weeks.
Even with the air con on I still get 47mpg and I drive it hard most of the
time (2000 1.9TDI 115bhp).

Jim.
"Pete" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Monkeys" > wrote in message news:c92jrp$od1
> > My first
> > service should be at about 18,000 miles / about 18 months according to

> the
> > computer.

>
> Wow... that's a lot of miles, especially for a diesel engine. I'd be
> curious to see what a used oil analysis of that would look like. :-)
>
> BTW, mine is a 1.8T petrol engine and I change its oil every 5K miles,
> but at the current rate I'm going, it takes me approx. a year to do so.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Pete
>
>



 




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