Smelly Air Conditioning

[Minx]

Anyone had this??

Have only had the car for 3 weeks and it still stinks when I put it on - it does seem to clear after a couple of minutes. Have also noticed that when I put the blowers on to clear the steamed up windscreen - it seems to make it worse and takes ages to clear....

Renault want to have it in to have a look but say it could just be where it has been stood up for a period of time before I took ownership.

Its a 06 1.6VVT Dynamique....

[Jonault]

There have been a few threads about smelly air con. You can get a deoderiser but you'd have to search the forum to find out what it's called.
I have had a bit of a musty smell but it doesn't last long and it usually only appears after I have turned the air con off!

[Davelee_225]

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FORTE-AIR-CONDITI ... dZViewItem

[Minx]

I did put the car into Renault and they purged the air con to kill any bacteria and leave a nice smelling perfume but it only seems to have lasted a couple of days.... still smells a bit!!

Might give them another call if I cant put up with it!!

[IainMW]

I've had this problem before. I used to use Comma Air Conditioning Treatment, which is like the Forte stuff in the link by davelee225. But I also found that the smell came back very quickly

To make this work properly you have to remove the pollen fillter before you do it (according to Webcode) I only found this out after I'd already used 2 cans of this (£9.99 each)

In the mean time I'd bought some Air Con cleaner from my Renault dealer that has a long tube attached to it that you push down the centre vents and spray onto the evaporator.
It cost me £17 but it's been stink free for months now, so well worth it in my opinion.

[Jovan Macedonija]

I also have that problem.
In Renault service they told me to avoid that you need to switch the air con 5 minutes before the arrival but leave the vent running, to dry the ventilation tubes so that the bacteria will not grow. and I have heard that this bacteria is very harmfull also.

The problem is that I live in a small town where everything is 3 minutes away. so I should never use it. ha ha

I change the pollen filter every year even more often, and I spray one special spray made by WURTH but after a while I still get the smell.

I have also a company car Punto that is driven much more than mine and longer distances (Gevgelija- Skopje-Gevgelija = 320km) and doesnt have this problem and I use also the same spray made by WURTH.

I checked here in Renault they have anti bacteria spray and the price is 30 euros for 250ml can. If I am sure that it will work I will buy it.
Mean while I bought some special deodorant that you put infront the pollen filter and you do not feel the smell.

[Jovan Macedonija]

can any one send me a drawing or picture of wher can Condensation water drain be so that I would desinfect it properly

[pumpkin7]

i hate the smell of that air con stuff they use to deodorise it. it always makes me sneeze!

[Jovan Macedonija]

yes it is really bad. but what can one do? just enjoy the smell ha ha.

I saw my mechanic how he changes the filter and I did it my self but probably I did not spray the (WURTH SABESTO DISINFECTANT SPRAY
Special cleaner for cleaning and disinfection of vehicle air conditioning systems) on the right places. as the sketch for the instruction for use for the spray which I found on the WURTH site shows that I should spray the Condensation water drain where ever that is.
Please someone help me !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
send me a drawing or picture of wher can Condensation water drain be so that I would desinfect it properly
and what is even worst my wife is pregnant and she can not stand the smell of course. and you can imagine do something about it bla bla

[-KJ-]

The drain can best be reached from underneath the car. When you bend the heatshield from the exhaust, you can see a small black valve. This valve should open easily when the condensationwater needs to go out, but it can be stuck. Some lubricant will improve the opening of the valve. The drain itself might be full of dirt. Just take some copperwire and stick it in the drain and see what comes out.

But why do you need to spray this stuff in the drain? This means it will leak out immediately.

When your windows fog up, your filters are very wet and need to be replaced. This only happens when you drive with aircon on all the time and never switch it of before parking. As written above, it's best to switch of the aircon about a mile before arriving. In this way the water (or even ice) can dry from the condensor. When you don't do so, it will dry very slowly without airflow and moulds will grow and stink up you system.

[Jovan Macedonija]

Thanks KJ, for your reply
I have no idea I would presume also that it would leak out. But as I can see from the Instruction for use
please find them here
it says spray there but probably inside with the long hose 80 cm.

[-KJ-]

Ok, the illustration made it clear. With the long hose you will reach the places that need to be reached!

[IainMW]

You need to be very careful with this type of air con treatment to ensure that it does not get into the fan motor.

The way WebCode (ex Renault mechanic) stated it should be cleaned is to remove the pollen filter, set the air control to re-circulate, put the fans on high and switch the AC on and use a can of AC treatment that is self releasing (put in rear passenger foot well, press the button and shut the door for 10 minutes)
then re-fit the pollen filter if it's okay, if not fit a new one, job done!

I would also get the system checked and re-gased as well; I have always found that once it's re-gased and working correctly then the smell seems to disappear.

Here are a few treatments available to purchase from eBay
https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/AIR-CONDITIONING- ... 7C294%3A50

https://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Air-Conditioning- ... 7C294%3A50

[-KJ-]

" I have always found that once it's re-gased and working correctly then the smell seems to disappear."

That's very strange because the coolant-circuit is a fully closed system. The coolant itself doesn't come into contact with air at all. The coolant cools a condensor: outside air is blown through the pipes in which the coolant flows (the condensor). I see no reason why new coolant could stop the smell.

[Jovan Macedonija]

I would also find it strange that the change of coolant (freon or whatever it is) would stop the smell. MAybe it is due to the fact that probably when they change the coolant the also clean and disinfect everything.

As I said before I had twice change of pollen filter and than the mechanic would spray of the WURTH spray and it would be OK. the last time he was out of this spray and he used something else and after two days it started to smell again (and it really never stoped since you could sence the bad smell even the first two days). Than I bought this spray and I took out the pollen filter and spray it my self I used more than half of the can. one can should be for 2 AC. but probably I did not hit the right places.
That was last year.
This year (since I saw how easy it is to change the pollen filter) I change it my self and used the same spray about half the can but the smell did not stop. and after maybe one month or so I used the second half and it is still smelling. I have noticed that when I do not use the AC for one or two days the smell is gone but as soon as I start the AC it is back only for couple of minutes and than it ios gone again till the next time I go in the car.
As I said I probably did not hit the right places with the spray.

By the way the price of the spray is about 25-30Euros. but I have a friend that works in the representation of WURTH in Macedonija so I get it for factory prices 5-6 euros. so at least I do not spent a fortune.

As I said I put some deodorant in front of the pollen filter which should be special for the purpose. so after it starts smelling again I will order another botlle of this spray and spray it as described in the picture. at leat I will try.