# Air Con "Cleaning"



## Guest (Sep 11, 2006)

Hi all,

My wife's car (a '00 Ford Focus) has air con which has started emitting a horrible smell. I guess this is due to bacteria build up over the last 6 years. I'm aware of cleaners like 1Z's Clima Kleen (sp?) and I have also read about using a steam cleaner to kill the bacteria. Does anyone have any recomendations?

Cheers,
Phil


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## steveo3002 (Jan 30, 2006)

you can get a aerosol thing.....you set the can to spray and leave your a/c and it circulates the stuff through all the system to clear it out. they work pretty well


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## Paulm31 (Jul 27, 2006)

i know halfords do some sort of air freshener, but if it hasnt been re-gassed in all that time, that would be the first thing i change


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## TPR1966 (Apr 2, 2006)

Check you're Pollen Filter mate as it may be that :thumb:


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## Guest (Sep 11, 2006)

Thanks chaps. 

I don't think it has been re-gassed - I shall look into this too. Just done a quick google search and turned up some interesting info on this.


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## big dave (Aug 31, 2006)

sounds like u ned a re gas mate normally bout 90+ depending on car but if u know how to do it ureself


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

steveo3002 said:


> you can get a aerosol thing.....you set the can to spray and leave your a/c and it circulates the stuff through all the system to clear it out. they work pretty well


Yeah I was going to suggest the same, it is made by Wynns, saw it demonstrated on QVC, funny enough VW wanted 30 quid to do the same as part of the service.


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## big dave (Aug 31, 2006)

Avanti said:


> Yeah I was going to suggest the same, it is made by Wynns, saw it demonstrated on QVC, funny enough VW wanted 30 quid to do the same as part of the service.


wow thats good honda charges £70 fo re gas alone with the areosal


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

big dave said:


> wow thats good honda charges £70 fo re gas alone with the areosal


This is not for a re-gas, what this device is , is an air freshner that you set inside the car and leave with the unit on recirculation for 10mins, the air and fragrance goes through the system and rids of undesirable smells and germs :thumb: 
My last Golf did not require a re-gas and that was kept until 6yrs old .


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## gcc (Mar 14, 2006)

if you are getting a bad smell-like cat **** or a really pungent smell you may have a problem with the air con system itself.

my old mans passat has just gone in for the same thing.very pungent smell but only for a few minutes,turns out there is a leak in the pipes behind the dash.

jobs going to cost 600 quid to replace the parts,new pump etc.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

gcc said:


> if you are getting a bad smell-like cat **** or a really pungent smell you may have a problem with the air con system itself.
> 
> my old mans passat has just gone in for the same thing.very pungent smell but only for a few minutes,turns out there is a leak in the pipes behind the dash.
> 
> jobs going to cost 600 quid to replace the parts,new pump etc.


The aircon will smell if used and has not been used for a while, followed with a bad cough .


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## BIG BAVARIAN (May 7, 2006)

the aircon is supposed to be used a minimum of 30 mins per month all year round just turn the heating up in winter, by using regularly it also keeps the seals lubricated and stops it seizing up altogether and dehumidifes ,ie keeps condensation down :thumb: :thumb:


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## sixpot (Feb 11, 2006)

Guys, the bad smells are nothing to do with the gas (a refrigerant) the gas needs only charging if a leak develops or if a part of the system is replaced, otherwise it is sealed up, and should not require changing. The smells are bacteria build up on the evaporator as well as other areas of the system. The sprays mentioned work very well as they contain a fungicide to kill off the bacteria spores.
Best thing you can do is run it as often as possible all year round to keep the seals lubricated, cos as you know when they go wrong parts are not cheap!


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## bigal76 (Aug 15, 2006)

When I had my car regassed last year at home by a pro air-con guy, we had a good chat about what he actually did with his machinery connected. It's not simply shoving in fresh gas on top (at least his level of service anyway). 

He explained that the molecular structure of the newer, ozone friendly gasses is a lot smaller than the older style gasses, meaning more frequent (and more expensive....sigh) air-con top ups are required. So, aside from gas seeping through the seals, moisture also creeps into the system itself. Moisture in the system is bad, reacts with and corrodes pipes etc. His machinery (to my understanding) totally de-humidified any gas in the system, the system itself, and then he topped up the gas over the top. Took about 30 - 45 mins all up, as well as a few other air-con system checks he did. Incidentally, he recommended a check-up/top-up every 3 years to keep things in top shape (in addition to running the air-con at least once a week, if not more, as others have said). 

This isn't necessarily your problem with your air-con smell etc, but perhaps the spray won't actually fix the problem - moisture somewhere in the system where it shouldn't be (pollen filter, condensor, what ever).

I guess if you want a cheapo, short term solution then bung in a deoderizer, but if you wanted long term fix, maybe speak to a pro. My little visit was somewhere between 100 and 140 quid, but I did need a lot of gas which added to the cost. The difference in air-con performance was obviously very impressive.

I'm just regurgitating what I was told - could be a load of rubbish, but seemed fairly plausible to me.


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## sunnyV5 (Jul 26, 2006)

To get rid of the smell, try one of the aircon cleaning sprays (comma or wynns) and also get the pollen filter out, hoover it, clean it, spray it with the aircon cleaning spray, and spray down the pipes where the filter sits.
That way the whole system is cleaned.

If you don't want to buy a spray, put aircon on 10min full hot, and then 10min full cold - that'll kill the bacteria. Use just normal dettol surface disinfectant aerosol, and spray down vents and in car with ac on recirculate.


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## Bluey (May 8, 2006)

Halfords will do a re-gas for £45
and will also do a full disinfect for £15 
my daughter had the same symptoms on her fiesta and it solved the problem
and made a huge difference to the aircon functionality.


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## Exotica (Feb 27, 2006)

BIG BAVARIAN said:


> the aircon is supposed to be used a minimum of 30 mins per month all year round just turn the heating up in winter, by using regularly it also keeps the seals lubricated and stops it seizing up altogether and dehumidifes ,ie keeps condensation down :thumb: :thumb:


Spot on:thumb:


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## dogbonnie (Sep 3, 2006)

As a retired Refrigeration Engineer, I feel I must mention that you should only need the refrigerant topped up if you have had a leak, if this has happened you will find that your car has not cooled down sufficiantly with the air con switched on. Also you would have to have the leak located and repaired, you never said if the cooling was effected. The tip about running the air con monthly is a good one, and recommended. Should you care to contact me please feel free.


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## Mr Concours (Mar 8, 2006)

If you don't want to buy a spray, put aircon on 10min full hot, and then 10min full cold - that'll kill the bacteria. Use just normal dettol surface disinfectant aerosol, and spray down vents and in car with ac on recirculate.[/QUOTE]

Good idea I am going tp give this a go,the Wife's got some of the Dettol areosol spray lurking around the kitchen.:thumb:


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## Guest (Sep 12, 2006)

Thanks for all the advice chaps. :thumb: 

After a bit of googling I have come to the conclusion that, as several of you already mentioned, a re-gas is only required if the air-con's cooling ability is reduced - this is not the case, just a rather unpleasant but not overly strong smell.

I shall give the 10min of full heating then full cooling a go. I that doesn't work, I think a deordorising/disinfecting spray is required.


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

Phisp said:


> Thanks for all the advice chaps. :thumb:
> 
> I shall give the 10min of full heating then full cooling a go. I that doesn't work, I think a deordorising/disinfecting spray is required.


I tried the Comma air con cleaner/anti fungus deoderiser spray on saturday, seems to have worked :thumb: 
No cough or sneezing when I got to work yesterday :thumb:

How long it will last is the proper test, its supposed to last 12 months but if it is 6 months I will be content enough.


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## gti mad man (Aug 9, 2006)

Avanti said:


> I tried the Comma air con cleaner/anti fungus deoderiser spray on saturday, seems to have worked :thumb:
> No cough or sneezing when I got to work yesterday :thumb:
> 
> How long it will last is the proper test, its supposed to last 12 months but if it is 6 months I will be content enough.


We used this came free with oil worked fien for say 8 mnths though think its marign and hiding the source e.g evapourator


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## Avanti (Jan 17, 2006)

gti mad man said:


> We used this came free with oil worked fien for say 8 mnths though think its marign and hiding the source e.g evapourator


My car is 19months old with 20k on the clock, I doubt the air con is leaking just yet, the last car also had air con and covered 70k without requiring a re-gas.


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## scobe (Feb 3, 2006)

Y me said:


> Check you're Pollen Filter mate as it may be that :thumb:


I agree! They do smell, especially if they aren't changed regularly.


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## matt1983 (Nov 17, 2006)

I had the same problem with my 03 Astra, i took it to vauxhall as they had an offer on a re-charge and clean for £99, def worth getting a re-charge! in the summer the car gets cold in seconds! i still had the dodgy smell though so took it back to vauxhall and they fitted a new pollen filter and air filter and now its fine. ended up costing £230 as a few pipes needed re-placing but im still happy with it.


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## Jules (May 21, 2006)

The Halfrauds ones are crap. Sorry to be direct but they are. The aerosol sits behind the passenger seat and has a little clip that holds the aerosol 'open' however the nozzle needs so much downward preesure to break the saftey seal, it also breaks the retaining clip.(Design fault - admitted by Halfrauds Manager)

I went thru' 4 of these in one day last year, I eventaully got one to work, the residue from it made everything in the car shiney and sticky, it left a stain on the headlining and the aircon ended up smelling like a cross between a old wet sock and a cheap air freshener.

Wasn't impressed at all......


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## Canyonroll (May 9, 2006)

Had my aircon sanatised! by the local nissan stealers. The incredibly strong smell - Imagine inhaling spray air freshener strait from the can - was so irratating i coughed for two weeks and couldnt drive car without windows open wide. 

Check out the producs residues, e.g. smell coating of surfaces first. If you ask retailer specifically about this at time of purchase they don't have a leg to stand on if it comes to arguments.


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## The Autowerks (Mar 31, 2006)

Jules said:


> The Halfrauds ones are crap. Sorry to be direct but they are. The aerosol sits behind the passenger seat and has a little clip that holds the aerosol 'open' however the nozzle needs so much downward preesure to break the saftey seal, it also breaks the retaining clip.(Design fault - admitted by Halfrauds Manager)
> 
> I went thru' 4 of these in one day last year, I eventaully got one to work, the residue from it made everything in the car shiney and sticky, it left a stain on the headlining and the aircon ended up smelling like a cross between a old wet sock and a cheap air freshener.
> 
> Wasn't impressed at all......


i used the comma one, not sure if you're referring to that one, but i didn't have any troubles with it at all. the clip worked first time and it has made a very noticeable improvement, no after smell whatsoever.

you might've got a dodgy batch.


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