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Author Topic: Why does our car stink??  (Read 4763 times)

Offline allsop83

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Why does our car stink??
« on: January 21, 2013, 03:30:08 pm »
Car seems to be a bit stinky when the AirCon goes on/off.....and particularly when you put the car into reverse and go backwards!

Big like a wet dog/ass smell.......any ideas guys before I start throwing things through the AC system?

Thanks,
Chris

Offline markc

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #1 on: January 21, 2013, 03:33:14 pm »
Probably need to change your pollen filter.
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Offline bacillus

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #2 on: January 21, 2013, 03:42:09 pm »
Probably need to change your pollen filter.

+1
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Offline Tortaruga

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #3 on: January 21, 2013, 04:03:26 pm »
Catalyst?? Might be coming from exhaust as you say it's worse when you reverse.

Smells like rotten eggs.
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Offline GrayMK5GTI

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2013, 04:11:02 pm »
If you don't use your A/C system often you can get some "damp" smells.

Your supposed to use it for 10mins a week apparently  :surprised:
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Offline chrisr763

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #5 on: January 21, 2013, 04:31:12 pm »

Offline 94Luke

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #6 on: January 21, 2013, 06:35:39 pm »
Catalyst?? Might be coming from exhaust as you say it's worse when you reverse.

Smells like rotten eggs.

Recirculation comes on automatically when you go into reverse, so not that. Seems like pollen filter and air con check would be the best bet.

Offline Moz

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #7 on: January 21, 2013, 06:53:46 pm »
Have a spare Pollen Filter if you want one.


Offline SRC

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #8 on: January 21, 2013, 07:51:35 pm »
Recirculation comes on automatically when you go into reverse, so not that. Seems like pollen filter and air con check would be the best bet.
Well, I never knew that.  Get ready for my next post reporting on the crash caused by looking at the climate control instead of looking behind me...


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Offline ScrupesGTI

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #9 on: January 21, 2013, 07:53:51 pm »
Recirculation comes on automatically when you go into reverse, so not that. Seems like pollen filter and air con check would be the best bet.
Well, I never knew that.  Get ready for my next post reporting on the crash caused by looking at the climate control instead of looking behind me...

+1 :grin: :grin: :grin:

Offline homesqueeze

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #10 on: January 21, 2013, 08:08:34 pm »
Sounds like you have bacteria in the aircon system. Not uncommon if it's not been serviced for a while. Probably worse in reverse, because as said above it puts the car into recirculation mode and it will just be pumping smelly air round the cabin. Your best bet is to either get a garage to run an antibacterial cleaner through the system or buy one of the aerosol type cleaners that you leave spraying inside the car while you leave the aircon running. Pollen filter change wouldn't hurt either.
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Offline arthur

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #11 on: January 22, 2013, 01:28:19 pm »
If you don't use your A/C system often you can get some "damp" smells.

Your supposed to use it for 10mins a week apparently  :surprised:

I agree with this.  I've never turned my A/C off in 6 years!! Never had any strange smells from it!!

If it smells now though, maybe running it every day for a while will fix it or you need to get rid of the bacteria in the A/C system as HOMESQUEEZE mentioned!

Offline 94Luke

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #12 on: January 22, 2013, 02:16:01 pm »
Recirculation comes on automatically when you go into reverse, so not that. Seems like pollen filter and air con check would be the best bet.
Well, I never knew that.  Get ready for my next post reporting on the crash caused by looking at the climate control instead of looking behind me...

Haha!  :signLOL: It won't come up on the panel but if you listen closely when you have the fans on and stick it in reverse the noise will change slightly when it goes into recirc  :happy2:

Offline homesqueeze

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #13 on: January 22, 2013, 06:16:20 pm »
Recirculation comes on automatically when you go into reverse, so not that. Seems like pollen filter and air con check would be the best bet.
Well, I never knew that.  Get ready for my next post reporting on the crash caused by looking at the climate control instead of looking behind me...

Haha!  :signLOL: It won't come up on the panel but if you listen closely when you have the fans on and stick it in reverse the noise will change slightly when it goes into recirc  :happy2:

Goes into recirc when you use windscreen washer as well. If your interested  :laugh:
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Offline andybon

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Re: Why does our car stink??
« Reply #14 on: January 22, 2013, 08:00:05 pm »
I noticed that with reverse and the washers today, thought I was going mad when it did it!
How hard can it be?