# Stinkin' Air conditioner



## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

Anyone else have this problem?
Southern California is having a heat wave. It's 95-100 degrees when I drive home from work. I haven't had any problems until the last few days.
I found this info on the internet "“limited under hood space in downsized vehicles, along with increased need for air cooling in vehicles with higher glass content, led vehicle manufacturers to reduce the size of a/c evaporators while simultaneously increasing the fin count. These more densely packed evaporators trap and hold more moisture.”
Does the Eos have a R-134 system? That's the one that seems to have the most problems.
Please don't tell me to put the top down.... It's way to hot!!!
Help!!!


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## archiea (Nov 29, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (nette)*


_Quote, originally posted by *nette* »_Anyone else have this problem?
Southern California is having a heat wave. It's 95-100 degrees when I drive home from work. I haven't had any problems until the last few days.
I found this info on the internet "“limited under hood space in downsized vehicles, along with increased need for air cooling in vehicles with higher glass content, led vehicle manufacturers to reduce the size of a/c evaporators while simultaneously increasing the fin count. These more densely packed evaporators trap and hold more moisture.”
Does the Eos have a R-134 system? That's the one that seems to have the most problems.
Please don't tell me to put the top down.... It's way to hot!!!
Help!!!

I had this problem even with my t-bird. i read somewhere that those evaporators aren't built like they used to. the manual to my t-bird says to run the fan on for a full minute after you park to equalize the air between the interior and the exterior. i think one person recommended that you turn off the ac for the last few minutes of your journey to help blow out the condensation from your car. Problem is that the mosture has no place to go when you just shut off the AC and park the car, so mold starts to form, and then your air ducts smell like an old attic in new orleans. 
I;m curious if anyone has heard of mods that offer anti-bacterial sprays for evaporators or anything, or just tricks of the trade that I mentioned above. I'm not sure if I got all of the steps right because my memory is failing me on the details. good thread btw... and yes this heatwave sucks. I blame Al Gore.


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (archiea)*

Cool.. I thought I was alone out there. 
Could this moisture problem be elevated because the car is garaged?
What do I need to do to quill the smell??


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## archiea (Nov 29, 2006)

like I said, run the fans w/o the AC for a minute to try to remove the condensation from the EvApOrAtOr. You can also try running the fan with the heat on.. that will really get rid of the condesation quick and help cool the engine.


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (archiea)*


_Quote, originally posted by *archiea* »_ i think one person recommended that you turn off the ac for the last few minutes of your journey to help blow out the condensation from your car. Problem is that the mosture has no place to go when you just shut off the AC and park the car, so mold starts to form, and then your air ducts smell like an old attic in new orleans. 


This is the answer. I've always turned off the A/C for last few minutes of the trip. I also turn the fan speed up when doing this to help dry out the evaporator. I have my friends doing this too. I've never had a stinky A/C in any of my cars. In addition, I always leave the fan on year round and I usually use the recirculate mode with the A/C on. It cools faster and keeps the humid outside air from further condensing on the evaporator which also increases cooling efficiency.


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## kpiskin (Apr 6, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (solarflare)*

There is actually a spray you can use. I have to find it again.


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## kpiskin (Apr 6, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (kpiskin)*

This is one product available:
http://www.amazon.com/Pure-Air...ZFT0E
I also know some people use a bleach solution, but I don't know I'd do that myself.


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## Canadian Lurker (Nov 11, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (kpiskin)*

Our old Volvo ('94 850) used to run the fan after the car was switched off for several minutes. Kinda freaky at first since you do a double take thinking that it started on it's own, but its just the fan. This feature was designed to prevent the mold growth.








JJ


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## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: (archiea)*


_Quote, originally posted by *archiea* »_like I said, run the fans w/o the AC for a minute to try to remove the condensation from the EvApOrAtOr. You can also try running the fan with the heat on.. that will really get rid of the condesation quick and help cool the engine. 

It is a good idea to shut off the A/C compressor and switch to the vent setting (while running the fan at a higher speed) for a minute or two before you park the car. This is good advice for any car. The reason for shutting off the A/C and letting air blow through the evaporator for a minute or two is not to remove condensation, but to *warm the evaporator up to ambient temperature* so condensation (which facilitates mold and mildew growth) does not form on a cold evaporator after you shut the car off.
Also, *Do not change over to heater setting* because that causes baffles to be changed in your ventilation system, which directs air through the heater core instead of the evaporator. So switching to "heat" does not help to warm up the evaporator. The "heat" setting bypasses the evaporator and seals off air flow to the evaporator, which is a worst case scenario.



_Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 12:47 AM 5-10-2007_


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: (archiea)*

Thanks for all the info. I never had a car do this before. This morning (when it was 67 degrees) I opened all the windows and the sunroof and ran the heater at 80 degrees for a few minutes. That seemed to help.


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (Canadian Lurker)*


_Quote, originally posted by *Canadian Lurker* »_Our old Volvo ('94 850) used to run the fan after the car was switched off for several minutes. Kinda freaky at first since you do a double take thinking that it started on it's own, but its just the fan. This feature was designed to prevent the mold growth.








JJ

After learning about the periodic windshield wiper movement to prevent creased wiper blades I'm surprised VW didn't think of something llke this


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## x9t (Sep 19, 2005)

This is commen on all the MK5, and B6 Passats.. if you leave your AC on and then turn the car off, it will smell later.. what i do is i run the regular Air from outside for 3-5 minutes before i turn off my car. VW will clean it out once i think.. then charge after that.
JT


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## vweosdriver (Oct 30, 2006)

*Re: (x9t)*

I put my HVAC on AUTO and the AC runs when it wants to (usually 365 days) . I have never had a smell problem on any of my cars.


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: (WolfsburgerMitFries)*


_Quote, originally posted by *WolfsburgerMitFries* »_

Also, *Do not change over to heater setting* because that causes baffles to be changed in your ventilation system, which directs air through the heater core instead of the evaporator. So switching to "heat" does not help to warm up the evaporator. The "heat" setting bypasses the evaporator and seals off air flow to the evaporator, which is a worst case scenario.
_Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 12:47 AM 5-10-2007_

OOPS I won"t turn the heat on if this happens again... Thanks for the explanation


_Modified by nette at 4:29 PM 5-10-2007_


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: (nette)*

I took my Eos into the dealer for the repeated smelly air conditioner.
They performed as per tech bulletin 2005566 87019999 clean A/C ventilation System 278 WV06, 1 00706 A/C cleaner Wynn's.
Just what did they do???
The car stills stinks!!
The "service" was included in warranty for the first time. I was told it would cost $180.00 if they did it again. Whatever they did it didn't work. I'm going to take it back in.


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

*Re: (nette)*

nette, I hope they get your problem figured out. After you park the car , a few minutes look under the car and see if there is a puddle of water? there should be one, if not you have a drain plugged causing the musty odor, its pulling that moisture up into your duct work in stead of dumping it outside , be my guess? Doug


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## cb391 (Mar 12, 2006)

*Re: (nette)*

I have seen in some auto help articles that if you are having this problem that should turn off the air but leave the fan on for a few minutes before you shut down the car. This helps dry out some of the moisture remaining in the evaporator and duct work. You will probably have to open the windows while you do this as it will warm up inside the car. I have tried this once on my other car and it seemed to work. I have not done this on my Eos however, so you will have to figure out which of the vent controls work the best.
Andy


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

*Re: (cb391)*


_Quote, originally posted by *cb391* »_I have seen in some auto help articles that if you are having this problem that should turn off the air but leave the fan on for a few minutes before you shut down the car. This helps dry out some of the moisture remaining in the evaporator and duct work. You will probably have to open the windows while you do this as it will warm up inside the car. I have tried this once on my other car and it seemed to work. I have not done this on my Eos however, so you will have to figure out which of the vent controls work the best.
Andy
 that talk about running the fan and turning on the heater,opening the windows , ect is totally b.s. Ive never had to do that in any car ive owned,34 k for car that you have to babysit each time you stop is totally b.s. dont believe any one that tells you that,, my car doesnt do it and none should,,, dont listen to ppl telling you that bs nette, take it back and tell them to fix it , or go higher up vwoa, and get it addressed properly doug


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## itsmejerry (Jan 31, 2003)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (nette)*

AVOID using the RECIRCULATION setting. 
Drawing in fresh air opens the air intake baffles. If you run the AC on Recirculation, (the circular arrow button on the AC) it wont provide enough fresh, dry air to prevent mold growth. 
I live in where it's 95 degrees with 90% humidity. and have never had an issue with mold on any of my VW's.


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (itsmejerry)*

I have gotten lots of suggestions regarding this problem. Thanks all. Some of the suggested remedies are in total opposition to one another.
I have never used recirculate, but have been told that I should be using it at least 50% of the time. Ohers say don't use it. I've been told to use the heater and not to use the heater. Use economy mode and don't use economy mode.
Needless to say VW does have a TSB on this problem, so I'm not alone.
87 07 07 May 10, 2007, 2005566, Supersedes Technical Bulletin Group 87 number 06-01 dated May 26, 2006 due to switching from AirSept® to Aircomatic® treatment. (not specifically for Eos)
HVAC, Musty Odor
Unpleasant “musty” odor coming from Heating and Ventilation system. Odor mainly occurs after vehicle has been sitting (unused) at least 5 hours and within 20 to 60 seconds after vehicle is first started.
Technical Background
Condensation is a normal characteristic in all A/C systems. If odor is noticeable without engine started, this may be due to mold and mildew in the passenger compartment, not from the A/C system.
Tip:
All other possible sources of unpleasant odor must be addressed before performing the following procedure.
Consider the following conditions before proceeding:
• Evaporator housing drain must be open and free of debris.
• Cabin must be sealed with no water ingress into passenger compartment.
• Plenum drains must be clear and free of debris.
• Pollen filter must be clean and free of moisture.
Production solution
Not applicable.
Service
Contaminants are effectively neutralized using the Aircomatic® II Ultrasonic Climate System Cleaner (VAS 6189A) and Airco-Clean® Ultrasonic Air Conditioning Treatment (VAS 6189/1). All other cleaning methods are no longer permitted.
• This procedure will be allowed only once per vehicle within the first 12 months of service.
• There must be an original customer complaint of specified odor symptom on repair order for this Technical Bulletin to apply. Adding on this procedure is not permitted.
• Subsequent applications, should they become necessary, will be customer's responsibility.
• Replacement of pollen filter under warranty is not allowed within the performance of this procedure. The pollen filter is covered only where specified at the appropriate maintenance interval.







Dealer called me today and asked me to bring it back in again (free loaner) They said they will fix it this time.
Its at the dealer now
Wish me luck!!!!


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## cb391 (Mar 12, 2006)

*Re: (minnvw)*

Chill Doug. What I said can help treat the symptoms. I have had 2 Fords and a Toyota that have done this. It was worst when it was extremely humid. Most of the moisture will drain out but there is still a little moisture remaining. Depending on how much dust or dirt is trapped in the system will determine how much moisture will get trapped. This moisture helps breed mold which causes the smell. Sometimes this requires the evaporator, drier and ductwork to be fully cleaned and sanitized. What I mentioned to Nette will not cure the issue but may help temporarily. It is not an ideal thing on any car regardless of price, but is not neccesarily bs. She should take it back to the dealer until they figure it out. Once they start any repair whether covered by VW or if she pays cash, she should be covered. I don't know her local driving conditions whether it is dusty or not so I can't say anything as to the cause of her problem. I rarely use my a/c as our weather here for top down driving has been pretty good. 



_Modified by cb391 at 4:03 PM 7-25-2007_


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (itsmejerry)*


_Quote, originally posted by *cb391* »_Chill Doug. What I said can help treat the symptoms. I have had 2 Fords and a Toyota that have done this. It was worst when it was extremely humid. Most of the moisture will drain out but there is still a little moisture remaining. Depending on how much dust or dirt is trapped in the system will determine how much moisture will get trapped. This moisture helps breed mold which causes the smell. 
_Modified by cb391 at 4:03 PM 7-25-2007_

Agreed, the price of a car has absolutely nothing to do with this issue. The cause is a simple one. moisture+warmth=mold. Perhaps this is not a problem for you because 1.) you don't use your AC much or 2) your area is not very humid. I've been in many a friends car in my area with stinking AC because they don't follow these simple guidelines. 

_Quote, originally posted by *itsmejerry* »_AVOID using the RECIRCULATION setting. 
Drawing in fresh air opens the air intake baffles. If you run the AC on Recirculation, (the circular arrow button on the AC) it wont provide enough fresh, dry air to prevent mold growth. 


This makes no sense, The "Fresh" air from the outside is not dry, you said so yourself. It's 95% humid and all that moisture will condense and hopefully drain out. Using recirculate while driving allows the system to work better in two ways. It does not have to cool 95 degree air from the outside and two, the air in the cabin is dryer which causes less condensate. A dryer evaporator allows for more efficient heat transfer to it increasing the system efficiency. I always use recirculate when the A/C is on, however, it's not a requirement to avoid mold growth. I do turn recirculate off after I get home to allow fresh air into the plenum after temperatures neutralize. This is an important step too. 



_Modified by solarflare at 4:56 PM 7-25-2007_


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (solarflare)*

Update:
Got my car back from the dealer. They redid whatever they did yesterday and checked out the pollen filter. They reported it smelled clean on one side and smelled on the other side. It had to be replaced. (not a warranty item... like an oil filter) Seems fine now, just wish they had checked out the pollen filter yesterday. I believe that's in the TSB ?? 
I also gave them a printout of this forum topic to show how long I have been working on this problem.
Hope that's the end of this issue.
Thank You all for your support and advise


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (solarflare)*


_Quote, originally posted by *solarflare* »_
Agreed, the price of a car has absolutely nothing to do with this issue. The cause is a simple one. moisture+warmth=mold. Perhaps this is not a problem for you because 1.) you don't use your AC much or 2) your area is not very humid. I've been in many a friends car in my area with stinking AC because they don't follow these simple guidelines. 
This makes no sense, The "Fresh" air from the outside is not dry, you said so yourself. It's 95% humid and all that moisture will condense and hopefully drain out. Using recirculate while driving allows the system to work better in two ways. It does not have to cool 95 degree air from the outside and two, the air in the cabin is dryer which causes less condensate. A dryer evaporator allows for more efficient heat transfer to it increasing the system efficiency. I always use recirculate when the A/C is on, however, it's not a requirement to avoid mold growth. I do turn recirculate off after I get home to allow fresh air into the plenum after temperatures neutralize. This is an important step too. 
_Modified by solarflare at 4:56 PM 7-25-2007_
 ? i totally disagee with you too solarflare you show me in the manual where it says to run fresh air before turning off the car, and i might belive you, yes i agree itshouldnt matter if the car costs 32k or 5 k the ac shouldnt stink , doug


_Modified by minnvw at 8:23 PM 7-25-2007_


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

vweos, The ac on our car is same way, we just leave it on auto, never had any problem


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (minnvw)*


_Quote, originally posted by *minnvw* »_ ? i totally disagee with you too solarflare you show me in the manual where it says to run fresh air before turning off the car, and i might belive you, yes i agree itshouldnt matter if the car costs 32k or 5 k the ac shouldnt stink , doug

_Modified by minnvw at 8:23 PM 7-25-2007_

No one mentioned anything about a manual. I stand by my comments as what has worked for me. If you have not experienced this problem then that's great for you but many people have experienced the musty A/C and this thread lists possible causes and solutions. Just because you haven't experienced this problem doesn't mean others that have this problem have a defect and have to run to the dealer. So I guess we'll have to agree to disagree.








P.S.
Here's a link to a Mazda Service Bulletin. They actually have a product that seals the mold but the note on the second page sounds like familiar advice!
http://www.finishlineperforman...c.pdf
Here's a snippet for those that don't want to click.
-snip-
NOTE:
• A/C odor is not unique to Mazda vehicles as it will occur in other makes and models.
• To minimize A/C odor, inform customers of the following suggestions:
- Keep the cooling unit dry by leaving the blower fan ON (at least on low), even if the A/C is not being used.
- In low humidity (dry) conditions, keep the ventilation system in the “FRESH” mode all the time, or as much as possible.
- In high humidity conditions, or if the air has a lot of dust or pollen, keep the system in the “RECIRCULATION” mode.
- A few minutes before reaching a destination, turn the A/C OFF, but leave the blower fan ON.
This stops the accumulation of condensation on the evaporator/cooling unit, and it helps dry the inside of the cooling unit.
-snip-
Also worth noting, the above suggestions will help prevent the odor if you already have the odor the above suggestions will probably not stop the odor. There are a few products on the market that you can spray into the fresh air intake (under the hood) that will kill the bacteria/mold/germs to eliminate the smell. I have used Lysol in the past to rid this odor before I started to follow the advice above.



_Modified by solarflare at 5:10 AM 7-27-2007_


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

solar, nette should of bought a mazda ,, a least she could read about the problem in the manual. the statement ," if you have the odor, the suggestions wont stop the odor" if thats the case i would trade the piece of ---- off, no reason this day and age to have to put up with that kinda of poor service doug


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## itsmejerry (Jan 31, 2003)

*Re: (minnvw)*

This topic looks like it could quickly turn into a debate over baffles and AC intake which I'm not going to participate in. 
I said that Recirc closes off the outside air by closing the baffles. If one has a closed system, it's my opinion that the liklihood of mold goes up. 
Since I haven't done my doctorial thesis on AC systems and propencity for such systems to harbor mold development, I can only offer my opinion. 
Regardless, AC mold has been an issue in every type of car. 
In this case, I think the culprit was a pollen filter, which can get pretty smelly if the right mixture of pollen, dust and water find their way in.


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: (itsmejerry)*

Understood Jerry, I was only trying to say that eliminating the moisture is another way to prevent mold growth so I guess we are both trying to say the same thing. I think the best advice is from the Mazda Note that I posted above. Use fresh air whenever possible except when extremely humid, which in my case is most of the summer







but probably the most important is the last note - to turn off the A/C a few minutes before the end of your trip. 
I hope the pollen filter change solves the problem. Curious why VW says this can go 2 years or 40k miles? I guess this and whether your AC is prone to mold growth depends on your geographic location and environmental conditions.
-Erik


_Modified by solarflare at 4:25 PM 7-26-2007_


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## minnvw (Oct 16, 2006)

*Re: (itsmejerry)*

no im not going to argue with you guys over this either, I live in land of 10,000 lakes probally the highest humidity in the nation , outside of seatle in the fall, and i dont have that " stink" problem, and i dont look at my watch ten minutes before i get home to turn it off either, ha , if i do get the problem i will be heading for the dealer asap doug


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## Doedrums (Jun 14, 2003)

*Re: (minnvw)*

I've had several vehicles with the "smell". It is mold on the evaporator. Like it or not. All cars can do it, Chevy, Dodge, VW, whatever. The suggestions are valid whether yo agree with it or not.


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## caffn8me (Jun 1, 2003)

*Re: (nette)*

I was quoted $280 for an a/c treatment on my Jetta. I said 'no way'


_Modified by caffn8me at 11:36 AM 9-21-2007_


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## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: (caffn8me)*

Most of the time, the multi-hundred dollar dealer A/C treatments are nothing more than spraying products into the cabin air intake that are designed to neutralize the bacteria that grows on the evaporator as a result of condensation.
http://www.autogeek.net/wuachesytr.html
Wurth makes a $20 can that's available at Amazon.com








Professional Automotive product supplier "BG" makes 2 products... Frigi-Fresh and Frigi-clean.
















http://www.bgprod.com/products/climatecontrol.html
Here's related discussion from an Audi board...
http://www.audifans.com/piperm....html
This is why I'm such a proponent of doing your own maintenance and understanding the car you drive. It costs the same thing to clean up a smelly A/C in a Mercedes-Benz as it does in a Daewoo, and its damn sure not $280. Many/most other maintenance services for a car conform to this example. You can very easily get ripped off when you own a premium nameplate, and there's just no reason for it.
Just remember though, once this is done, you need to modify your behavior and be sure to shut off the a/c compressor, or change over to "vent" setting a few minutes before you shut your car off as I described in my other post above. It would be nice if you didn't have to do this, but that's just the way the cold cruel world works....weather its printed in your owners manual or not. That's why the products I pointed to above exist, this is a well known and common problem that all cars are susceptible to. We're not inventing the wheel here, its not limited to Volkswagen, and we don't need to outsource the issue to a think tank. My moms' Honda Accord has a stinky A/C system, and its always going to stink, and the root cause is that my mom is belligerent and refuses to understand the situation. That's not Honda's fault, that's operator error.



_Modified by WolfsburgerMitFries at 12:12 AM 9-22-2007_


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: (WolfsburgerMitFries)*

I want to get some of this "good stuff" on hand just in case the problem arises again.
My car was "fixed" two months again and has been fine since the dealer changed the pollen filter and did the "treatment" at that time. The treatment was covered by the warranty, but I was told it would have cost about $189.


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## EOSinthesun (Mar 27, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (nette)*

I live in the desert and have had a stinkin.... air conditioner to the point where it made me gag. I, too, am basically told by everyone to just turn the air cond. off before I arrive at my destination. That seemed to help but wasn't fun during our 110+ degree summer and seemed to work best during longer trips in the car. The problem with the smell has been during those short "stop and go" trips where I simply had to run the air cond. due to the heat inside the car. 
It's really funny.....I had concerns that the EOS air conditioner wouldn't be powerful enough for our desert heat (I remember the old VW's and their poor heaters). It definitely is powerful...........but stinky.


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (EOSinthesun)*

I totally understand. I sprayed Ozium in the vents and tried everything before going to the dealer. They did fix the probelm. Make sure they replace the pollen filter.


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## chessmck (Dec 22, 2003)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (itsmejerry)*


_Quote, originally posted by *itsmejerry* »_AVOID using the RECIRCULATION setting. 
Drawing in fresh air opens the air intake baffles. If you run the AC on Recirculation, (the circular arrow button on the AC) it wont provide enough fresh, dry air to prevent mold growth. 
I live in where it's 95 degrees with 90% humidity. and have never had an issue with mold on any of my VW's. 


Running recirculate does not draw in the high humidity outside air and causes less condensate as the AC removes mositure from the air and if in recir, then the air in the car becomes less humid. That's why the compressor runs when you turn on defrost - to remove th ehumidity. I would also suggest that one not run the A/C with the top down as you will cause the entire A/C system to "sweat" and you may end up with mold every where unless you live in a very low humidity area.
- Just my 2 cents.


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## EOSinthesun (Mar 27, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (chessmck)*

That makes sense - thank you!


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## tmehanna (Oct 19, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (EOSinthesun)*

I started having this problem after the geniuses at the dealer decided to blow clean the A/C filter located below the glove compartment. Changing the filter should fix the problem. Just my 2 cents.


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (tmehanna)*

I started to notice a smell from my vents and decided to pull the pollen filter. That was the source! I just replace it and the vents smell brand new again http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif


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## cb391 (Mar 12, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (solarflare)*

Can you post some pix and info about changing the filter as well as the filter part number?


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## solarflare (Mar 28, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (cb391)*

I've already changed the filter but it's very easy to do with no tools required. The part number is 1K0-819-644-A and was around $18 at my dealer. It's located under the glove box. There are 2 thumb screws to remove which hold a flexible insulating cover in place under the glovebox. Once that it removed there is a rectangular door toward the rear of the instrument panel. You slide the door in the direction of the arrow that says "open". Then pull the old filter out. It's very simple.


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## cb391 (Mar 12, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (solarflare)*

Thanks.


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## WolfsburgerMitFries (Jul 4, 2005)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (solarflare)*


_Quote, originally posted by *solarflare* »_I've already changed the filter but it's very easy to do with no tools required. 

Thats great to hear. Some of the first cars with climate air filters could take 2 hours to change the filter and it was a complete P.I.T.A.
Meijer also has a half a dozen or so of these filters on the shelf now, so you might look there for a less costly replacement.


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## VW QT w a booty (May 3, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (WolfsburgerMitFries)*

I just read this whole (stinkin) thread and I'm still confused about how to put my auto/dual pkg 2 on 'vent'. 
I understand the whole concept of the ac having to drain to avoid mold, I turn it off every day for the last mile or so and can feel the cool air coming out of the vents, past experience with stinky vents was halted by a well informed ex who gave me (seriously) a 60 minute disertation on air compressors. Twice. But that was before I got my brand new Jetta. So with the pkg 2 dual system the AC is either on or off. 
My baby sleeps in a semi ventilated garage w/ windows down and trunk open every night, but yesterday I turned my AC on to be greeted by some serious FUNK. Its seriously happened yesterday for the first time, I still have hope this can be brought back from the edge.....does anyone know how to ventilate BETTER?!


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (VW QT w a booty)*

See TB 87 07 14
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3484031
Kevin


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## Dime-a-Dozen (Sep 29, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (just4fun)*

I've known for a many years never to turn off your engine whilst the air conditioning is switched on.
I always, no matter which car I have driven, have turned the air conditioner off and let the fan on for a couple of minutes prior to switching off the engine.
Just makes sense, and also, assits me to acclimatise to the outside temperature a little better.








So, this is for all cars, not just VWs.


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## VW QT w a booty (May 3, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (just4fun)*


_Quote, originally posted by *just4fun* »_See TB 87 07 14
http://forums.vwvortex.com/zerothread?id=3484031
Kevin









THANK YOU!!!! Thats the ticket!


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## just4fun (Oct 29, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (VW QT w a booty)*


_Quote, originally posted by *VW QT w a booty* »_
THANK YOU!!!! Thats the ticket!









You're more than welcome, hope the information helps resolve a problem for you.
Kevin


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## nette (Aug 23, 2006)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (just4fun)*

It's in the 90's here and fires all around. Even though it's October I'm using my air conditioner, recirculate. Everything is working great since the dealer "reconditioned it" and replaced the pollen filter.
My sister was under mandatory evacuation. Her house was saved!!!
Stinkin air is working great!


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## SoCalMan (May 21, 2007)

*Re: Stinkin' Air conditioner (nette)*


_Quote, originally posted by *nette* »_It's in the 90's here and fires all around. Even though it's October I'm using my air conditioner, recirculate. Everything is working great since the dealer "reconditioned it" and replaced the pollen filter.
My sister was under mandatory evacuation. Her house was saved!!!
Stinkin air is working great!


Glad to hear that. This has been a tragedy for a lot of folks.


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## aflaedge (Jun 27, 2006)

The guys at my dealership straight up told me that all they can do is change the filter and spray some cleaner. They acknowledged the TB, but said they didn't have the fancy ultrasonic tool and suggested I go to another dealership. So much for my extended warranty service.


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