Aircon Smell

A q: How do i get to the filter on my A4 1.8T ´97.5? I too have a slight "funny" odor when i start up my ac after its been off overnight. Its not critical yet - but i would love to avoid being able to harvest mushrooms later on ;o)

Hi When I use my aircon on my 2000 A4 I get a slight "Vinegar" smell for the first 2/3 mins, any ideas what this is, and how to stop it, Many thanks.

"Jesper Giovanni" wrote

Courtesy of Andy Hedin from AudiWorld:

Pete

Thanks for the info pete, the URL link was also very useful, Cheers :0)

I had the same on my 2003 A4 (though it was more cheesey than vinegar - though that's subjective). I mentioned this when it was in for service (last month) and it cost ~£100 to put right. Apparently the aircon needed a full service and re-gas (already!!?) and some sort of spray needed to be applied at the same time.

I wasn't too pleased on splashing out this much, as the A4 is so new. But that's what the main dealer wanted and last time I pressed them on a problem the manager got quite aggressive. :-(

(The next car in my future will not be an Audi unfortunately)

The airconditioning smell - the behind the refrigerator smell - is common to many cars. It happens because water or moisture is retained in the intersticial spaces of the evaporator. When you park the car, the moisture remains, the plenum chamber gets warm, and it is already dark - perfect conditions for growing the mold you smell. All the other advice here applies but a preventative measure is to not put the car away wet. Switch off the a/c a few minutes before shutting down and run the blower on high to blow out the moisture. If the evaporator is dry, the mold doesn't grow.

Yes, This is not an Audi phenominon. When you live in the South US, like in Florida, Georgia, etc - the practice of shutting off the AC a little early and running the blower on high is SOP. I had this problem occur in a Volvo I brought South and later in an Explorer. I would bet with the Global Warming this problem is going to be occurring in wider geography.

Or you could get a car that runs the fan once the car has been shut down. I recal my Volvo S60 used to do that....