Air Con

[Guest]

Has anyone had an issue with smelly air-con this summer? Not sure how to try and get rid of the smell apart from replacing the filter and possibly run it without the air-con on and on high heat.

Any other thoughts?

Gus

[Big Kev]

Igor had a good suggestion ages ago, Gus, but at our age is difficult to remember........to switch off air con a few minutes prior to destination arrival and put fan on HIGH to dry off any condensation formed either on the filter or in its plastic tubes.

Seems to work, but check pollen filter asap.....could be bowfin'......

[Guest]

I did remember part of that :) and I turn the a/c off before I arrive home but I have to admit I forgot/didn't know about turning the fan to high (I presume that is fan high not temp high).

Will check and clean filter tonight and if it looks likes it needs it order up a replacement tomorrow.

Cheers Kev

Gus

[anchorman]

You buy a little aircon disinfection aerosol and leave it spraying inside the car with the blower on full re-circulate. I pay £7.50+VAT for them. If the cabin filter is anything other than clean then rid it at the same time. Smells like a !Removed! house for 2.3 days afterwards according to Big Kev.

[firemac]

You buy a little aircon disinfection aerosol and leave it spraying inside the car with the blower on full re-circulate. I pay £7.50+VAT for them. If the cabin filter is anything other than clean then rid it at the same time. Smells like a !Removed! house for 2.3 days afterwards according to Big Kev.

"Smells like a !Removed! house for 2.3 days afterwards according to Big Kev."

And BK knows this because.....???

[anchorman]

Not sure but might be better if you don't tell his mrs. She hates smelly houses.

[Big Kev]

You buy a little aircon disinfection aerosol and leave it spraying inside the car with the blower on full re-circulate. I pay £7.50+VAT for them. If the cabin filter is anything other than clean then rid it at the same time. Smells like a whore house for 2.3 days afterwards according to Big Kev.

"Smells like a whore house for 2.3 days afterwards according to Big Kev."

And BK knows this because.....???

Oh it's sore.....but ah need the money..........

[IanXT4]

I have had a lot of success with this German product, I only ever buy it when its on offer (Like now).

One can does a couple of treatments, it comes with a very long spray tube to poke down all the vents.

http://www.eurocarparts.com/ecp/p/car-accessories/car-maintenance-accessories/air-conditioning-maintenance/air-conditioning-cleaner/?NOR2897300&0&cc5_101

[Guest]

Filter not too bad, but I changed it when I got home, on the way home I was running it without the air con on at full fan at high temp, with all the windows open :) might have to do it a few times and see if it helps, I'm sure it was due to the high temps last month.

Step two try a cleaner, Don any tips for entry to the aircon I.e. through the filter housing or the external air vent if I can find it :)

Gus

[Hoovie]

I use the same kind of cleaner as Don by the sound of it. Run the aircon on full, set off the aerosol cleaner and close doors and leave running for 10 minutes. I am sure this will be more effective then a spray you direct into the vents yourself (certainly smells good afterwards).

Brand used is Commer, and Halfords sell if for £12 I think? (I get mine with a trade discount so pay about the same as Dons one)

[IanXT4]

I use the same kind of cleaner as Don by the sound of it. Run the aircon on full, set off the aerosol cleaner and close doors and leave running for 10 minutes. I am sure this will be more effective then a spray you direct into the vents yourself (certainly smells good afterwards).

Brand used is Commer, and Halfords sell if for £12 I think? (I get mine with a trade discount so pay about the same as Dons one)

I politely disagree, I prefer all the active ingredient where the problem is rather than all over the inside of the car, with a small diluted concentration being sucked into the recycle input of the AC.

The Normfest Viro product recommends you spray half the can into all the air intake, ducts and orifices. I also spray a load through the cabin filter slot. You then take the car for a drive aircon fan off (probably to stop your car exploding!!)

One of the products ingredients is a very high level of ethanol (flammable alcohol) which evaporates and does an extremely effective job of killing all bacteria in the system.

Its also currently very cheap at £3.4 a can.

[anchorman]

I think this is the one I use but there will be several similar;

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HYCOTE-PRO-VALET-AIR-CON-REFRESH-ANTIBACTERIAL-CAR-AIR-CONDITIONING-SANITISER-/181068742923

[Guest]

Well I have done a series of runs, with the a/c running 20 mins at hi and then lo, switched the A/C off and did the same 20 mins at hi followed by 20 mins at lo, seems to have done the trick and no whiff :)

Separate question for you learned fellows :) just been doing my weekly checks, late this week due to being out and about on the bike last weekend, but I have a question do any of you get a reliable consistent reading when checking you oil, it doesn't matter how many times I wipe and recheck it seems to be all over the dipstick, the car is on a level flat surface and the engine hasn't been started since Sunday so at least 3 days for it to settle.

Cheers

Gus

[Davrav]

When I check mine it's up and down like a tarts knickers Gus.

Also inconsistent from one side of the stick to the other.

Anchs suggested rubbing the dipstick with an abrasive to give it a bit of a 'key' but I haven't tried that yet.

[voyager t180]

AIR CON..Having to pay £1 on one of those garage forecourt machines to check your tyres pressures.

[Davrav]

[anchorman]

Yeah, fine emery or wire wool. It tends to bubble on the shiny surface. This is mine after an overnight stand (3600 miles).

This is fully synthetic low ash factory fill oil. It has gone much darker than the previous 150 engined RAVs I've had. You can also see it has gone down from the top mark both of which I expect with this type of oil.

[Guest]

Was washing the Rav today and remembered to rub down the dipstick with some emery cloth, wire wool seems to have gone walkies, which reminds me almost time to sort out the garage :) but result on being able to read the dipstick, thanks David and Don :)

Gus

[Big Kev]

Me also too forbye.....oil noo sticks to stipdick.

Also tried Hoovie recommended Comma aircon treatment in Funnerburd Too.......great fresh smell result.

[Mike169]

Hi, i have just joined this site because of this same problem. My Rav 4 is 13 months old, covered only 4000 miles and the air con system smells basically like a gents toilet in a pub that needs a good hygienic clean out. I have contacted Toyota and they tell me they set off some sort of a 'bomb' in the air con system and i believe the bad smell is due to bacteria growing in the air con area which cannot be that healthy. They are trying to tell me because the car has done so few miles it has allowed the germs to collect and multiply in the system and therefore is not covered by any warranty i got with the car which i personally have only owned for approx 3 months. The smell is not due to a dirty filter normally but the bacteria blocks a vent tube/valve in the bottom of the unit, seems like a design fault to me since so many people have had this problem and Toyota should do a recall and fix/modify them FOC. I welcome any comments from others on this issue. Mike169

[firemac]

Hi, i have just joined this site because of this same problem. My Rav 4 is 13 months old, covered only 4000 miles and the air con system smells basically like a gents toilet in a pub that needs a good hygienic clean out. I have contacted Toyota and they tell me they set off some sort of a 'bomb' in the air con system and i believe the bad smell is due to bacteria growing in the air con area which cannot be that healthy. They are trying to tell me because the car has done so few miles it has allowed the germs to collect and multiply in the system and therefore is not covered by any warranty i got with the car which i personally have only owned for approx 3 months. The smell is not due to a dirty filter normally but the bacteria blocks a vent tube/valve in the bottom of the unit, seems like a design fault to me since so many people have had this problem and Toyota should do a recall and fix/modify them FOC. I welcome any comments from others on this issue. Mike169

Mr T's explanation may not be as daft as it may seem. If the air con isn't used regularly, it can develop a range of problems like dried out seals leading to refrigerant escape, poor performance, etc. Bacterial infections in ventilation systems are very common and I don't think that you will find that it is a design flaw unique to Toyota. As far as I know, & I admit that I am not an expert, the more air con is used, the less liklihood ther is of bacteria growing. It's when it is switched off that the little bugs get a chance to do their own thing in the still, dark corners of the system.

Some folk resist using the air con as it does have an effect on mpg but personally, I never switch it off as the benefits far outweigh the small mpg impact - IMHO, of course. Consequently I've regularly (about obce a year) used one of the Comma air con treatments and have never had any trouble with the system. This was the case in all our RAVs including an 02 reg that we ran for 11 years with no air con issues.

[anchorman]

The heater should be left in auto and never manually overridden. Set the temp at about 20 and leave it. It will vary the airflow and the volume automatically.

There is no need for a recall for something that effects every car with aircon - it isn't a fault with the car it is just the right anount of moisture to cultivate the bacteria. You can get one of these kits yourself and do it in 5 minutes. Of course you could just let Toyota do it for you but don't start a media campaign when they charge you for it.

[Mike169]

Good morning Anchorman, Don.

I read your reply with interest but am not sure i fully understand what you are advising. When you say 'we' can get one of these kits ourselves, what kit exactly do you mean please, do you have a part number at all, are you talking about the 'bomb' i have heard about Toyota use and if so does it come with instructions? I see you are 'staff' do you have a phone number as so far you seem to know more about this than anyone else i have spoken to.

I have been in the garage world most of my life but my Rav 4 is the first car i have ever known to have an air con system that smells unpleasant perhaps it is due to the good summer we had so therefore the air con system was on most of the time, i have had Fords, SL500 Mercedes, Aston Martin DB9 and so on but never experienced this before.

Are you suggesting going to a retail outlet and purchasing an air con deodouriser and if so i presume it is just squirted in the various apertures associated with the heating/air con system. I did pour some disinfectant into the black grill under the bonnet, the inlet to the air con system, it improved the smell but it soon returned.

Regards Mike 169

[Big Kev]

You will therefore be aware the system normally (not always) has a pollen filter then, Mike, and if this is bowfin' will cause a pong in itself. With some of the quality of cars you list, the systems probably actually defaulted to aircon ON, so you had to select OFF, so would not have "gone off" as it was permanently active and therefore cleaner.

You have just been lucky if never had one that pongs......go on to eBay and type in Comma Aircon Treatment........wife's three door was only a wee bit stale, but now smells much fresher. Was in a VW recently, and system really needed seeing to......taxi.....

This Comma "bomb" is just a locked on aerosol can which your switched on full recirc air con fan sucks through and disinfecticates itself.......brill min.

[Mike169]

Big Kev,

Thank you very much.

I just went to my local motor factors and bought the Carplan equivalent to the Comma range, and £3 cheaper than the Comma brand at Halfords too, i have done the business so to speak and the car is ticking over now, windows closed, recirc on, air con on and i'll leave it for say 15-20 mins to do it's stuff.

It got to a point with the car i didn't want to drive it as the germs/bacteria can't be that healthy to breathe in. I use this car no differently to other cars i have had in the past without any problems at all so either like you say i have been lucky or perhaps the manufacturer had a better system.

Again thank you mate. Mike169