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What the funk?

4K views 25 replies 5 participants last post by  lead_foot 
#1 ·
Man, as the days get hotter here in Houston I've started noticing a nasty ass smell coming from the AC whenever I first start the car. I've experienced this in other cars before too. Does anyone know why this is and how to get rid of it or avoid it? For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it's a humid nasty funk smell kind of like what a used wet towel smells like when you leave it all bunched up in a corner for a few days. [xx(]

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#2 ·
Happens to my fiance's A4 too. They told her to turn off the HVAC system before turning off the car.... gives the system time to blow out the remaining air. Otherwise, when you turn off the engine, the humid air stays inside and begins to collect mold.

My point to the Audi dealer was that this totally defeats the purpose of AUTO climate control!


2003 G35 Coupe (on order)
6-speed
Diamond Graphite / Graphite
 
#3 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by VQ

Happens to my fiance's A4 too. They told her to turn off the HVAC system before turning off the car.... gives the system time to blow out the remaining air. Otherwise, when you turn off the engine, the humid air stays inside and begins to collect mold.

My point to the Audi dealer was that this totally defeats the purpose of AUTO climate control!


2003 G35 Coupe (on order)
6-speed
Diamond Graphite / Graphite
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You'd be surprised at how many people let this happen every single time. I think there's also a wear & tear condition associated with doing this as well. I have made it a personal habit to turn my AC off before I turn off my car. Been doing it for years. No funk, no problems.[:D]

XL

2003.5 5AT Sedan | Ivory Pearl | Graphite Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit W/Rear Spoiler
 
#4 ·
No kidding. And since they know it happens, shouldn't they engineer something to control this?

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#5 ·
Well, there is a limit to where man and machine draw the lines. It is technically essential to always switch all accessories in your car off to decrease start voltage and save battery life. Of course, with our auto headlights, this is no problem, but when you start the car and the AC is on full blast and the radio is at 30+ volume, you can begin to wear down on cranking amps. Nothing substantial to kick your battery's ass overnight of course, we're talking about a period of months. The situation with the AC is different, in the sense that a purge system would need to be implemented in the case that the car would be switched off while having the AC on. This purge vlave would release all the humidity in the A/C duct compartment, and would automatically switch the AC system to the off switch. IMO, the day that something like that comes out, our cars will shave us and brush our teeth.

XL

2003.5 5AT Sedan | Ivory Pearl | Graphite Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit W/Rear Spoiler
 
#6 ·
XZ, how long before you shut off your car do you turn off your AC? I know that if I have it off in this heat for more than a minute I get extra crispy.

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#7 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by lead_foot

XZ, how long before you shut off your car do you turn off your AC? I know that if I have it off in this heat for more than a minute I get extra crispy.

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<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Lead, you should be okay as long as you switch if off before the car is turned off. I usually do mine seconds before I switch the whole thing off, as I gather things from the passenger seat or center console that I need to take with me. "Crispy", try Miami for a change... you can boil right in your death seat and have a very nice G35 casket for your funeral! [rage]

XL

2003.5 5AT Sedan | Ivory Pearl | Graphite Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit W/Rear Spoiler
 
#8 ·
I hear you. It's not cool here by any means.

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#9 ·
Yeah but you be getting that dry heat you lucky bitch! All I have is humid air which feels like it multiplies the heat by 3! [crazy]

XL

2003.5 5AT Sedan | Ivory Pearl | Graphite Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit W/Rear Spoiler
 
#10 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by xzellerate

Yeah but you be getting that dry heat you lucky bitch! All I have is humid air which feels like it multiplies the heat by 3! [crazy]
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Sorry XZ,

You obviously have no clue about Houston. 99% Humidity 99% of the time. Same Gulf crap you get.

[bs]

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#11 ·
Yeah Houston is just as humid as anywhere else man! I can definately vouch for that!!! Also X I agree with Lead in that they SHOULD do something about that AC problem. Screw that limit between man and machine. I mean for crying out loud we are not talking about wiping your ass for you while you drive or anything. [:D] Actually you mentioned the 30+ volume when you shut off the car, a lot of cars already have a set-up that automatically adjusts the volume back down to normal listening level if you turn it off full blast. My 98 mustang GT had this feature. When you turned it off at anything over 10 I think it would adjust it back down to 10 when you turn the car back on. HAH and it was a FORD!!! So this AC problem should be fixed as well.

'03 G35 Sedan.
 
#12 ·
Sorry for my ignorance Lead, but I mistook you for another guy that was staying in AZ. My bad bro. Yeah Chaz I think my G has this feature, and it does it between CD/Tape/Radio transitions as well. I'm not sure about the exact volume limits, but it attenuates well to prevent a severe case of deafening.

XL

2003.5 5AT Sedan | Ivory Pearl | Graphite Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit W/Rear Spoiler
 
#13 ·
No problem X. Stay cool. [lol]

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#14 ·
OK, I've been turning the AC off before shutting the car down now and have noticed the smell getting weaker, but its still there. Is there a filter that can be replaced or washed or something, or do you think it will eventually go away for good?

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#16 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Semi On

I thought the AC already had a hepa filter...
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Could that be the source of the smell?

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#18 ·
OK, it's been a good 2 weeks now of turning off the AC and the smell is still there. It goes away in less than a minute after I turn on the AC, but it still makes me gag when I first turn it on. I'm going to ask the dealer what can be done when I take it in for my oil change.

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#19 ·
OK. Went for my first oil change yesterday and talked to their service manager. He said that if you put it on recirc and spray some Lysol under the glove box where the air intake is, it should kill the mold which is causing the odor. To avoid it from happening all together, he said you should not shut off the AC, but just make sure that it's not on recirc when you shut the car off. This allows the hatch from the outside to remain open, and the coils to dry properly.

Sounds pretty logical. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

'03 AT Sedan | Brilliant Silver | Willow Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit w/Spoiler | Nav
 
#21 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by lead_foot

OK. Went for my first oil change yesterday and talked to their service manager. He said that if you put it on recirc and spray some Lysol under the glove box where the air intake is, it should kill the mold which is causing the odor. To avoid it from happening all together, he said you should not shut off the AC, but just make sure that it's not on recirc when you shut the car off. This allows the hatch from the outside to remain open, and the coils to dry properly.

Sounds pretty logical. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

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<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

If this is true, that's a crappy design. It would be relatively trivial to put a little circuit in there that trips the system to open that vent when you shut off the car and return it to however you had it set prior when you restart it.

Crappy assed engineers.
 
#22 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Semi On
If this is true, that's a crappy design. It would be relatively trivial to put a little circuit in there that trips the system to open that vent when you shut off the car and return it to however you had it set prior when you restart it.

Crappy assed engineers.
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I hear you there Semi. It's not like this is a new environmental phenomenon or something. Just about every car I've had has had this problem. You'd think that they would have tackled this one before they came up with laser-guided cruise control.

[dunno]

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#23 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by lead_footTo avoid it from happening all together, he said you should not shut off the AC, but just make sure that it's not on recirc when you shut the car off.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Ahhhhhhhh so there's the catch... very interesting... [irk]

XL

2003.5 5AT Sedan | Ivory Pearl | Graphite Leather | Sport | Premium | Aerokit W/Rear Spoiler
 
#24 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by xzellerate
Ahhhhhhhh so there's the catch... very interesting... [irk]
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Well guys, sprayed a little Lysol and that did the trick. Nothing but fresh air ever since.

[^]

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#26 ·
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by VQ

Really, I'm surprised that worked so well! That's awesome, I'll give that a shot in the fiance's A4 with the same problem.

Thanks Lead [thmsup]
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No problem man, glad to be of service. Just don't forget to make sure and switch it back to fresh air before the car is shut down (not on recirc) or it will happen all over again.

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