Today was the first day of any real heat since buyig my Fabia. And I've given the AC a real good run. I've noticed though when you turn it off and let the normal blower run for a minute or two it smells funny, a bit damp and foisty :( As the car is 3 years old I presume it could be some drainage channel block. Can anyone shed any light?

Also what sort of MPG figures should I expect to see? I normally get around 45mpg, but today it was around 40.

Cheers.

Do you smoke in the car? Has it been smoked in with the circulation mode switched on?

Perfectly normal, but I can't remember what causes it. It's a damp washing type smell?

Chris

It's where bacteria build in the ducts from where the air con is not used. You are supposed to use it 20mins a week to keep it lubricatred ant to prevent it. It will pass as the A/C is used over the summer

You can buy air con sanitisers to remove the smells and kill the baqcteria.

Comma make one and the cost is somewhere around

It's where bacteria build in the ducts from where the air con is not used. You are supposed to use it 20mins a week to keep it lubricatred ant to prevent it. It will pass as the A/C is used over the summer

Kind of but what I remember being told this.

When you use the aircon and then just switch it off you get condensation on the compressor which then allows bacteria to grow. I was told if you used the aircon heavily you should switch it off just at the end of your journey to allow the conpressor to cool down properly and not allow condensation to form on it.

The once a week thing is so the gases don't settle to much and you continue to keep them mixed - one thing I am guilty of as why the heck should I have aircon on during the winter, but I paid for it yesterday as the aircon is not as efficient as it should be in our car. Must get that sorted.

why the heck should I have aircon on during the winter

Air conditioning dries out the air, which means that in the winter (assuming it's above 5 deg C) it's very effective at demisting the car and preventing the windows misting up as the water from damp clothes starts evaporating Mine stays on all year round

Chris

Yes good point Chris, I do use it during the winter but not for cooling down, only for demisting.

mine is used everyday, never ever turn the clamtronic off in mine

I don't smoke and I don't think the previous owner did either absoloutly no signs of it.

I do often get to my destination and switch off. Often I forget its on. I'll try one of those comma things. I presume Halfrauds sell them.

Cheers all

I still have a hard time understanding why people dont use the air con. I use it all the time. Even the winter. Thats why it has a warming function, it's not just for keeping you cool. It cleans the air which is always a good thing.

I still get 45-50mpg in my car with the aircon permanently on and I dont drive like a grandad either, so it doesnt even really affect the fuel consumption like many people think it will

If you have a Fabia the a/c is never actually off.

It is caused by condensation on the evaporator developing a bacterial mould.

If you have a Fabia the a/c is never actually off.

How do you mean?

How do you mean?

The compressor is clutchless and so permanently driven, I believe.......

Chris

Yep, works on something called a 'wobble plate' which is on a duty cycled solenoid and varies between 2-98%.

Yep, works on something called a 'wobble plate' which is on a duty cycled solenoid and varies between 2-98%.

I see, I think, does that mean as you lower the temperature setting the soleniod opens out more raising the drive/power to the compressor. Its over my head

Are these Commma things the only way you can clear the bacteria, or can you access the evaporator to clean it, I guess its a difficuly/pointless job.

I've given the AC a real good run. I've noticed though when you turn it off and let the normal blower run for a minute or two it smells funny, a bit damp and foisty

I used Comma air conditioning cleaner on my last Fabia when it began to smell. It is an aerosol that is left in the car with the engine runnning for 15-20 minutes. It kills the bacteria and fungi in the system. It cost me

How do you apply the cleaner? Im getting a funny smell now that its gotten really hot, not very pleasant when you jump in early morning.

How do you apply the cleaner? Im getting a funny smell now that its gotten really hot, not very pleasant when you jump in early morning.

You don't actually apply it. You start the engine running with the air con on, set the aerosol on spray and leave it inside the car for about 15-20 minutes with all the windows and doors closed. That's all - apart from wiping down the moisture off the surfaces when it has finished.

Well, mines not even 3 months old and when I turn the air con off, after a couple of minutes I get a "wet washing" smell for a minute or so. The 2 courtesy cars I've had were exactly the same, so I assumed it was just a quirk...

I think I will just start to leave it on all the time, its a nicer quality air anyway... Like other have said, unless its cranked on "seriously cold" on a seriously hot day, mpg is not really affected...

Cheers everyone, I'm off to buy a Comma thing now, i'll report back later.

I think I will just start to leave it on all the time' date=' its a nicer quality air anyway... Like other have said, unless its cranked on "seriously cold" on a seriously hot day, mpg is not really affected...[/quote']

Engine power is affected which in turn means MPG will go down.

Engine power is affected which in turn means MPG will go down.

Of course, but surely this is proportional to the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature your asking the air con to provide...?

I think on a weekend like we've just had with the air con set to coldest, maybe a 3mpg drop in economy? Just cruising in the Autumn probably not even 1mpg difference? I dunno, but I certainly ain't going to fry for the sake of a few pence!

Of course' date=' but surely this is proportional to the difference between the ambient temperature and the temperature your asking the air con to provide...?

I think on a weekend like we've just had with the air con set to coldest, maybe a 3mpg drop in economy? Just cruising in the Autumn probably not even 1mpg difference? I dunno, but I certainly ain't going to fry for the sake of a few pence! [/quote']

Well said that man. Any loss in MPG will be negligible

(SP) compared to the gains of icey cool feet. Can't say I have ever noticed any difference in mpg when using air con. Probably only half a mile per gallon or something when on full blast and after having a car with no aircon that did 28 mpg, I am reaping in the benefits of both cold air and money saving economy.

Engine power is affected which in turn means MPG will go down.

I checked this out today. I was on on a straight and level stretch of the M4 and I switched on cruise control at, shall we say, within 15mph of 70mph (). I watched the real time mileage and it seemed to increase by 3-4mpg when I switched the AC off. I did it several times and this seems a reasonable average. For my 2.0 petrol engine, that represents up to 10%. That is a quite significant difference. The effect on maximum power would, I suspect, be not so dramatic.