In my last car I had this problem, the garage squirted an anti-bacterial gloop into it for free

On ‎28‎/‎04‎/‎2017 at 13:33, spinifex said:

I'd like to know how this thinking translates to those of us in the southern hemisphere?

Here in Australia, it's humid during summer, not winter.... and I don't know anybody who runs their AC all year round.

 

I regularly run mine both in summer and winter, and my ventilation fan is ALWAYS on even if the AC is off.... so plenty of time for the evaporator to dry out rather than just shutting down and causing bacterial growth.

 

I've only owned my car for 6 months, and I do a lot of windows-open driving.

 

Recently, I've noticed my air smells like rotten socks, when first turning the AC on after a period of inactivity (even with the fan constantly running)

I know this is the bacterial smell often explained as being caused by just turning the AC AND fan off and not drying out properly, which is definitely not the case in my situation.

 

The whole "leave the AC running permanently" thing is new to me here..... most people only use the AC during the hottest of summers.

 

Thoughts?

Being in a sub-tropical zone, Brisbane usually experiences humidity averages over 60% year round (obviously higher and lower but that's the average)

Your RS will have climate controlled air-conditioning which will maintain the temperature you set in the car and if detects humidity extremes will control this automatically for your comfort.

This can mean both the heater and cooling features can be in operation at the same time and probably also set to recirculation (depending on how 'automatic' the process is) to reduce the amount of work it has to do. Some of that recirculated air contains the humidity from your breath which also condenses on the cooling matrix. Most of this fluid is ducted out of the car (the drips of water underneath) but when you park the car and turn the engine of the matrix will still be damp and not dry out quickly because of the high humidity and this provides a medium for the germs that were once in your breath to grow into a slime on the cooling matrix.

All a bit gross

 

There is a difference between the more basic A/C (air-conditioner) system fitted in the low end models such as mine that require more manual fiddling of controls (A/C, heater and fan) to manage temperature and humidity and the largely automatic climate control A/C fitted in your Octavia.

Thanks Gerrycan... all understood.

 

Mine's definitely climate control, but as mentioned, I do a lot of windows-down driving, but the ventilation fan is ALWAYS on, therefore, drying out the AC hardware well-and-truly after it's switched off.

And especially when parked overnight in my garage, I usually leave the windows down as well, so there's no reason for these germs to continue growing, or not to be fully "dried out" when I switch off the AC.

4 hours ago, spinifex said:

Thanks Gerrycan... all understood.

 

Mine's definitely climate control, but as mentioned, I do a lot of windows-down driving, but the ventilation fan is ALWAYS on, therefore, drying out the AC hardware well-and-truly after it's switched off.

And especially when parked overnight in my garage, I usually leave the windows down as well, so there's no reason for these germs to continue growing, or not to be fully "dried out" when I switch off the AC.

I think everyone has the fan all the time because if you don't then there is no air through the vents and an aspect of many modern car designs.

I remember old cars utilising the high pressure point at the base of the windscreen to enable a positive through flow even without the fan going, but they did not have A/C either.

You don't say it but if you are running the A/C with the windows open then the A/C will be working far harder to achieve an internal temperature which it cannot actually achieve.

Unless you turn of the A/C well before you park then it is unlikely the cooling matrix will actually dry out. How many times have you parked on a warm day and seen the A/C still dripping from underneath the car. I know I see it even here.

If the 'primordial' slime is able to establish itself then just drying it out does not get rid of it but like moss it only needs moisture to reactivate.

I'm sorry I don't know the best way to treat it as I have not had the issue. Humidity is rarely an issue in Adelaide.

Edited 2 May, 20179 yr by Gerrycan

Yes, it may simply be a case of when I DO use AC, I don't "vent it out" before parking overnight.

And no - never have air on when windows open.

 

I have noticed though, that it likes to auto-switch on the AC sometimes, just by me changing temperature slightly (when I'm not running the AC) or if I put it onto recirculate, when sitting behind a smelly exhaust at lights.

 

Really wish the AC didn't turn itself on unless I specifically press the button, OR when I press AUTO.