Bad smell!

[Apostrophe]

Sorry if this has been covered before, but I couldn't find an appropriate thread. Ever since I've owned my Bongo (about two months) it's suffered from a really nasty 'wet dog' smell - mainly when the air-con is in action. I've tried one of those Halfords air-con 'bomb' thingies, but to be honest it only helped for a few hours and the smell was back. On a more worrying note, ever since I've had the Bongo I've been suffering from a sore throat. We only use the Bongo at weekends and if my throat has improved by Friday, it's got worse again by Monday! The quack has put me on a course of anti-biotics, but they haven't helped as it seems to go in a weekly cycle. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? What can I do to thoroughly purge the air-con system........bearing in mind I'm an 'air-con virgin' having never had it fitted in a vehicle I've owned before.
Thanks!

[mister munkey]

No doubt irrelevant but - some years ago I owned a very fine '71 VW Beetle. One very cold February night while visiting my big sister in Plymouth, some drunken fool puked up across my windscreen. By the time I got to the car it was frozen solid. Not nice.

Scraped the worse off, warm kettle watered the rest but it had dribbled into the heater vents below the windscreen & got into the heater system.

Every time I drove the thing after that, I got the pong of slowly cooking fermented sick as soon as the engine warmed up. Bummer.


Had to sell the car in the end. But had to wait for summer to do it. Poor new owner must've spent months trying to work it out. I still feel the guilt but I was young then.

Point being, could be a multitude of possibilities.

All the very best on tracking it down.

[francophile1947]

It's caused by bacteria in the aircon ducts. The best solution that we found, when I worked in the motor trade, was to just leave your aircon on for a long run - the dry, cold air kills the bugs and the nasty whiffs go All these aircon cleaners are only temporary fixes. The aircon should be used for a few minutes ,to keep the seals lubricated and the gas in - it also keeps the bugs at bay

[Apostrophe]

Thanks John. What sort of settings? Front and rear? Hot, cold, recirc?
Cheers.

[fatcatlawyer]

"I still feel the guilt but I was young then. "

So it was you was it!!!
Ive been on your trail for years.
Ian G

[mister munkey]

I'll get me coat.

[mikeonb4c]

This seems to be a common Bongo thing. Mine is a bit prone to it but I have dosed it a few times with Dettol disinfectant spray (apple aroma) but spraying into the fan heater intake under the bonnet (I remove the cowling so it goes straight in the fan). I also do the rear by spraying into the grille that is the air intake for the rear fan. Obviously I have both fans on while I do this. That sorts the problem for a bit and gives an apple smell when fans turned on. It comes back after a while but each time it comes back less. Also now, it only lasts a short time after switchng on aircon and fans and is only noticeable when heater on hot. So (two years after starting treatment, though I've only treated it 2-3 times in that period) I'd say its not really a problem (except that my dear wife loves to complai nabout the slightest wrong thing with the Bongo whilst very rarely praising hte huge pluses it has brought!)

[francophile1947]

Thanks John. What sort of settings? Front and rear? Hot, cold, recirc?
Cheers.

Preferably cold - any setting you like, just use the aircon. Front or rear - depends which one is whiffy

[bigdaddycain]

Mine used to smell like mild onions.... I never did try any of the aircon sweet smelling solutions, but it did eventually subside to such a level, that until i read this thread i'd forgotten all about it!

It used to be far worse when the rear heaters were on...I guess it just wore away? Or my nose has stopped working!

[jaylee]

When i first got mine the air vents had the smell of city smog (or a dusty power amp), & every now & again i swear i could smell marijuana..
Gradually it improved with constant use.. (The heating system, not the marijuana.)

I put it down to the enviroment it was in in Japan.

[bigdaddycain]

For months mine smelt of whiffy feet...Changed me socks, job sorted!

[ex25er]

So it was you was it!!!
Ive been on your trail for years.
Ian G

So have I!! I'm sure I left the other half of the kebab (the bit I hadn't eaten) on your bonnet.

You wouldn't still have it would you?

Phil

[bigdaddycain]

Sorry...I ate it last week....