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Posted

Hi All, 

this issue started out a couple of years ago and was only triggered by using the AC, I would use the AC and then when switching back to regular air the windshield would fog up pretty bad along with a bad smell, This is still an issue to this day, and requires me to be tactical when using AC.

 

however more recently the damp smell has found its way in to the regular climate control system, and after start up the smell is pretty bad but will go away after a few minutes of driving. 
 

I took apart the scuttle panel last week and did find a large amount of trapped water/leaves/dirt sitting around both the wiper linkage and ECU. I cleaned both areas out as best I could, and was hoping that this was the cause of the smell. A week later and it seems to be ineffective, I’ve tried turning the heat to maximum in the cabin to dry everything out that way, all this did was cause the MMI screen to start glitching out presumably due to overheating. 
 

I’m at the point now where I’m wondering if it’s ever worth bothering with it anymore or if it’s just a lost cause, it’s just a little sad as it’s only just ticked over to 90,000 miles (3.0 TDI 2011 model)

when I first got the car in 2021 there were very little codes that would pop up that list has grown exponentially. 
 

I’ve not had any trouble with water making its way into the footwells, but sometimes just the general feeling inside of the car is a bit muggy and the seatbelts will feel slightly damp to the touch. 
 

I’ve not got a sunroof that could be causing this.

 

if anybody has any steps that I could take to try and alleviate the problem I’d be very appreciative. 
 

I’ve attached a video just to show what I was dealing with in the scuttle panel blockage. 

 

 


Posted

Have you checked the pollen filter housing? 

When was the AC system last regasssed? 

Is there any water in the wheel well? 

Is there condensation on the inside of the vehicle when you get into it in the morning? 

  • Like 2
Posted

Dion.

There will be a drain for condensed water from the aircon casing, which is why there are often water drips on the ground when the car is parked after a drive in humid conditions. There is a good chance your drain line is blocked. I don't where it is or what form it takes, but you will need to find and unblock it.

  • Like 1
Posted

Hi, I've cleaned the leaves and dirt from the same section in my car recently (just as a preventative maintenance and not due to any issues) and it did not look anywhere near as wet or moist as it does in your video, so as others have said there may be a blocked drain somewhere.

In relation to damp smell, I've had a similar issue in another car (not Audi) and what helped to get rid of it was one of those air con cleaners, which is a small canister that you put in the car and set off with AC/ventilation on full blast for about 10 minutes (it is like a mini smoke bomb). I was sceptical about it before, but in my case it sorted out the damp smell from the air con for good. That said, I don't think it was as bad as yours, as I was not experiencing damp seatbelts or windows fogging up. So you may well have other issues, but for the sake of less than £10 it may be worth a go (I think I bought the aircon cleaner for less than £5 a couple of years ago). 

  • 1 month later...
Posted

Sounds like the AC isn't working properly. I have a similar smell, occasionally, when AC is on & the only fault I have is the air quality sensor is defective. I switch it off mostly now.  I have no idea where it is to inspect it but I believe it needs eithet cleaning or replacing. The smell can be smothered with  an AC bomb as previously mentioned.

 

I'm getting rid of the car soon so it'll have to be another audi owners problem. Its cost me a small fortune recently to maintain it & get it through the last MOT. I use it for work so I need something with less miles. Possibly a Jag next...

Posted

Masking the odour of mould with perfume does not solve the real problem, which is stagnant water. Eventually that water will rot the carpets and rust the steel, so it would be better to get it out of the car.

Posted

I don't think the musty smell is stagnant water in the car as the smell I have is only on the very odd ocasion when the AC is on cool in the summer. My carpets are bone dry all of the time. It's an AC fault for sure. The Audi AC by all accounts, is quite a complicated system.

The musty smell originates from the part of the system where the refrigerant has air blown over it just before entering the cabin, the heater matrix I guess is its name? It has all kinds of germs lurking in it. When the AC is switched off by the fault it allows the air to blow over the nasty germs & enter the cabin. The "AC bomb" filters through the germs killing most but not removing the debris/crud left over which eventually does it again within a few months. 

Posted

Are you aware that water is formed as condensate from all heat exchangers that cool the air passing over them? Refridgerators, freezers, aircon systems all work the same. Whether you call the water stagnant or something else, the odour comes from the mould that grows in it. Most of the green moulds are harmless but smelly, the black and red moulds are less innocuous. Either way the solution is drain the water from the AC as it was designed. Do that and you won't need bombs, perfumes, or other chemicals.

  • Like 1
Posted
On 12/10/2024 at 5:49 PM, cliffcoggin said:

Any progress on this Dion?

Hi Cliff, not as of yet, I did try one of those autoglym sanitizer bombs, and while it smelled really nice initially, it lasted around 1 day before the smell came back. When I took my car for a service at an Audi “Specialist” (whatever that even means), I mentioned about this smell and I would like it to be looked at, the verdict what that he suspected that somebody possibly intentionally poured something down the scuttle panel (like milk) and that could be causing it. I don’t think this is the case. All of the above took place over a year ago. 
 

with it requiring further inspection, and with it being around the Christmas period, it’s an expense that I could do without at the moment. After the new year I will take it in to be looked at, so you think a regular garage would be suitable, or should I go to a place that focuses a lot on AC systems? 

Posted

I imagine that AC specialists would be more knowlegable, though any competant garage, if you can find such a place nowadays, should be able to sort it out. If there is a possibility of contamination by a foreign substance you can try flushing it out with water.

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