AC Disinfection: Why It's Not Working!

Hello everyone,

My air conditioning system (Opel Zafira Tourer, manufactured in 2012) is driving me crazy.
Of course, I've read the search results and specialized articles, so here's the background information first:

I was already familiar with the unpleasant smell from my old Passat, so I first tried the "spray can in the footwell" method, which worked for a whole two days.
Then we went to another doctor who did the same thing with a substance similar to Sagrotan, but after a few days, the watery eyes and unpleasant smell returned.
Then I located the evaporator, drilled a hole in it, inspected the interior with an endoscope camera, and treated it with LM air conditioning cleaner along with a spray hose.
It ultimately took a full two weeks , BUT over the past three days, the air conditioning compressor has been off, and we've had constant rain, resulting in high humidity. And today, when I started the car, that musty smell is back, and the burning eyes and scratchy throat were also present again after just a few minutes of driving }.

It's simply not possible with four kids in the car!
The evaporator looked quite verschandeln inside, and the pollen filter was still relatively new. I can only think of one possible solution that might work: a cleaning foam that expands well, collapses after a few minutes, and then carries bacteria and mold out through the condensate drain. Amazon offers some products like this, but unfortunately, the reviews are contradictory.

Therefore, here are my questions for you:

Does anyone know of a similar product that you would recommend?
Where else could the problem be located besides the atomizer?

I can rule out the water tank because there's no unpleasant smell or dirt coming from it, and the activated carbon interior filter would either not allow any odors to pass through or only let them through very faintly.

I consistently manually dry the air conditioning system for 10-15 minutes before the end of each journey, but it doesn't seem to help. In the mornings, especially in autumn, humid air often comes out of the system and condenses on the lower inside surface of the windshield. However, the condensate drain is clear: when I pour water into the drilled "cleaning hole" of the evaporator casing, it drains properly at the corresponding point under the vehicle.

I'm completely helpless here. Does anyone have any advice?

Thank you!

Hi,

The pollen filter can also smell bad even if it looks okay visually. It should be replaced every 1-2 years.

Best regards, Rainer.

Hello and thank you very much for the quick reply .

I thought the same thing, which is why I replaced and installed a new cabin air filter after the first cleaning using the under-seat spray can. That was back in November, so about half a year ago.
In my opinion, the previous owner probably had a very clogged filter at some point, because you can see that dust was sucked past the edge of the filter and into the filter housing. Of course, I also cleaned the inside of the housing, but it wasn't easy; I got a few scratches on my hands because there isn't much space in there, and some of the ribs used to stiffen the housing had sharp edges.

Do you happen to know of any spray foam cleaners that work well?
I once had one in a roughly 12cm tall, green-yellow container with a brass head at the end of the tube, but I can't remember the manufacturer's name (it was over ten years ago). The logo was something like a car viewed from the front, similar to the well-known sign for "Automobile Repair Shop."

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"LG" can be translated as "Best regards" or "Sincerely". It is a common abbreviation for "Liebe Grüße", which means "Warm greetings" in English.

Sorry, I sometimes used a little bit of Febreze spray, but I'm not sure what kind.

Best regards, Rainer.

"Petec 71350" is the name of the foam product in the green-yellow can with a nozzle applicator. It receives very positive reviews from customers.
Bacteria and fungi accumulate in the condensate that forms on the evaporator as a result of its operation, especially when the car is parked in the summer and this water becomes lukewarm. These microorganisms are the cause of the unpleasant odor.
If the chemical approach doesn't work, you might want to try something else.
You could check if the condensate drain on the vehicle is not blocked.
In connection with dealing with unpleasant odors in the car, it can also be helpful to adopt a different usage pattern when using the air conditioning. Try turning it off about 1 kilometer before reaching your destination so that the evaporator can dry out before the car is parked.

Thank you, Steffen.

I'll order the medication/remedy.

After my first experience with a musty smell from the air conditioning (over 10 years ago), I started getting into the habit of turning off the air conditioner and opening the windows to ventilate for a few kilometers before reaching my destination. It's definitely not due to how I use it; however, it was a used car, and it probably sat on the dealer's lot for a while with a damp evaporator.
The car initially still smelled of the typical disinfectant used by ADAC (called ÖAMTC in this country), so I suspect it was noticeable during the car's preparation. However, the smell gradually faded and was replaced by the fish stick odor. It seems to be a really persistent issue.

The condensation water drains well; I observed this last year and also tested it during my cleaning attempt two weeks ago. I'll use an endoscope to take a look inside after applying the foam cleaner, specifically after the AC has been running for over half an hour, and then again after letting it dry for 5-10 minutes using the ventilation function. For safety's sake, I'll also replace the activated carbon filter at the same time.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"LG" can be translated as "Best regards" or "Sincerely". It is a common abbreviation for "Liebe Grüße", which means "Warm greetings" in English.

Are you sure the smell is coming from the air vents or ventilation shafts?

Here's a short anecdote:
My wife's Polo also smelled musty with a pungent odor for a long time. So, my logical conclusion was that the air conditioning system was moldy. I then disinfected the AC using those cans you place in front of the intake manifold, and the result was the same as yours: it started smelling musty again after a very short time. After extensive research, I came across this product: http://www.tunap.com/tunap-automotive/sortiment/klima-service/. This approach treats not only the evaporator but also the ventilation ducts. There are videos on YouTube showing how the treatment is carried out.

Here's the translation:

"First of all:"
I didn't even get to that step initially due to lack of time, because I had to thoroughly vacuum the car in the meantime, and for that purpose, I bought this attachment: http://www.bendel.de/index.php?option=com_hikashop&ctrl=product&task=show&cid=19&name=tornador-beast&Itemid=151&category_pathway=0&related_product=12&lang=de. After thoroughly ***blowing-vacuuming***, the unpleasant odors were gone.

In addition, I would search the interior for any rotting food.

No more unpleasant odors after using the foam!
However, I've now been to the car wash twice, or driven in wet weather, and afterwards it smells again, but only faintly.
So, it's probably the water tank after all? At least I can no longer rule it out as a possible cause...
Does anyone know how to get under that cover?
I couldn't find any exploded diagrams or instructions online .

Best regards,
macro

Hello there,
I have always disinfected my air conditioning systems using an ozone generator.
I put it in the footwell for 20 minutes, then let it air out for about an hour, and usually that was enough to resolve the issue.
You don't necessarily have to buy it right away; many workshops offer this service for around €20.

Sincerely,

Well, I've considered that too, BUT here in the south of Austria, there's only one professional cleaning company, and they steam verschandeln the entire car for almost 90 euros. They don't just do the air conditioning, and besides, they have this "new car smell" deodorizer that smells so incredibly strong; I wouldn't subject my car or myself to that. After my brother-in-law smoked in my wife's car, he had to pay for an ozone treatment, but even after six months, the smell still bothers me. It's not as strong anymore, but it's still there...

I'm going to carefully try to remove the cover from the water tank. That lingering smell seems to be coming from outside, especially when rainwater is inside.

Sure, here is the translation of the text from German to English:

"LG" can be translated as "Best regards" or "Sincerely". It is a common abbreviation for "Liebe Grüße", which means "Warm greetings" in English.