dennij wrote:

Services like this are available nationwide, generally for under £20

The Air Conditioning Clean service removes all the harmful bacteria that can build up within the air conditioning system. By circulating a special cleaner through all air intakes and venting systems this service removes any unpleasant smells, leaving your car interior smelling clean and fresh. We recommend that this service is carried out once a year in order to keep your air conditioning system as clean as possible.

Personally, I'd just have a quick peek to see that the filter has been changed. If all okay, try one of those aircon cleaners. I've used them before and they do work well. The ones I used, you just left the engine running and the aircon on max and recirculate (very important) and then pull the tab on the cleaner and place on the passenger footwell. Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Car booked back in again. The air con service was ~ £40 - £50 so it shouldn't smell after only 1 week !

Deano64 wrote:

Don't see why not, if they want repeat custom and they have a good reputation

First time I've used an Indy for this car

They said they'll have another look, but the air con regas involved replacing all the air. Maybe only that was done and the vents cleaning were not done. Anyway, it runs cool , there are condensation pools under the car so it might just need a AC bomb as well. Carpets are fine, sound deadening fine, car is always vacced every week. A second check by the garage can't harm.

The reason I asked them to service the air con was because of the stale smell in the first place

An aircon regas is recharging the sealed system with refrigerant (often crudely!) Nothing to do with the smell. Only needs doing if it's not blowing cold air.

An aircon service sounds like it's just letting off an aircon bomb in the interior.

That's what I thought ! I asked for a AC service and they kept saying regas. It was cold enough !
I'll try the Comma AC bomb I have before going back to garage next week and see if it helps
I hope the garage aren't pulling a fast one on a new customer

Don't want to put you off or anything, but a previous car I had developed a stale musty smell from the air con. I was recommended Einszett Klima Cleaner, which is an aerosol with a long tube that you feed into your main fascia vents before emptying the contents. Was fine until I pulled the tube out and a lump of 'stuff' came flying out, missed me and landed on the seat :

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

Nice. It's 4 years old, so wouldn't expect that. It's not musty - just a dry stale smell difficult to describe. Just used some Comma stuff and see what that does.

It's called dirty sock syndrome!

Deano64 wrote:

Car booked back in again. The air con service was ~ £40 - £50 so it shouldn't smell after only 1 week !

Typical high street offer

http://www.halfordsautocentres.com/air-con...on-service FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

Steve D wrote:

Deano64 wrote:

Car booked back in again. The air con service was ~ £40 - £50 so it shouldn't smell after only 1 week !

So what was it £40 or £50? Either way, for that, you'd only get the system emptied, vacuum tested for leaks and refilled with the correct weight of gas and lubricant. No way would you get a system refresh for that.

The pics from Shiggsy looks like mould to me,this especially through a heating and cooling system can be very bad for health. I'm no doctor but I think it's something to be concerned about.

I had this in another car. After much investigation and visits to the garage it turned out to be a weeping joint on a heater pipe which was allowing a tiny amount of coolant to escape and the pong was from the antifreeze in the coolant. Sorted the joint and this cured the problem.

J