Foul Smell from Blower / Fan / HVAC

navin · 19th July 2007, 11:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by msdivy

navin, check this thread: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/techni...hc-2004-a.html

thanks. but the real issue is how to get Honda to cooperate and fix this. After all the car is still UNDER WARRANTY.

the odour in question goes away if teh car is not used. it is only present if the car is used with the blowwer. when the Air con is on the smell reduces but one can still smell it. we are very sure it is fungal. (my friend - owner of the car is a dentist and this is a smell she has experienced before only not in a car).

viper · 19th July 2007, 11:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin

thanks. but the real issue is how to get Honda to cooperate and fix this. After all the car is still UNDER WARRANTY.

Hi Navin,

There is a solution which worked for me. There is a can of AC Neutraliser spray available in the market. All you need to do is empty the contents of the can equally into each vent and wait for 15-20 mins. Takes care of bacteria as well and has that new car smell later.

Costs approx Rs650-750/-

Viper
PS - Its a DIY and no worries about warranty.

Jaggu · 19th July 2007, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by navin

Since it was delivered the she gets a bad smell (fishy-farty) when she uses the blower. When the A/C compressor is ON the smell is less but when the thermostat cuts off and it is only the blower is ON the smell is intolerable.

navin i think both (your freinds and the link) are not the same issue, in your friends car it might be the condensation water inside the ac blower thats giving this smell, may not be the exhaust.

If the water drain is ok, only thing one can do is use some good deo/room freshner or car perfume. Ambipure and stuff helps.

You can ask her spray her fav perfume or deo inside the ac went, this will atleast change the odour, also do wipe of the residue on top of the vent so that it doesnt leave any marks.

Rtech · 19th July 2007, 11:44

I think the point here is, a person bought a brand new premium luxury car that costs more than 10 lakhs. They now have a car that stinks when they use the AC, and the company cannot find a solution to this problem even after attending to it on numerous occasions.

Spraying some perfume to cover that foul smell is not really a solution in the long run. Honda should do something about this. They cannot just raise their hands up in the air and say nothing's worked so you gotto live with it!

viper · 19th July 2007, 11:49

Navin,

if you want to escalate the issue I know the owner of Arya Honda or alternately you can speak to the Honda Zonal office in Mumbai and make a complaint to them. their number is 22-67895007.

You will get a very prompt call back once you complain and am sure they will solve the problem for you.

Viper

navin · 19th July 2007, 12:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by viper

if you want to escalate the issue I know the owner of Arya Honda or alternately you can speak to the Honda Zonal office in Mumbai and make a complaint to them. their number is 22-67895007.

thanks dude. I will call them tomorrow. if that dont work I'll need your help. BTW Jiggy, she is the same person who you met about the OHC.

navin · 19th July 2007, 13:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rtech

I think the point here is, a person bought a brand new premium luxury car that costs more than 10 lakhs....Honda should do something about this. They cannot just raise their hands up in the air and say nothing's worked so you gotto live with it!

That's the point!!!

Mayavi · 19th July 2007, 21:36

Navin, try this link Frigi-Clean Scam

It is due to mould/spores formed in the evaporator due to the moisture removed from cool air. Manufacturers coat the insides of the evaporator with a kind of chemical that prevents mold formation. Some cars start smelling after 100,000 KM and they are coated with the chemical again. Seems in your friends case the evaporator was not coated and since it is damp weather in India now, mold has formed.

navin · 20th July 2007, 09:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mayavi

Navin, try this link Frigi-Clean Scam
...Some cars start smelling after 100,000 KM ...

well this car has smelt foul since the day it was purchansed. at first we thought that it would go in a day then we asked Arya to clean it and for the past 8 months it has gone back and forht to Arya 6-7 times. sometimes they keep it for 3 days sometimes 7 and once for 10 days. If you add up all the time it has spent with Arya it would probably total up to 2 months!

esteem_lover · 20th July 2007, 09:20

Did you try checking if the smell emanates from the interiors/under the carpets ? sometimes the air throw from the AC which merely recirculates the air inside the cabin could make you feel that the odour is coming from the AC.

Jaggu · 20th July 2007, 09:35

yup check carpets also, some rubber/plastic also give smell when new.

Agree to RT's point of 10 lakh car, but i think none of these manufacturers care a damn to finer things like this.

akash_m · 20th July 2007, 10:20

Strange as it may sound, but i too had a similar problem in my swift which persisted for about 1 month, only to discover a dead lizard stuck deep in the AC vents!

Do take a torch and check all the vents (including foot vents) for any such thing!

(dont know how the lizard got there though!

)

jack7 · 20th July 2007, 10:45

You could also get in touch with Honda Seil if nobody seems to be responding. They will ensure that the Dealers take responsibility.

Honda One 2 one : 1800 113 121

navin · 20th July 2007, 10:52

The smell is from the blower. If it was from the carpets it would be there even if the car was not used for 10 days. It is definitely fungal and from the blower. the issue here is how to get Honda to co-operate.

Jack, thanks for the numbers. Anyone got a contact name?

tadukuttan · 20th July 2007, 11:38

I have seen the neutralizer spray at work. I think it is part of one of those interior shampooing jobs at Advaith Hyundai, Bangalore. Very effective. What they did is pour it into all the A/C vents, wait for some time, and then turn the blower on. A humongous amount of froth comes out, and hopefully, takes the stinking bacteria out with it. And some 3 guys stand guard at all the vents to wipe away the froth which comes out. I am sure Honda Service knows about this, or better.

And have also seen this happens on new cars when owners either run with only the fan for long periods of time, or in Climate Controlled cars, when the outside temperature is low, and the blowers work at very low speeds for long periods of time. And too much moisture adds to the trouble.

19th July 2007, 11:44	#34
Rtech Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 5,770 Thanked: 359 Times View My Garage	I think the point here is, a person bought a brand new premium luxury car that costs more than 10 lakhs. They now have a car that stinks when they use the AC, and the company cannot find a solution to this problem even after attending to it on numerous occasions. Spraying some perfume to cover that foul smell is not really a solution in the long run. Honda should do something about this. They cannot just raise their hands up in the air and say nothing's worked so you gotto live with it!
	() Thanks

19th July 2007, 11:49	#35
viper BANNED Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Mumbai Posts: 1,773 Thanked: 19 Times	Navin, if you want to escalate the issue I know the owner of Arya Honda or alternately you can speak to the Honda Zonal office in Mumbai and make a complaint to them. their number is 22-67895007. You will get a very prompt call back once you complain and am sure they will solve the problem for you. Viper
	() Thanks

19th July 2007, 21:36	#38
Mayavi BHPian Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Scottsdale Posts: 682 Thanked: 9 Times View My Garage	Navin, try this link Frigi-Clean Scam It is due to mould/spores formed in the evaporator due to the moisture removed from cool air. Manufacturers coat the insides of the evaporator with a kind of chemical that prevents mold formation. Some cars start smelling after 100,000 KM and they are coated with the chemical again. Seems in your friends case the evaporator was not coated and since it is damp weather in India now, mold has formed.
	() Thanks

20th July 2007, 09:20	#40
esteem_lover Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Madras/Py Posts: 7,556 Thanked: 502 Times View My Garage	Did you try checking if the smell emanates from the interiors/under the carpets ? sometimes the air throw from the AC which merely recirculates the air inside the cabin could make you feel that the odour is coming from the AC.
	() Thanks

20th July 2007, 09:35	#41
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,906 Times	yup check carpets also, some rubber/plastic also give smell when new. Agree to RT's point of 10 lakh car, but i think none of these manufacturers care a damn to finer things like this.
	() Thanks

20th July 2007, 10:20	#42
akash_m BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: Noida Posts: 257 Thanked: 101 Times	Strange! Strange as it may sound, but i too had a similar problem in my swift which persisted for about 1 month, only to discover a dead lizard stuck deep in the AC vents! Do take a torch and check all the vents (including foot vents) for any such thing! (dont know how the lizard got there though! )
	() Thanks

20th July 2007, 10:45	#43
jack7 BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 100 Thanked: Once	You could also get in touch with Honda Seil if nobody seems to be responding. They will ensure that the Dealers take responsibility. Honda One 2 one : 1800 113 121
	() Thanks

20th July 2007, 10:52	#44
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,196 Thanked: 9,296 Times	The smell is from the blower. If it was from the carpets it would be there even if the car was not used for 10 days. It is definitely fungal and from the blower. the issue here is how to get Honda to co-operate. Jack, thanks for the numbers. Anyone got a contact name?
	() Thanks

20th July 2007, 11:38	#45
tadukuttan BHPian Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Bangalore Posts: 241 Thanked: 24 Times	I have seen the neutralizer spray at work. I think it is part of one of those interior shampooing jobs at Advaith Hyundai, Bangalore. Very effective. What they did is pour it into all the A/C vents, wait for some time, and then turn the blower on. A humongous amount of froth comes out, and hopefully, takes the stinking bacteria out with it. And some 3 guys stand guard at all the vents to wipe away the froth which comes out. I am sure Honda Service knows about this, or better. And have also seen this happens on new cars when owners either run with only the fan for long periods of time, or in Climate Controlled cars, when the outside temperature is low, and the blowers work at very low speeds for long periods of time. And too much moisture adds to the trouble.
	(1) Thanks