Random smell

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Weird one I know.

Took the car in for a service. Since then there has been a weird smell in the car.

Random I know.

Any ideas?

Someone said some dealers release a gas through the aircon to disinfect or such like since covid. Not sure how much I believe that tbh

[SRGTD]

I think some VW dealers have been doing a ‘special price’ on an air con refresh; the dealer I use was advertising a special offer price of £19 instead of their usual price of £29 when I took my car in for its service a month ago. Was there an item on your service invoice showing an air con refresh?

If a customer has the air con refresh, I assuming the dealer uses one of those air con cleaner bombs. I don’t know what sort of odour it leaves in the car after it’s be used though or how long the smell lasts; I think they’re available in different fragrances, so the smell in the car would depend on which one they use.

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Will have to check the invoice and see.

If so will contact them as it’s not bad but not nice. Hard to describe…

[DCmk3]

They probably replaced the cabin pollen filter and sprayed some AC odour removal style chemicals on it.

[AGB]

Weird one I know.

Took the car in for a service. Since then there has been a weird smell in the car.

Random I know.

Any ideas?

Someone said some dealers release a gas through the aircon to disinfect or such like since covid. Not sure how much I believe that tbh

I had something similar happen to me. My weird was unpleasant - it was like a damp dog or forgotten wet rag smell was being piped into the car. Really mouldy/musty chewy smell. Car had done around 7,500 miles at the time and always kept in a garage. No food ever consumed in it so pretty much still smelt new when it went in.

I checked (sniffed) all the air filters and intakes to ensure that I hadn't collected roadkill. I never got to the bottom of it but the dealer did disinfect the aircon as part of servicing. I ended up buying my own air con disinfectant and resanitised everything. It sorted the problem out. The aircon disinfectant is generally very neutral in odour profile and any trace of it is usually gone within 24 hours. I used Liqui Moly Klima Fresh if that's of any help.

When I lived in London, I had a diseased cat that had crawled into the engine bay of my GTI. It must have been looking for warmth and it then died on top of the engine cover. When I turned the ignition on and the fans started. The smell. Oh. the. smell. Opened the bonnet and I couldn't quite believe it. Gave new meaning to 'decatting'. 

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Thanks. Nothing shows on my invoice so I am going to call them.  Think this is what it must be.

[AGB]

Thanks. Nothing shows on my invoice so I am going to call them.  Think this is what it must be.

I suspect it's to do with cleaning, not the deodoriser. The disinfectant is super neutral. I was in the garage this morning and have a can of the VW one. I gave a little squirt into the cap. It has a clean, antiseptic but not unpleasant smell.

If you get to the bottom of it, let me know. The only thing I could think was that they'd wiped down with a grubby rag or used a blower, pushed some of the contents of the filter into the ventilation and then when they disinfected, it got wet and that's the mouldy smell.

[CookieMonsterGTi]

Nothing was done with the aircon during the service, I checked.

Aircon is always on.

Maybe I will run it on hot for a while and try one of those bombs as mentioned above.

Don’t think it needs regarding as it kicks out cold still.

Only other thing I can think is the cabin filter.

[AGB]

Nothing was done with the aircon during the service, I checked.

Aircon is always on.

Maybe I will run it on hot for a while and try one of those bombs as mentioned above.

Don’t think it needs regarding as it kicks out cold still.

Only other thing I can think is the cabin filter.

Is it a bad musty smell or just different to what you're used to?

I had a mechanic who must have bathed in cheap cologne working on an old car of mine - it smelt like a tart's handbag for ages. He must have sprayed it while in the car but I was amazed at how it hung around.