Air conditioning smells musty or mouldy

The typical musty smell when you switch on the air conditioning comes from bacteria and mould that build up on the damp evaporator inside the dashboard. A simple first step: during the last few minutes before switching the engine off, run just the fan (with the air conditioning off) so the evaporator can dry out. For a more thorough solution, specialist air conditioning cleaning sprays are available that are sprayed in through the fresh air intake – the instructions describe the exact steps. Also replace the cabin air filter (pollen filter), which can often be changed cheaply at home. If the smell persists, a workshop can carry out professional disinfection.