Cheesy feet smell
 

Hi all,

I have this smell coming from my vents when AC is not on, it smells like cheesy feet. I have replaced the cabin filter, tried those fumigation aerosols where you leave the car on recirculate. Does anyone know what could be causing the smell?

Leave the ac on auto permanently and check the evaporator drain is clear.
In this weather, you should get a nice puddle of water condensate under the car when stationary with ac on and engine running.

An accumulation of decaying matter which requires physical removal.
How filthy was the filter element when you removed it?
Are your evaporator drains clear?

Could it be in fact, your feet?
It's been pretty warm recently :D

Cheers

A pool of water does accumulate below the car after using the AC in hot weather.

And attached is a picture of the old filter (be warned, it's gross)

Please note the smell is only when AC is off

The evaporator is kept at a temperature of (and don’t quote me on the decimals...) 3C or less to avoid bacterial build up.
If the gas is low or you don’t use the Auto mode, there are many many opportunities for this bacterial growth to develop. As stated above, leave it on Auto and don’t mess with it.

I don't think it's an issue with the gas, the AC blows ice cold and gets cold almost immediately.

As suggested, leave it on.
That's how the system is designed to be used.

To all the people saying just to leave it on - a system, especially in a premium marque such as Volvo should work whether it's on or off.
Leave it on auto and "don't mess with it" doesn't make any sense either. If that's the way it's "supposed to work", there would be any controls other than temperature.

Evidently with the problems encountered when off, something is wrong and needs seeing to.

Cheers

Is there anything on this? The smell is genuinely unbearable and makes me gag sometimes. It's also embarrassing to have passengers.