Vauxhall Astra G Petrol (1998 - 2004) - 2003 - Air conditioning - making us feel unwell?

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Fri 14 Dec 2007 16:14
2003 - Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Tron
Hi,

Just purchased a 2003 Astra Elegance estate (Petrol/dual fuel LPG). 1598cc 5 speed manual.

Can the air conditioning system be the sole cause (as suggested by my GP) of the nausea, headaches, cold/flu like symptoms that my partner and I have started to jointly encounter since using this vehicle?

Can the whole of the air intake including the air conditioning system be disinfected in anyway?

If so ? how?

Even after just short journeys I am leaving the vehicle ?not feeling as well as I did? when I first got in.

When used for extended periods with the ECO [this means the air con is disabled] displayed the whole system is leaving us with exceptionally dry skin (even worse when you use the air con) and is causing us both to have breathing difficulties.

Edited by Dynamic Dave on 14/12/2007 at 18:30

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Fri 14 Dec 2007 16:15
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Pugugly {P}
Are you sure its not Carbon Monoxide....?!!!!
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 16:20
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Tron
Are you sure its not Carbon Monoxide....?!!!!>>


That is a very frightening thought (as he is typing he is getting the Carbon monoxide detector from kitchen) but a real one that has to be looked at ? did not think of that one.
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 16:28
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Pugugly {P}
I maybe scaremongering. Not sure of the CO content of a catalysed engine unless its leaking pre-catalyst. These are the words of a worrier not an expert !
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 16:43
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - bell boy
you say it has dual fuel as well
get the car checked out soonest
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 16:45
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Screwloose
PU

There should be little, or no, CO post-cat if the emissions system is working efficiently.

However; if there is an exhaust leak pre-cat, then not only is there the possibility of CO leakage there; but a co-ingress of oxygen will cause significant quantities of CO post-cat too. [If you want a headache, I'll explain the mechanism on request - but it isn't straightforward....]

Two points come to mind on this car. One is spores from mould in the evaporator - disinfectant products are available from an A/C service centre - and the second is valeting chemicals evaporating from the upholstery.
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 17:18
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Ruperts Trooper
If you've eliminate CO poisoning, check the pollen filter - it should be changed every 20,000 miles or 2 years but some Vauxhall dealers don't change it as it's fiddly.

If you change the filter yourself, get some air-con cleanser, from most car accessory shops - it needs to circulate without the filter in for 20 mins and then put the new filter in.

Edited by Ruperts Trooper on 14/12/2007 at 17:19

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Fri 14 Dec 2007 17:32
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - robert
Check that you havn't got the air re-circulate switch on!
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 18:01
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Altea Ego
If here are no smells, and givent he symtomps, the possibility that the air is too dry has to be looked at. If you run the aircon for too long on recirculation mode it will take all the moisture out of the air.

Result? dry eyes, sore throats, sinusitus, headaches, dry cough.
------
< Ulla>
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 18:02
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Tron
Check that you have not got the air re-circulate switch on!>>


Nope! Done that already.

Having looked on the internet and read the replies here - I am booking the car in to have the aircon 'hit wif a big hammer mate' at www.car-air-con.co.uk/ as I am not comfortable (and totally fed up of feeling so un well every time we use it)
that all is working as it should be.

I will certainly be changing the pollen filter (buying this from Unipart as they are a lot cheaper than Halfords) and checking air intakes myself tomorrow though.

Thank you to all for your help :)
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 18:27
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Alby Back
When aircon was a new thing on "normal" cars, I used to only switch it on if I felt too hot. Therefore it lay idle for much of the year. I noticed however, that after the first "switch on" when the warmer weather came I always got a cold. I seem to remember reading somewhere that it can be the case that bacteria gather in unused aircon systems. Nowadays my car happens to have "climate control" so I just leave it on all the time as it seems to help even in winter to keep mist off the windows. I know ther is an effect on fuel consmption but according to the trip computer it is only marginal in my car. A small price to pay for comfort, vision and lack of colds IMO.
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Fri 14 Dec 2007 18:34
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Dynamic Dave
>>> I will certainly be changing the pollen filter (buying this from Unipart as they are
a lot cheaper than Halfords)


You'll find buying one from Vauxhall will be just as cheap. Something like £9 or £10 when I bought one back in the summer.

Here's some fitting instructions, btw.

www.puravent.co.uk/filters/dispfilter.pl?id=87

or if you want some picture guidance:

www.astraownersclub.com/vb/showthread.php?t=96753

Scroll down and click on 'How To'..... Change the Pollen Filter

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Fri 14 Dec 2007 20:11
Air conditioning - making us feel unwell? - Tron
DD & all,

That was spot on info you gave me - many thanks for the help!

My last Astra was the Swing Mk3 (1998 1.4 5 speed manual) - tomorrow I would have been in the engine compartment 'looking' for something that just was not there - need I say more?!
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