Mildew Smell With Airconditioning

[dirtydeeds]

2004 Hyundai Sante Fe
Has anyone had a problem with a mildew smell while operating the Air conditioning unit? My wife has been complaining about it and I have a terrible sniffer! Any Thoughts?

[twospirits]

This has been mentioned before by a few Santa Fe owners and it seems like it can be a few itmes.
1-Dead leaves (from the fall) or petals (from the spring) that have entered the air ducts and decay after a while and thus produce the mold/mildew in the air conditioning ducts.
2-If you use the air conditioning all the time or most of the time and keep it on until the very last minute up to turning off the vehcile the condensation buildup can start the process of mildew/mold.

Solutions recommended by owners and dealerships:
1-make sure you remove any leaves from the bottom of the windsheild each and everytime you enter leave the vehicle. This will stop any leaves breaking apart into smaller pieces that can go into the ducts.
2-turn off your air conditioning unit about a minute or two before you plan on turning off the vehicle.

Aside all of that, I 've also heard spraying the interior cabin vents with pledge (or any anti static spray also), but I have not tried that method. I use #2 turning off the ac a minute or two before my final destination.

Hope it helps, their may be other suggestions by other members.

TS out