Technical Anyone know where the air con recirculate inlet is?

[Doofer]

I'm attempting a very simple job - disinfecting the air con system. I just need to find the air con recirculate inlet, but I'm completely stumped.

I thought I'd found it under the glovebox, but it's an outlet as all the spray dribbled back at me.

The last time I gave up looking and squirted it into the pollen filter housing, but that means it all gathers in the bottom of the fan instead.

Anyone know? I've checked eLearn, ePer and a Vectra C owners manual, no clues given.

 

[Doofer]

Aha - found this on eLearn. I think the diagram is LHD, judging from the position of the pollen filter. So the recirculate inlet is just behind it, so presumably it just draws air from the general area inside the passenger side of the dashboard. Bizarre, unless anyone knows different.

Anyway, the recirculate inlet goes to the same place as the pollen filter. So I may as well go back to plan A and squirt it in the pollen filter housing. I have got the mist-type of spray this time - it was the mousse stuff that wrecked the fan (don't anyone else use it!), so I had to do a complete stripdown and overhaul to get rid of the stuff from the inside of the fan housing.

 

[halilson]

There is a simpler way! You can get a spray that you place inside the car, put the aircon on recirculate and basically leave it for 15 mins.

 

[Doofer]

That's what I was trying to do, but it only works if you squirt it into the recirculate inlet. On most cars it's in the passenger footwell, which is why they tell you to put it there on the instructions. On a Croma this would just make the interior smell for a couple of days, but wouldn't have any effect on the air con system. Arguably a bit would have made its way in, but an insignificant amount at a tiny concentration that would make no difference to the bugs.

I've done it now though - the proper air con spray I got would only spray upwards, so I couldn't use it into the pollen filter inlet. I bought a can of Dettol Neutra Air Citrus from Tesco for £1.60 - Kills 99.9% of bacteria ( http://www.tesco.com/groceries/Product/Details/?id=264943424 ), and squirted the lot into the pollen filter inlet, with the air con on full fan, coldest temp, external air selected, directed to all vents.

It worked a treat. You wouldn't want to drive the car for a couple of hours after, as it smells very toxic. I also got some mist on the windscreen and side windows, but it has evaporated without leaving any mess. It doesn't leave any residue behind, unlike that horrible mousse/foam stuff I used before.