beestea

All, I know there have been a few posts on "whats that smell" etc, etc,... I know its some kind of mold build up on part of the air conditioning system, maybe the fins on the condenser? The dealer stole $75 from me the first year I owned the car in attempt to get rid of the smell without any success. I mentioned it to them a few more times and they didn't even attempt to address the issue. Finally one of the service advisors admitted it is a problem with our cars saying the AC creates lots of condensation which never fully dries up and ends up growing mildew, and there was nothing they could do about it.

The best suggestion I saw on here said to take one of those long plant watering wands and open up the glove box as if you are replacing the cabin air filter, and spray bleach down in there on the condenser. Has anyone had success doing this? Anyone know exactly where to spray or how to get to the condenser?

I find myself trying not to use the AC even in humid 85 degree weather because the nasty blast of mildew that comes out every time I turn it on drives me nuts. I even try running the fans (with AC off) before turning off the car every time and it still doesn't fix the problem.

Also, out of curiousity... does anyone have this problem with the newer models or sedans?

JohnEnglish

I've never had the problem with any of the cars I've owned; include my G37.

There are sprays that you can buy at NAPA and the like that'll kill the mildew and remove the smell. However, the problem just may keep coming back. Just make sure that the drain plug for the condensor coil isn't blocked otherwise water won't be able to drain out and it won't dry off.

Your AC system isn't able to dry off properly and there's moisture build up somewhere. The service advisor is feeding you a line of BS becuase they don't want to spend the time and effort to track down the cause of the moisture buildup.

Peyman

iTrader: (5)

i have a funky smell too that comes. is it bad for your health to breathe in that air?

Boomer-Bob

iTrader: (1)

I had a GM product that did that years ago. After Palm Springs in the summer, fixed. :-) Have you tried running the heater for a while? I also saw a DIY on TV years ago where they used a spray that was sucked into the air intake. I can't help but think that introducing the right bio control would fix it.

SFG37S

I have my climate control set at a baseline 70 degrees in auto and only adjust when needed to fit the climate on any given day. Not one bad smell in 3 years of ownership!

Turn it on and blow it out, The smell should go away...................

beestea

I've owned the car almost 4 years now and it has had this problem since the 2nd summer I owned it, which was when it was only 9 or so months old. The dealer used some chemical called fridge refresh or something similar... it smelled great when I picked it up (they had already had the car running when I picked it up) and then the next day when I turned it back on the smell returned.

To be clear the smell is a huge blast of mold/mildew for the first 2 minutes or so everytime i start the car in the summer (if AC is already on) or as soon as I turn on the AC after the car has been running. The smell goes away after a few minutes (99% of it anyhow) but it has been doing this so long now I have started to think the interior of my car kind of smells like the AC.

I tried spraying half a bottle of lysol into the air intake a year or two ago, while the car was running, and heat was on full blast. Once again the second or third time I started the car the smell was back. I replaced the cabin air filter myself, and that didn't do anything.

I guess what I am looking for is someone that had this problem and was actually able to solve it. I'd check for a clogged drain or similar if I knew where to look (I checked the service manual and saw some drainage hose but doubt I could find that based on the drawing).

I guess I'll try the spray in the intake method again with a more specialized product, and if that doesn't work try getting the spray in via the opening when you replace the cabin air filter.

MoonliteMadness

Wurth makes an A/C & Heating System Treatment. I've used it before and had pretty good results. Here is the link:

Wurth A/C & Heating System Treatment

yogregb

iTrader: (7)

^^^^^ good advise... you can also just spray un -scented lysol in your cabin air intake ( below your wipers)

movinon

My cars always have the air-conditioner on. We live in humid SW Florida and have never had a problem yet.
One thing I read about having this problem, on any car in general, was to turn off the air-conditioner a few minutes before you turn off the engine.
This is suppose to help. I never turn my a/c off before I turn off the car.

garthus

I try to turn off the AC about a mile/couple minutes before I get home if i can. It's one of those thing my stepfather told me when I got my first car :-)

fluxemag

This happened to me for the first time yesterday, my wife and I almost choked it smelled so strongly of mildew. There's no way in AZ in the summer I'm turning my AC off, but wow I hope this doesn't continue. I know in Hawaii you always spray the shower with bleach water when you're done otherwise you'll have the same problem. But I can see that ruining something else like my carpeting so not really a good solution. I'll have to look and see if the system is draining under the car next time I'm out. But it sounds like a design flaw where the system won't fully drain each time the AC is run.

Viper62382

iTrader: (2)

Same problem here. Used the stuff at napa etc no avail. maybe the product in the aforementioned link might work, if it actually attacks the mildew and kills it.

AustinG35

This is the best option. Try to remember to turn off the A/C unit some blocks before you stop the engine to allow for the unit to 'dry' out.

cousineddy

When I bought my G, it had this problem, it was really bad. The car is from LA. I sprayed "neutra air" in the air intake. It seemed to help alot. The smell came back a few days later, but is was tolerable. I still get a whiff now and then. My plan is to remove the cabin filter, and soak the inside with this stuff.

Shop LYSOL 10 oz. Neutra Air Fresh at Lowes.com

s2ktoEvo

You guys complicate things way too much.

I fixed this on my car, it's easy. Run your AC with it set on recirculate for a few weeks. It'll cut down on condensation by a large amount and let it dry out. Once it dries out the mold and mildew should die off. You may also want to check the drain and make sure it's not clogged. Might even be beneficial to widen it a bit if it's possible. If you have it set to "fresh air" it has to deal with a lot more humidity than what's in the cabin.

This isn't a turbo. Turning off your AC "for a couple blocks" isn't going to accomplish anything. Take a cup of water and blow on it for a while, let me know how long it takes you evaporate it . Running the ac on recirc is a better option.