boom132

ECk... my AC smells like ***!! UGH!

Sportstick

It may require cleaning at the dealership. If you don't already do so, once cleaned, set it to AUTO and leave that alone, unless you are using a moment of MAXCOOL or MAXDEFROST, and then go back to AUTO. Just set the temperature to your comfort on the dial. The system knows better how to maintain itself to keep moisture low and prevent the buildup of mold causing the smell.

aznmode

Haha I was wondering this whole time I owned Mercedes where that smell was coming from. Good to know. I did notice it shows up after it rains so automatically I thought that was the reason and just accepted it.

vertex

cabin filter fixed my problem.

Project C

my friend bought 2008 c200 till now. just reach 200,000km
He's been leaving his AC in Auto since Day 1 and had only change cabin filter twice
only smell i got is the grey interior leather similar like crayon
just did his major , cam and belt service pipes etc. cost 3000usd

Sportstick

Seems to be the common experience....I've been on AUTO for 5.5 years, since day 1 new, and no smells ever from HVAC.

Project C

Now i'm worried, i have been rollin around in manual for 1.5 years
always wondering why there's a smell till i saw this thread...

Sportstick

The only proper use of a manual for this car is the transmission!!

Project C

too bad my place only offer lower spec vehicle

J__

one trick is to spray lysol in the air intake vents under the wipers with the heat running. It'll make your car smell like lysol for a while but it kills all the bacteria built up from the condensation.

Danerb

I had the same problem a couple of years ago. I tried the Lysol trick and it masked the bad smell for a while but it kept coming back. While doing some maintenance I noticed that the battery was leaking. I replaced the battery and neutralized the acid with baking soda and I no longer had the smell. The battery is directly under the fresh air intake so if it emits fumes, you are going to breathe them.

centfl-c300spt

Had a funky smell too, but I just changed my cabin filter with a new, charcoal one and its gone. Faint crayon smell, but used to that as I had an Audi before.

Now, my Audi had a real funk to it, esp. in the summer here in Florida. After about 2 yrs of owning it, the AC compressor took a crap and I took it to an Audi dealer for repair. They told me the system had mold all through it and instead of just replacing the compressor they had to replace the evaporator, condenser, lines, almost the whole system. Luckily, I had an extended warranty and it was covered, $2500 repair after $200 deductible and $250 difference in Audi covered rebuilt compressor and used compressor from warranty company.