vrinner

So we have a 2016 C450. Just under 12,000 miles on the car and the A/C had the dreaded mold smell. Wife "hates" the car because of this...it's her car by the way. She is ready to just trade it in on something else and everything else we drive(that we can afford) power wise doesn't compare to the C450 but interiors are all pretty nice.

I've seen various threads on what to do...Keep it in Auto Mode...Blow A/C on high for two minutes before turning off the car...Spray chems in the fresh air intake.

Any other suggestions?

Chaznik

Tried something like this?

https://www.theultimatefinish.co.uk/...e-fresher.aspx

Jujigatame

It's actually pretty easy to fix.

You can use either Kool-It


Or Klima Cleaner:


They're both pretty easy to use. You either go under the car and insert the hose up the evaporator drain, or take out the cabin air filter and put the hose up there to get to the coil.

Then spray it, let it sit, and run the AC for 10 minutes.

It's best to do it every year.

Alternatively, you can have Jiffy Lube do it for about $50.

FWIW, the stuff you spray in the vents is useless.

vrinner

Looking under the car with all the panels covering stuff up...where is the evaporator drain?

DoorHandle_LED

Maybe try running an ozone generator in the car with the doors closed, setting the AC on high, and air re-circulation turned on. You can get a powerful ozone generator for $50 on ebay.

ygmn

Take to dealer and complain under warranty.

RichardCranium3

lol, funny timing...today while driving to a rural hospital for a meeting, I was passing an area where the road was being resurfaced (one lane and had to be lead by a pilot car through the section), and it was along side a cattle farm. The smell was terrible so I hit the recirculate button and was fed with what I'll call "stale sweaty ***" stank. While I feel your wife's pain, it's much less hassle to rid the car of the smell than the whole car.

Alas, I'll be doing something to fix the smell soon too.

vrinner

Did...they said "It's normal for these cars. Run the AC on high a couple of minutes before you turn the car off" Wife complained but they said it's normal. Grrrr..

I agree, the car is so much nicer than anything else she has looked at. For the money this is a damn sweet ride.

I'll give some of those other suggestions a try.

ygmn

NOT NORMAL for a car to smell like CRAP..

Take it back and keep complaining.
find another dealer.

Have them show you in manual where is says to run AC high etc...
Have them show you in manual where it is OK for car to stink..

Not yoru fault the design is crappy and it stinks but you want it fixed... on their dime...

find another dealer call MBUSA...

This is not acceptable..
Like having MOLD in your house... not Acceptable!

netboy

you doing it WRONG, that's why. you supposed to turn OFF AC a few minutes before arriving at destination.

Harold1898

I hope you get it fixed. I think the suggestions about turining it off or leaving it running are not what you should be following. The fact is the car ought not to have this problem. I would definitely take it to the dealer and tell them it is not normal and you want it fixed. For them to tell you it is normal for a Benz to smell is stupid. I have have 5 MB and none of them have smelt. My son has told me my driving stinks at times but that is different!

Jujigatame

Easiest way is to look under the car while the AC is running. You'll see the dripping.

On my C43 Cabriolet, it's right by the Cat, so you have to do it when the car is cool. This car is pretty tough to get under so I had to jack it up. On my E350 it was WAY easier, and on my GLS it's super easy.

It's easier on the C43 to take the cabin air filter out (the one underneath the glovebox) put the hose up there and let her rip. Make sure to cover the footwell with plastic, and put a drip pan under the evaporator drain as the foam will leak out.

When I did it last, a black slime came out or the drain and now the AC smells fine.

My dealer will do this cleaning for somewhere over $100, so I'm pretty surprised yours didn't even mention it, or said it's normal.

Like I said before, Jiffy Lube will do it too for a lot less than the dealer. Many local garages will be happy to put your car up on the ramp and spray it in for you for next to nothing if you bring the can.

It does have to be done yearly, ESPECIALLY if you garage the car. It's not so much of a problem if the car is left outside during the humid months.

Shaking

It's like 'netboy' said: This is stated in every manual. Switch off the air conditioning (the cooling, not the vans) 5 minutes before you reach the final destination, all condensation will evaporate, This way no mold can develop.