Litigator201

Each time I start my 2008 CLK 350 a stale or other unpleasant smell comes through the a/c vents. It lasts only a few seconds but, is not a nice smell. Any ideas as to the cause and how to eliminate. I just had a Class B service done on the car a few weeks ago. Thanks in advance for any ideas/comments.

sweet jones

same thing happens in my 2004 500. any ideas besides the cabin air filter?

raymond g-

if it is s slight chemically sweet, mildewy smell, as is prevalent with the 210s,
it is likely to be the accumulation of water in the ac condenser, and which
sits and mildew forms. so the trick would be to search in the forum(s) for
mildew killing tips.

what leaves me scratching my head is why MB continues with a design which
causes so much consternation, year after year.

kill the source. if you simply use the charcoal filter etc, it masks the symptoms
but the origin remains unabated

CarLK500

my 500 does the same thing - replaced the charcoal filters, didn't help a bit. changed the cabin filter, nothing. i have some detail rags stuffed in the cabin filter canister (under the hood) and that makes a nicer smell, but i am the second owner and i now think the first owner (lease) smoked in the car... all i can think of is tearing apart the vents and cleaning them. I have had this car for almost a year and the damn thing smells like a cigar every once in a while. when i bought it, it had been detailed and i couldn't detect the odor, but i bet it was there... live and learn i guess