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A/C smells like musty old water when turned on ??

Old Apr 4, 2012 | 03:25 PM
  #1  
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2004 CLK 320, 07 Yukon SLT, 05 R6raven
A/C smells like musty old water when turned on ??

What gives ?? Notice it lately when the heat started to roll around when I first turn on the ac smells like sweaty water ?? Any spray I can use to run it thru the ac recirculation system ?? I used to spray some stuff in my silverado and it was located in the glove box
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 03:42 PM
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'05 C200K SS, '05 Kleemann CLK500K, '08 Hummer H3 & '92 Z34 5sp (track car in Canada)
You got a little mildew and mold going on there. Go to pretty much any auto parts store and you can buy a can of a/c refresher, you put it on the floor of the back seat and click it open with the a/c on full and in recirculate mode, close the doors and leave it for 5 minutes or so. Then get in and do a quick air out. It works fantastic and saves a trip to the dealer for the service.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 03:50 PM
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late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
You have a bacterial infection of the evaporator. Make sure that the HVAC housing drain is not blocked. The dealer can provide you with a spray to kill it off. New evaporators are now microencapsulated with anti-bacteriacide. You need to drill & plug the housing to access the evaporator properly.

After using A/C try & blow hot air for the last few miles of driving to dry out the housing. Always leave the fan running even if only at low speed.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 03:55 PM
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
Here is the DTB

https://mbworld.org/forums/attachmen...y-a_c-odor.pdf
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 04:15 PM
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2004 CLK 320, 07 Yukon SLT, 05 R6raven
Originally Posted by Kevwood
You got a little mildew and mold going on there. Go to pretty much any auto parts store and you can buy a can of a/c refresher, you put it on the floor of the back seat and click it open with the a/c on full and in recirculate mode, close the doors and leave it for 5 minutes or so. Then get in and do a quick air out. It works fantastic and saves a trip to the dealer for the service.

I notice the other day black air ducts underneath the driver and passengers seats ?? Is that for the a/c inducts ??
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 04:34 PM
  #6  
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Originally Posted by JDenhamCLK320
I notice the other day black air ducts underneath the driver and passengers seats ?? Is that for the a/c inducts ??
Those are the rear floor vents.
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 04:40 PM
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Originally Posted by Kevwood
Those are the rear floor vents.
So the inducts are located underneath the passengers feet area ??
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 05:55 PM
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Checked the shelves at my work and we sell a spray too kill airborne bacteria. New car smell I'm guessing. Should work ?
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Old Apr 4, 2012 | 07:28 PM
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
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You can only try. You need quite potent stuff.
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 01:54 AM
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This is the exact stuff I use in the wife's C class, works fantastic;

http://www.supercheapauto.co.nz/onli...09#Description
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 08:46 AM
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
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Yep! - That's a nice broad spectrum product. You need to be sure to kill everything otherwise just one live spore will multiply very quickly in the warm damp conditions.
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 06:45 PM
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I just read this is this the service that would take care of his proplem ?

Clean Air Ventilation System Cleaning Service
Mercedes-Benz has developed a process using their approved A/C evaporator core cleaner that will improve ventilation system air quality. Your Mercedes-Benz Certified Technician applies odorless foam to effectively clean and disinfect every component in the A/C evaporator chamber removing contaminants and odors. Benefits from this service include: Cleaner air inside the cabin. Foul odors removed from the vent system. Maximized cold air. Maximized air volume. More comfortable driving experience.


Introductory Special - $117.00 **
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Old Apr 5, 2012 | 10:37 PM
  #13  
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From: ATX
2004 CLK 320, 07 Yukon SLT, 05 R6raven
Originally Posted by Louie D
I just read this is this the service that would take care of his proplem ?

Clean Air Ventilation System Cleaning Service
Mercedes-Benz has developed a process using their approved A/C evaporator core cleaner that will improve ventilation system air quality. Your Mercedes-Benz Certified Technician applies odorless foam to effectively clean and disinfect every component in the A/C evaporator chamber removing contaminants and odors. Benefits from this service include: Cleaner air inside the cabin. Foul odors removed from the vent system. Maximized cold air. Maximized air volume. More comfortable driving experience.


Introductory Special - $117.00 **

$117 service ain't bad. May have to take it in to the dealer :-/
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Old Apr 6, 2012 | 01:09 AM
  #14  
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From: A Canadian in Dubai, United Arab Emirates
'05 C200K SS, '05 Kleemann CLK500K, '08 Hummer H3 & '92 Z34 5sp (track car in Canada)
Originally Posted by Louie D
I just read this is this the service that would take care of his proplem ?

Clean Air Ventilation System Cleaning Service
Mercedes-Benz has developed a process using their approved A/C evaporator core cleaner that will improve ventilation system air quality. Your Mercedes-Benz Certified Technician applies odorless foam to effectively clean and disinfect every component in the A/C evaporator chamber removing contaminants and odors. Benefits from this service include: Cleaner air inside the cabin. Foul odors removed from the vent system. Maximized cold air. Maximized air volume. More comfortable driving experience.


Introductory Special - $117.00 **
That's a great price, sure don't get offers like that over here!
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Old Oct 28, 2013 | 06:35 PM
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I recently had a dealer claim this isn't a warranty covered issue. This is pretty disturbing to hear as it appears to be a pretty common problem. I had hoped they'd do the right thing and fix my issue.

Has anyone had this issue and complained of it within warranty? If so, please PM me. We need to look into our alternatives here. Thanks
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Old Oct 30, 2013 | 11:46 PM
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This is a common problem on all cars. It's not really a defect, just a "fact of life". It would be like asking the dealer to clean mud off of your tires and fender liners because you drive on dirt roads. My advice is to use the RECIRC mode sparingly. You can also try cleaning this yourself by spraying Lysol into the intake - remove the pollen filter above the vehicle battery to see the intake fan.
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