How are you dealing with infamous AC smell issue on your Mercedes vehicle?
05-15-2019, 08:26 PM
#1
How are you dealing with infamous AC smell issue on your Mercedes vehicle?
Background- A lot of owners Mercedes vehicle owners living in humid states must be already aware of this well known issue- Due to bad design of the air conditioning on various Mercedes models, these vehicles emit bad odor from the air conditioner vents. This issue is observed in humid regions (like the South) in summer. The reason is that the condensed vapors leave moisture on the evaporator core and it results into mold and mildew. There is an on-going class action law suit but let’s not get into that discussion. I am providing some links below for reference.
There are 2 options that I see various people suggest in the online forums to keep the air from car AC from smelling like mold/mildew-
1. Switch off the AC a few minutes before reaching the destination and let the fan alone run at a high setting to dry out the evaporator core (to get rid of the moisture on evaporator core and avoid forming of mold/mildew in the first place).
2. Run the car blower on full air with full heat setting for 15-20 mins with windows open, and not using the circulate setting (to burn out the mold/mildew already formed on the evaporator core) every now and then.
I recently purchased a CPO GLE350 2018 (it is my 1st Mercedes) and observed this issue and started doing online research. I went to the dealer and they did the AC cleanup/deodorizing/flush/filter change etc. free of charge but told me that this is not covered under warranty and falls under environmental factors. I will need to spend $340 plus tax going forward, if I go back to them with this issue. They said a lot of people get it done and the issue comes back in 1 year (although people in the online forums say it is back in a few months).
People have suggested the 2 options I listed above to avoid this issue. Also, is there any DIY steps/video to cleanup or deodorize GLE air conditioning to remove mold/milder so that one doesn’t have to spend money at dealership and can do at home whatever the dealer does? I can see some YouTube videos exist for other cars and people use some can sprays or Lysol etc.
We can’t do much- it is what it is, so we need to suck up and deal with the issue.
Reference links-
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discus...55916_ds711183
https://www.lieffcabraser.com/defect...FcFehgodUxQPqA
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2...-lawsuit.shtml
There are 2 options that I see various people suggest in the online forums to keep the air from car AC from smelling like mold/mildew-
1. Switch off the AC a few minutes before reaching the destination and let the fan alone run at a high setting to dry out the evaporator core (to get rid of the moisture on evaporator core and avoid forming of mold/mildew in the first place).
2. Run the car blower on full air with full heat setting for 15-20 mins with windows open, and not using the circulate setting (to burn out the mold/mildew already formed on the evaporator core) every now and then.
I recently purchased a CPO GLE350 2018 (it is my 1st Mercedes) and observed this issue and started doing online research. I went to the dealer and they did the AC cleanup/deodorizing/flush/filter change etc. free of charge but told me that this is not covered under warranty and falls under environmental factors. I will need to spend $340 plus tax going forward, if I go back to them with this issue. They said a lot of people get it done and the issue comes back in 1 year (although people in the online forums say it is back in a few months).
People have suggested the 2 options I listed above to avoid this issue. Also, is there any DIY steps/video to cleanup or deodorize GLE air conditioning to remove mold/milder so that one doesn’t have to spend money at dealership and can do at home whatever the dealer does? I can see some YouTube videos exist for other cars and people use some can sprays or Lysol etc.
We can’t do much- it is what it is, so we need to suck up and deal with the issue.
Reference links-
https://www.cargurus.com/Cars/Discus...55916_ds711183
https://www.lieffcabraser.com/defect...FcFehgodUxQPqA
https://www.carcomplaints.com/news/2...-lawsuit.shtml
