1stGL

Ok, we've had the 2013 GL550 for about a month now and have about 1000 miles. Love the vehicle but every now and then (generally at first start) an extremely terrible odor arises from the vents. Reminded me of our old Lab after she had been swimming. Anyone have any clues about the odor? The odor quickly overtakes the new car smell... My thoughts are that it is moisture somewhere in the ventilation not properly draining. Thanks in advance.

cookstar

this is very interesting, we had this happen twice and actually took our GL350 in this week to have it looked at, the technician checked and could not find anything, the service adviser mentioned that it might be the lubricant that they put on the engine or somewhere in the engine compartment which might come up when the vehicle gets warm when its new and it would wear off after a while, for us it only happened twice and it was gone, I believe the vehicle had between 600-1000 km on it when the smell came up. I would take the vehicle in anyways so if it is something more serious down the road requiring $$$$ they will cover it and not give you b.s

blittle

USUALLY....such a smell is generated by mold/mildew in the evaporator chamber of the AC system of a car. What is UNUSUAL about this is the that it is seldom a problem on new cars..... it takes a while for the situation to develop to the point that it becomes noticeable. If that is what indeed is causing your situation....the techs have sprays that can be "inhaled" into the system and kill the mold/mildew. It can also be caused by leaves, pollen, and other small debris clogging up the intake for the ventilation system.....again, your tech should be able to check that quickly.

dflamer

Respectfully, this issue has been covered on a few other threads. Some really good responses are listed. Please do a search and you will probably be really surprised with the number of responses.

1stGL

I'm striking out on searching...no luck. Nothing found under the new GL. Also, nothing jumping out on a general search for other vehicles. Any hints?

cookstar

I also did a search and found nothing.

dflamer

Here is a sample link: https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w...p-correct.html

Try "musty vent" as a search term.

Good luck!

fabbrisd1

flamer - a 30 day old W166 has nothing to do with you reference -

My advice - take it in to your dealer - let them take care of it...

Keep the beat !

Amnaggar

Problems, issues, whatever u want to call them... won't end on the GL, will they!!

fabbrisd1

Whatever ET... phone home..

FASN8N

I have noticed this on many different makes and models of cars. My solution has always been just to hit the A/C button (turning the A/C compressor off) a few miles before my final destination for the day, allowing the air to dry out evaporator, which leaves no chance for condensation to develop the dirty sock smell overnight.

Give it a shot...

dtk92657

My 2014 GL350 had the same musty smell problem. It took me visiting two different dealers to solve this problem. Luckily the Fletcher Jones Newport had recognized the issue as there are so many cars coming in with the same problem. There is an MBUSA published TSB on the problem. It is not a recall but fix as it occurs basis.

Let your dealer know about the TSB LI83-30-P-059119.

Basically it is a mold problem around AC evaporator.It is a quite extensive procedure. It took dealer two days working on it. They plugged many holes and replaced many items including distronic control module, SAM control module, dust filter, combination filter, and cleaned the evaporator, A-pillar, underdash cover panel, interior trim. I can post the all the work order they did if any one needs. This is well known problem to some big dealer.

dtk92657

However, at around or before or after the mold problem repair, I have been fighting with other chemical smell. I have been getting flurry of thin chemical mixtures that smells like solvent/wd40/mechanic room/diesel/plastic burning. I cannot pinpoint what it is. I have been fighting this issue for past 3 months. I took to two different dealers four times while I have been talking to MBUSA. The dealers keep saying they cannot confirm the problem. MBUSA advised me to take to different dealer, so I took to another dealer. They all say the same thing, they don't smell anything while all my co-workers and my friends confirm the smell and ask me how I can drive the car like that condition. I indeed stopped using the car for past two months other than taking it to dealer. It is quite frustrating. I even took the car to independent MB repair shop. They too confirm the smell but they say they cannot do anything since it will void my warranty if they do something. I already spent so much time, money and effort to track the problem but I couldn't root cause it yet. I really like the car, styling, ride, mileage, ... other than these cabin air (mold/diesel smell) problems.

The dealer doesn't use any electronic device to detect the problem. They basically sniff at it and says they don't smell anything although they say they checked under the hood and didn't find any sign of leak. I hired VOCS testing lab and did VOC testing. It shows some elevation of formaldehyde and acetone but not enough evidence. Later it turned out that the VOC testing these guys did was based on materials used in the cabin only, and it was not meant to detect diesel gas in the cabin. It was waste of money.

Then I have been searching for diesel gas detection device for past months. I finally found a diesel and other gas detector that can measure up to ppb (parts per billion). It is called "PhoCheck Tiger Select PID". A company called Raeco rents it for $235 for one week rental. The burden of proof is on me as dealer would not do anything until I prove. Basically it is their words against my word, or their nose against mine. In the mean time, I have been developing medical problem due to the situation. MBUSA case manager (pretty high up manager) advised me to continue driving the car until the problem is more evident. Continuing to drive the car in the condition caused me watery eyes, irritated throat, increased heart beats, and elevated blood pressure (up to 192/104). Prior to this problem, my blood pressure had been perfectly normal at 120/80. For the first time in my life, I had to see a doctor for high blood pressure and started taking prescription medication. Oh my ...

Anyone has the same problem? please help if you had similar problem.

Leetom

Dealer swapped out cabin air filters to "fix" the same smelly socks problem I've been having since car was new. Mercedes indicates this is the fix, and is no longer covered under warranty (maintenance issue?). However, as we all know, the filter is BEFORE the evaporator box which is creating the smell, so swapping out the filter has no effect. Dealer has indicated that they have had this same complaint from a number of customers, so it is indeed a real issue, but Mercedes was just denying it. One temporary fix they have is to spray a foaming agent into the box to clean and kill everything in there, which they have done in the past with other clients. Problem with this technique, it doesn't solve the inherent design problem, and it dissolves the Antimicrobial lining that MB put on these newer evaporator boxes to apparently address the known problem...so that isn't a good option. However, last time I was in there a few weeks ago, the Service Manager indicated that MB had recommended a new fix to them for recurring complaints...something about taking out sound deadening, and certain body plugs to allow more airflow? This is my first MB, and I have NEVER experienced this issue with any of my previous autos over the last 3 decades (Honda, Ford, Chevy, Mazda, Porsche). I'm embarrassed to take people in my car in the summertime as they have to deal with the foul odor for the first couple of minutes. Kinda sad I dropped $80k on this luxury auto and have to deal with this. MB better figure this out quick and rectify or repeat buying will be hindered. Anyone who rides in the car won't be buying a MB anytime soon either as I apologize for the "Mercedes Funk".

Suggestion folks...KEEP COMPLAINING to your dealer about this, and ensure they log the complaint in the MB Service System. MB will only know of this widespread problem if their service systems show it. EACH time I'm in there for anything, I have them log it so I have a record of the complaint in the event MB figures out the solution so I can have it covered under warranty, and it flags the issue in their system. Dealer indicated they like this method of constant complaining as it helps them push MB for a solution as well. Happy clients = happy profitable dealer. SO KEEP LOGGING THE COMPLAINT EVEN IF NOTHING IS DONE TO FIX IT!

dtk92657

Leetom, you and I know that replacing cabin air filter is not a permanent solution. This is a fundamental design problem that somewhere in the AC system (i.e. evaporator) is trapping moisture and providing a haven for mold to grow. I am an engineer by profession and at work we deal with many difficult problems and we don't stop until we root cause the underlying issue. Spraying disinfectant foam such as Lysol will only be a termporary solution and mold will return as long as there is a moisture. My tech advisor initially told me that they are replacing the evaporator with newly designed one. It turned out they didn't. They just cleaned with warm water. So my problem of mold smell may return in future. When I asked him why evaporator was not replaced with new design, he also learned that even 2015 GL class cars are coming in for the same problem. So it is evident Mercedes didn't address the fundamental issue. I don't know whether every GL class has the same problem or not, but according to the advisor, there are quite a bit of GL class with the same problem. Some are really really bad he said. I don't know whether people know it or not, but the mold is a serious health threat. It can cause all kinds of health problems. Perhaps not for everyone according to my research but about one third of people (30%) who have certain genetic marker will develop serious health issues including auto immune disease and cancer. Simply google search under "mold and health" you will find so many articles. If your home has mold, then you cannot sell the home until you do complete mediation and show proof of mold free. Car is a more confined space and you will inhale everything through the vent. I was thinking about filing the case with "Consumer Watchdog Lawyer". Then at least the dealer did something major and my problem of mold smell stopped for now. So I cannot pursuit any longer.
I have been a owner of mercedes for past 30 years. I have owned 1988 190E, 2000 E320, 2003 S550, 2014 S550, and 2014 GL350. All prior to 2014 models that I owned I didn't have this problem.
My wife complained that our 2014 S550 also had musty dirty socks smell 7 months after purchase. I confirmed the smell and my wife's multiple friends confirmed the "sour stinking socks smell". I took the car (S550) to the FJ Newport but they say unable to comfirm the smell and told us to pick up the car. They also say that they don't have any known problem with 2014 S550 and further say that the advisor is told to not take the car in the shop unless they can verify the smell. I guess all dealer techs are very insensitive to smells.^^ So we had to pick up the car and bring the car back home. We stopped driving the S550 for a while (weeks) until we are sure of mold free. Because both my wife and I have a certain genetric marker and also have compromised auto immune system and we cannot deal with any mold issue if there exists.
So when we came home we turned on the fan to the maximum speed with max heat for hours with engine running (without us in it). We did it a few times, and at least the smell in S550 subsided quite a bit over time. Then we hired mold testing lab technician did the testing on both GL350 (after the repair) and S550. It showed that the mold elevation was not significant enough and we concluded it is at least safe to drive the car until the problem develops more seriously. It costed me ~$600 for both mold and VOC testing. Too bad we had to go through this much headache. I spent so much time and money agonizing over both mold and chemical smell issues after spending $200K for purchasing both mercedes. I wasn't going to purchase any more mercedes but my collegue told me that he learned through review that the new mercedes improved so much in reliability. Well .... I don't know about that... Both S550 and GL350 is a super car. I really like it. I think it is the best car if it didn't have these problems. Well... let me put it this way. Having a problem is one thing but trying to save money by denying the problem is another. I also learned that local dealers hands are tight as they only get paid for the work Mercedes manufacturer approves.
When people purchase cars of this caliber, chances are that people are entrepreneur of some businesses. If I am a mercedes CEO, I would accept and address the issues at all cost. I would recall the cars and examine and make sure there is no problem. Perhaps the Mercedes CEO doesn't know about this issue. I took my other issue (chemical smell) to the highest case manager in MBUSA but didn't think of reaching the CEO. If I have enough evidence, then I will. I will even contact consumer protection agencies and even news media including 60 minutes if needed.
If people develop some serious health issues due to this known problem, they may face a big law suit, eventually if it gets to the media, they will lose a lot of buyers. There may be so many people turned away from the dealer as the dealer says "unable to confirm the problem". According to my research so many people are suffering from this mold (dirty socks smell) issue.

Clark_CIA

dtk could you post the invoice for the tsb work done. Have the same issue with my 2013 GL550.

fabbrisd1

Frankly - the times I have encountered this "musty" issue in current/fresh gen Mercedes has been when the driver has set the aircon temp control to lowest setting - and then they leave it there.

As a result - the system evaporator literally frosts/freezes up during their drive - and after they finish the drive and exited the MB, that evaporator "frost" melts - leaving the chamber wet/damp which leads to "musty water" residue in there - the damp/wet evaporator chamber at rest between drives results in moldy smell.

A change is driver protocol does eliminate this issue - to remedy any existing issue you can use Einszett Klima Cleaner - exact same product as MB shop can use - from a "shop" standpoint the shop procedure is to gain access to the blower fan and spray directly into the evap housing by routing the spray tube thru the blower blades (not running of course) - from at-home/DIY I recommend using the center vents - running the tube back down each vent as far as you can go - empty about 1/4 to 1/3 can by weight down each center vent - then split the remainder of the can thru each of the two end dash vents on each side - shake the can mildly while dispensing - the can cools during dispensing but not frigidly cold.. let it sit down the vents for 3-5 minutes before using air con on re-circulation mode to clear the remaining light-light semi-ammonia smell.

Klima can also be used as a cabin deodorizer - like in the case you let last nights Chinese dinner in the car - by using the tube to lightly spray the front and 2nd row carpet mats - will not spot or harm the carpet.

I had a persistent case of this with a customer/freind and his E550 - when we would talk about that face-to-face he would say "I don't set my aircon that way" - a few weeks later when I did a run out to his house to let my Roadside boys into his garagee to fix a flat since he was off to UK - I found his aircon was set "max low" - he didn't really realize he was doing that - and the shame is left on "max low" temp setting as the evap frost up it gets increasingly inefficient in cooling the longer you drive.

Needless to say - we borught his E550 back to the shop - I did my Klima thing rather than a shop charge - drop his car a day or so around town to make sure everything was clear - then I marked his temp controls with a crayon mark so he wouldn't mess with it - and 3-4 days after he was back he called me and thanked me profusely for "fixing his aircon".

That's my experience - and so far maybe the last 4-6 times this has come up over the past few months - the "fix" has worked every time.

43221B

Fabbrisd1, I have one of the last 2014 GLs produced and mine started making this smell within a couple months of ownership this summer. I haven't EVER turned the thermostat to the lowest setting. In fact, I usually keep it set on 74 or 76. Having said that, I was able to mitigate the problem, to a small degree, by turning off the AC and just running ambient air through the vents for a minute or two before reaching my destination. As soon as the cooler temps arrived with drier air this winter, the problem was gone. I'm sure it will return in the spring and it is already on my service manager's list of things to address. It's a known issue and they're familiar with dealing with it. Not really that big of a deal though because I never notice the smell after a few minutes of driving. Other than that issue and a few door gasket squeeks, a terrific vehicle.

dtk92657

2014 GL350 Mold Issue Dealer Repair per TSB LI83.30-P-059119
Posting the dealer invoice portion of the work

Clark_CIA

Thanks man. My dealer found it this morning. They are currently doing this for me. Told me it may take a few days. Worth it to hopefully get this resolved.

dtk92657

Clark_CIA, hope your mold smell problem is resolved once for all. My mold smell has not returned yet and so I think the fix is good. The repair is very extensive it did take my dealer FJMB full two days also. I hope all GL class owners who have the same problem find this post so they can properly address the issue rather than dealing on their own with spraying MB spray/Lysol and Other disinfectants, which are only temporary solution.

Clark_CIA

Dtk. I so agree man. My Houston dealership still has my GL so I figured it is extensive. Been dealing with this smell for a year now. Excited that this might finally resolve it. I was thinking about selling it because I was sick of dealing with such a dumb issue for a $100K vehicle. I hope others find this as well.

Thanks dude

dtk92657

Mercedes should issue a recall on this (mold problem). But they are not recalling ... In the mean time, I don't know how many thousands (if not 10's of thousands) of GL class owners are suffering from the same issue. Maybe someone (maybe me) should file to the consumer watchdog or protection agency. I already mentioned it (recall) to the MBUSA case manager (high level) but the case manager was very defensive when I talked about the health issues.

At present time, I have been fighting and suffering from othe chemical (diesel/oily fume/wd40 like) smell for past 3 months. And the battle is not over yet. But unlike the mold smell, this chemical smell (burnt diesel smell) doesn't seem to be a wide spread problem. I have yet to prove to the smell to the dealer. Again dealer doesn't smell anything.^^ I figure ...

sandyTXmom

Having this same problem on our 2014 GL450 that we bought in November 2013. The problem started over the summer of 2014 and we live in Houston, a very humid region. After doing some reading here, I took the vehicle to the dealership since it was ready for the 10,000 mile service anyway in August 2014. I figured they would change the cabin filter since that's what I read. But they SA told me they have a new protocol for this problem and told me it would take 2 days to complete. I'm pretty sure it was the same procedure as the above because the SA told me they would take the dashboard off completely and it was quite extensive. Anyway, after picking up the car, it seemed to resolve. Fast forward to October 2014, only 2 months later and it started doing it again. So, apparently, it doesn't "fix" the problem. I am beyond irritated. This is our first MB and probably our last. I drove a Toyota Sienna for 6 years and never had this problem. Anyway, I am taking the car into the dealership this week for other reasons and will address this problem. I was told over the phone they will likely replace the air filter and I will have to pay for this. I have to talk to the service manager if I don't want to pay for it. I'm pretty sure when they took the dashboard off to fix this problem, they did something to one of the speakers. I'm taking my vehicle into the dealership because sometimes the driver side speaker goes in and out. Seriously ridiculous for an almost $100k vehicle to be doing this. Thankfully, this is a lease and I'm not stuck with this car.

dtk92657

In my previous thread, I predicted that it might not be a root fix however extensive work the dealer had gone through. The mold seemed to be around the evaporator but the work order shows washing the evaporator with water and plugging lot of holes and replace some unrelated modules.
Root cause is that mold occurs on and around the evaporator due to some moiture trapped in there. The fix should be to prevent the moisture trap by allowing air flow. As I said in previous post, SA told me that his understanding was to replace the evaporator with new design. But they didn't do it. However, having said all that, my mold smell didn't return for 4 months YET. I have yet to see. Again, replacing cabin filter CANNOT be a solution and they must not charge you for the filter. I am in absolute agreement with you for having this ridiculous problem for $100K car. At lease you are LUCKY that you leased the car rather than purchasing. I purchased the car and I typically keep the car for 10+ years. I did everything I can to save the car including spending money for testing. I TOO seriously thought about selling the car but I couldn't knowing that someone else will buy this problem car and suffer from it. So I decided to pursue the problem and fix once for all agonizing for past months. I have owned 5 Mercedes for past 20 years including the 2014 S550. These will be our last Mercedes also. I hope every potential buyer of GL class see this post and know what they are buying into. The car however is great in everything else (well almost ... poor navigation system) other than this mold problem. But this mold smell can be a big health risk!