While my TCH was in for its 15K oil change, I also asked them to check into the musty smell I get from the vents the first 2-4 minutes after I turn on the A/C in fresh mode. They told me that sometimes mold or mildew can grow in the vents, but for $70 they'd spray in something to kill it, plus add some fragrance. They cannot explain why this wouldn't be covered under "bumper to bumper" warranty, though perhaps they think that it is "bumper AND bumper" instead. I did pay to have them change the cabin air filter, which I know is a consumable.

Another issue is that I've noticed a new dash rattle/noise when going over uneven pavement. It wasn't there before the 15K service. I'm wondering if they could have done something in replacing the cabin air filter or in looking for the source of the musty smell?

Anybody have any insights to share?

Thanks!

B. Goodman

They're not trying to pull the wool over your eyes concerning the musty smell. The mold/mildew grows by the evaporator in the car. As the warm air in the car is drawn over the evaporator coils, cold air blows in the cabin. A byproduct of this however is water condensation near the evaporator. There is generally a drain to get rid of this water. You may have noticed water on the ground when you park your car after running your AC. That is where it comes from. But sometimes the drain becomes partially or completely plugged and the water cannot drain properly. Thus the water lays in the ductwork and mold and mildew can grow. This is not unique problem to TCH's but in all cars.

It is common practice to spray a fungecide in the ducts to kill this bacteria and get rid of that smell. Just beware that it can come back eventually and would need treated again. Whether it should be covered under the bumper to bumper would be debatable but I would push for it since it only has 15k on it. Obviously it is not engineered to be this way.

Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get.

Search these Forms for, Bad Smell in Air Filter or A/C

There are some others talking earlier about this same subject.

Gump -

If the drain is plugged the real solution would be to fix the drain. I would firmly argue that this be resolved under warranty at 15K miles.

The drain should not plug up to allow evaporator water to pool in the ductwork - period.

Scott

Agreed. The drain should be fixed but that still doesn't eliminate the the mildew in the ductwork. They have to kill it to get rid of the smell.

Life is like a box of chocolates...you never know what you're gonna get.

I do recommend reading through that thread suggested earlier, but I doubt that the drain is blocked. My car actually leaves a series of water drips as I pull up my driveway (spaced very closely together), so I am pretty certain that the drain is clear. My car gets the smell when I shut off the A/C compressor (but leave the fan blowing), and then turn the A/C compressor back on at a later time.

I think this seems to be a common occurrence with these cars.

Does anyone know where the drain is located? And how to clean it?

I have had this happen in every car I have ever had. It's the worst when you turn off the a/c and the fan is on recirc. If you open the vent to fresh air, the smell isn't nearly as bad. (plus the windows don't fog up)

Agreed - it's a two step process. I would still argue that it is a defect that should be taken care of under warranty.

Could this be more of a regional thing? I live in MN and I can't recall having this type of issue on any car that I've ever owned. Maybe in climates where the A/C demand is higher and it's used more?

Scott

The problem is caused by the dampness left in the system when it is turned off. If the car is turned off when the compressor is running, the evaporator coils will be wet. The situation can be helped by tuning off the AC a few minutes before reaching your destination.

This seems to be a common problem in cars built in the past decade or two.