I have an 08 TL that for the last several months has had a musty odor coming out of the vents at startup, lasting maybe 3-5 seconds. The dealership says that it's unevaporated water in the AC system and that there isn't much they can do.

Has anyone else run into this, and if so, what did you do?

Also (and I remember seeing a thread in here for this) -- are there any air fresheners that you can recommend? I remember that when I bought the car late last year, it had that "new car smell" that lasted for several months. Is there any way I can get my hands on whatever was used to produce that?

Thanks!

 

change in cabin air filter.

 

Unfortunately, that's already been done, but the problem persists.....

 

do you leave the a/c on all the time? Should get into the habit of running fan only with fresh air for like 5 minutes before you shut the car off.

At least in my TL every time you push Auto, or turn the fan on by itself from OFF, the A/C is engaged.

 

I've seen these sold at auto parts stores and online but haven't ever had to use them so can't comment or recommend any in particular:




Maybe someone else that has tried can?

 

I tried a similar product on my Infiniti (a Florida car) which had the same problem. The smell comes from mold or mildew in your vent system, and it's hard to get rid of.

You feed the product into your outside air intake (at the outside base of your windshield), with your system running and fans on high, and it is supposed to sanitize the inside of the venting. With mine it helped somewhat, but also added a covering scent that was unpleasantly perfumey. This subsided after a couple weeks.

If it really bothers you, it probably wouldn't hurt to try a couple of cans of this to see if it helps kill the mold.

It's a tough problem to solve, especially in very humid climates. Good luck

 

1) the suggestion to run the blower air on HIGH, w/o the A/C on for the last few minutes, before shutting down the car, is a good one. That will evaporate any moisture on the interior A/C evaporator, which is where the mold is growing. Also make certain that the evaporator drain hose is not plugged, else excess water can damage the ECU.

2) some people have suggested running the heater for a few minutes, to kill any mold, but I don't know if that will really work.

3) use a CARBON type cabin filter - the activated carbon will adsorb smells, esp if the HVAC is run on RECIRCULATE
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=869210

4) BE VERY CAREFUL OF USING ANY LIQUID CLEANER/ MOLD KILLER IN THE VENTS - you can destroy your ECU (engine control unit) which is just behind the dash on a TL (so I understand):
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=885501

5) if you are willing to risk spraying a cleaning agent into the vents, GM dealers sell an odor *killer* which has no smell of its own, is non-toxic, and there is a GM TSB describing how to use it to get rid of mold, smoke, etc. odors. You would probably be safe using it in your TL, if you did not spray it directly into the center vents, because the ECU is directly behind the center console. See the link in (4) above. Probably it would be OK to spray into the air intake at the base of the windshield, which the TSB suggests - but read carefully the entire TSB. You may also be able to spray directly onto the A/C evaporator core - not sure of the access on a TL.

Anyway, the GM TSB is in post #5 of the following link:
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=887097

 

DCMODELS for the motherfucking winnN!

 

I see a lot of people have this musty odor even with brand new cabin air filters.

 

i see

 

Try spraying Lysol in the vents under the hood with the air on.

 

Hey u were the one that suggested it not me lol

 

but then you didnt read the rest of the thread. it took you 8 post to say what the op said.....

and DCMODELS even had a great detailed explanation with links.


try to keep up, gil.

 

I really just wanted to bust your balls cuz im bored

 

i know, and I'm busting yours right back. lol