Dealgirl19

I'm starting to notice a musky smell from my vents when they are on fresh air. I only have 4700 miles on my TLX so I was hoping it would smell awesome for longer than this! Any ideas what causes this? It seems to be worse when I have it in fresh air but I can smell it when the air is first turned on for sure.

Thanks!

Quandry

Where are you located and do you use the A/C regularly. If you live in a location with a lot of humidity and heat that there could be some buildup of fungi in the system. There are sprays that you can get from an automotive supply company to flush it out. Also try turning the A/C off but leave the fan running a couple of minutes before turning the engine off. This will help to prevent residual moisture settling around the coil allowing fungi to populate.

Dealgirl19

Thanks! I'll try the fan trick. I really haven't ran my air a lot. I live in tn and it's been cool here. Just starting to warm up some. I have noticed sometimes when I put my temp on like 72-75ish the a/c button doesn't even come on then so I assume just the fan would be running at that time? Seems like someone told me one time that you should leave the vent on fresh air when u park the car because it leaves it open so it can air out. Would that be true?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

I wouldnt use any kind of spray down the vents.
the ECU is directly below the vents and some have destroyed ECU's by spraying stuff down there.

run the fan 5 mins before you park, dealgirl. this will allow the car to vent and air out. when its parked everything is off and it wont air out, makes sense?

you can also replace the air cabin filter to try to alleviate the problem.

Dealgirl19

Crazy question but how would I run just the fan? Would that just be with the a/c light off?

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

^yes

aIRpeACE

iTrader: (2)

Dealgirl19, sound like you had lots problems with your TLX. hope you get them fix

Bell_1821

I live in TN as well and i've had the same issue, it's not just yours. I keep my in the garage and i think with the moisture in the air it's hard on them here.

Dealgirl19

Yes I think ur right. Mine is garage kept as well It seems to go away quickly and I've been trying to run the fan before I park it. Hard to remember everything though lol

NCRaider

The same problem started in my TLX a month or so ago at around the 6500 mile mark; my car is kept in the garage at night and for the first minute or two of driving time the smell coming from the vents is like something died up there. After that, everything is fine. I'm going to check with the local dealer for any help it can provide.

tlxsteve

Likewise. That's the only complaint I have for my second oil change visit.

miner

Wurth AC Heater conditioner - I have ordered some for my wife's TLX

sdarryl64

...this is common to all cars. Some mfr's make it easy to service but basically the moisture builds from condensation after cutoff and then the smell comes from algae fungus or bacteria growth. My 2014 Mercedes was almost undriveable as the issue was exacerbated by the engine cutoff at red light feature during hot weather. I had to open my windows then defeat that function. It was awful smelling.

With my new TLX I set my 2nd ac shortcut button to full fan, fresh air, and no AC COMPRESSOR and activate it 1 mile before I gett home each day.

You can google this to fix : can of Lysol sprayed into the intake vents outside the windshield while car running, no AC, full fan , heater warmed up and on hottest setting. Afterwards, the growth causing the smell will be dead. Repeat as necessary. You can also buy kits and have mechanics perform the svc.

sdarryl64

Forgot to mention for googled solution above, be sure AC on 'fresh air' setting and not recirculate.

NBP04TL4ME

Very true and have been doing the "turn the compressor off" thing for years and years. I also replace the cabin filter annually and never had any issues

sdarryl64

I checked and Amazon sells the Wurth AC conditioner and it has very high ratings. I have never used this product. This can be a substitute for the Lysol and seems to be applied in the same way.

Tom Julie Caron

Just bought a brand new 2020 Acura MDX and roughly have 300 miles total. Made a small trip not long ago and my navi screen turn black and never came back on. Arrived home I smelled a strong odor coming from under the hood. Seems to come from left side, where the battery is. The odor was present for a couple of hours and infested my garage. Wondering if it has anything to do with my navi screen going black. Any ideas?

dezymond

I'd bring it back to where you bought the car from and have them check it out.

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

you never mentioned or described the smell...

does it smell like a burning smell? does it smell like electrical burning smell?
Does it smell like sulfur? or rotten eggs?
does it smell musty? like 2 day old clothes left in the washer?

if it's an electrical burning smell, it could very well be connected to the battery and navi....I wouldnt leave it in the garage..I'd park it outside....in fear of a fire.

Tom Julie Caron

weird thing, I ve drove it this morning and no smell. The navi is still not working, but no smell. On the otherside, i ve drove it for 20 min and yesterday for 2 hrs. I have an apointment at the dealer next week and was told that they ve never seen that kind of situation on a brand new mdx. Lucky am I. Anyway the smell is hard to describe. It doesn t smell like burn plastic but more like rotten eggs or sulfur, anyway enough to get me dizzy. I ll keep you guys posted. Thanks