We just got our brand new 2015 GL450 2 weeks ago and we noticed a sour smell coming from the AC vent during start ups and sometimes while driving it,We called the Dealer and they said to keep the recirculating mode off when we turn off the engine. Im just a little upset because I never have experince this with my previous car. Is this smell normal with GL450? Do I need to bring it to the dealer and have them check it,I believed that for the price of this car it should not smell like a venigar. Any suggesstion will be highly appreciated ,Thanks
I've newer had that issue with any of my cars, but here in FL the AC runs all the time, I could imagine in colder climates, if the AC is not in use, the AC would maybe start to become smelly.
The problem is more common when owner's think "LO" will cool down their cabin faster, and tend to keep "LO" on for extended periods of time - "LO" for anything longer than 5 minutes will tend to freeze the evaporator, which then melts after turning off the car, which lead to moisture build-up in the system - hence the "smell"..
Here is the update on my Vinegar Musty smell 2015 GL450,at 960 miles they change the cabin filter at spray some chemicals to kill the smell,Now at 1500 miles it started to smell again,I always turn off the ac before turning off the engine and always keep the recirculation mode off but still it happens,very frustrating! Any advice on what to do? Thanks
Sounds like they have already done an a/c cleaning with spray that I have seen advertised but never done myself. I would take your favorite, non-bleach, bacteria killing air freshener (i.e. Lysol) and spray it over the air intake at the base of the windshield while the a/c fan is running full blast so that it is drawn into your a/c system ducting. No direct spray or saturation needed, just light spray so that the mist is drawn in. Then I would let it sit for a while before running it. Not sure if it would get through the cabin filters but it may attack any 'organic' contributor to the smell.
I have the same issue. I have owned MB SUV's since they first came out. This is the first one that has had this problem and the first one, that does not leave a wet spot under the car after having the AC on. I have tried to get this addressed several times at the dealer, but nothing helps; new filters etc etc etc. My daughter has had the same issue and they gave back the lease - (now in a lawsuite with MB over the issue!)
Being a physician, I wonder how unhealthy this smell is, and would definately like to get to the bottom of the issue. If anyone of you find a resolve - longterm, let us know.
We just dropped our 2015 ML 350 off at the dealership due to an extreme vinegar emmision from the ac. The tech said it will be $330 to clean/flush and replace the filter as this issue is NOT covered under the bumper to bumper waranty. Its a very common problem, apparently, as he gave us his very "rehearsed" answer as to why this happens. (The condensation has nowhere to escape and becomes moldy). He suggested we park it on a slope and that we should turn off the ac 5 mins before we arrive at our destination !
I dont think that we should have to babysit the ac in a luxury car! He also said that ALL luxury cars have this issue. Well, we've owned Audi's, BMW's and Lexus products all with NO ac issues. So I'm calling BS on Mercedes and I believe that they have know about this issue for years and should be including this service cost in the waranty. Plus, from what I've read this will happen often, its not a 1 time fix.
I own a 2013 ML350 and have experiences the same vinegar smell and sometimes foul smell since I first purchased the car. When I purchased the vehicle, it was winter time, so I did not turn on the AC for a couple of months. When I finally turned it on, it had this bad odor and I took it to the dealer to do an AC clean. For the past three years, I have cleaned the AC system, replaced filters, tried the air purifier in the vents etc. Nothing really helped, except for a few weeks and the smell is back. I honestly was looking into upgrading this car, but after reading all the reviews I decided to look into another vehicle. It's sad that Mercedes has this problem. For a luxury vehicle, this is a shame that happens.
I had a 2006 ML350 I bought CPO in 2010 that had this sour vinegar smell. I noticed it mostly during transition weather like early spring. I kept that POS for six long months. Thank God and Ford, it's GONE!
I've noticed the sour smell in my GL 450 too, as well as a Volvo XC 90 I had for years. Both cars had the A/C filters changed and it didn't help the issue. It sort of comes and goes.
The cabin filter suggestion that someone made will be my next inquiry to Mercedes.
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