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AC bad smell on start up


gdn

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As the OP of the thread - quick follow up - Had mine in to the dealer today and told them I wanted the problem noted and investigated - they did as I figured and marked the service order "NPF" - no problem found. At least they know I've noted it and asked for a resolution. They have none as of now. I guess as long as everyone will asked to have it looked into when you are in for any kind of service - maybe it will show up some day and get some attention.

 

Since we didn't just start making cars yesterday I would hope and think they'd have better engineering than this. I'm sure it could be a multitude of problems as others have mentioned and maybe even mold, but we are way too advanced for stupidity in engineering like that.

 

The only suggestion from the service advisor was as a few others have mentioned - turn the AC off before stopping the car. I was never sure why - but he said so that the internal vents would open - when the AC is in the off position - they open for "vent" or outside air. Don't know if it might help some or not - that will be a hard habit to createas I've never done that in the 32 years of driving.

 

Keep having it documented - might get someone's attention or at least a design change.

 

I was always told when not using the car, to not leave the A/C in the "off" or "max" position as that closes off the inside of the car (recirc valve closed on a manual A/C system). I would assume that turning off the compressor for the last few miles and leaving the fan on would help to dry out the evaporator before shutting the car down. Here in Los Angeles, we don't have very high humidity, so A/C mold is usually never a problem.

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I was always told when not using the car, to not leave the A/C in the "off" or "max" position as that closes off the inside of the car (recirc valve closed on a manual A/C system). I would assume that turning off the compressor for the last few miles and leaving the fan on would help to dry out the evaporator before shutting the car down. Here in Los Angeles, we don't have very high humidity, so A/C mold is usually never a problem.

BS! If that is the case then Ford should program the HVAC system to do that when the engine is shut off. I consider it lack of detail during the testing phases and reflects upon the company.

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Hi all! Just saw a mention of this forum over on the http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/ site (Hey Riggo & FusionTX!) and believe we Fusion owners need to raise these concerns to the Ford Corporate level. I've owned my '13 Fusion for 4 months now and am just starting to do the Ford Service attempt-to-fix shuffle. Two visits later and the smell still remains. There seems to be a common problem in the ventilation system of our cars that Ford needs to be made aware of. I plan to write to Ford to document my concerns, but in the mean time, any successful outcomes or similar experiences shared would be very helpful to help understand and hopefully resolve this problem.

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Hey all

 

This is not an uncommon problem. The fix is changing habits. My 2012 MDX did this also. After I. Hanged how I ran the a/c it helped greatly a,most zero smell. First having the ac on recirc should only be used to cool the vehicle initially, after that switch to fresh air. Then try to turn the ac off a few minutes before destination. This lets the evaporator dry out. Like I said this worked for me and I have no smell. Just my 2 cents

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Hi all! Just saw a mention of this forum over on the http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/ site (Hey Riggo & FusionTX!) and believe we Fusion owners need to raise these concerns to the Ford Corporate level. I've owned my '13 Fusion for 4 months now and am just starting to do the Ford Service attempt-to-fix shuffle. Two visits later and the smell still remains. There seems to be a common problem in the ventilation system of our cars that Ford needs to be made aware of. I plan to write to Ford to document my concerns, but in the mean time, any successful outcomes or similar experiences shared would be very helpful to help understand and hopefully resolve this problem.

 

I have a service appt later this afternoon and I am going to address the smelling AC issue.

 

This is one thing I recommend every person reading this do.

 

BTW I would love to hear about your exit strategy for MD...

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I have had the same problem for about two months. Got really bad in late August. Waited to take it in until 2 weeks ago for sending unit replacement and a litany of other small issues. Told them about the smell and how I am familiar with this musty moldy smell in 10 year old cars bought in the 80's but it should not be in a new car. (Built Dec '12) They asked me if I ran it in recirc a lot, I said I did not.

They sprayed the freshener in. Good for a day, then its back. This is not a user error causing this, its a design/manufacture/installation problem. Unlike the door rattle (which they still have not fixed on two trys) I don't think Ford (at a dealer level) is going to accept that this is a "problem" with the product. I go back in for pop click noise on front half shaft splines soon, and will try once again. If this never gets fixed, how does a lemon law apply to a "bad smell"?

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Just want to add my Fusion to the list of those with the moldy smell problem. It's been to the dealer two times -- sprayed with deodorizer and new cabin air filter. It did not fix the problem. Smell returned within days.

 

From my web searching, I haven't found anyone who reports a fix for the problem.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have posted over on the Fusion Hybrid forum. My dealer has been in contact with the FSE and Ford and a few other dealers. The "fix" they did to my car involved spraying a special epoxy onto the a/c evaporator. The epoxy hardens and is supposed to create some kind of insulation I guess to stop excess water from building it. The epoxy also has a anti-microbial in it that inhibits any mold/mildew growth. I've had the car back from the dealer for a few days and haven't had the smell. It is cooler than it has been in the summer though, but I have been running the a/c some. Time will only tell if this is a fix.

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I too have this smelly sock odor for the first 2-3 minutes after start-up. It's very nasty. My kids complain every time. Got my Fusion in April and the smell start in Sept. My 2013 Explorer does not exhibit the same smell. Neither did any of my previous Fords over the past 20 years. This is a design issue. The design must be promoting mold growth. And by the way, I shouldn't have to turn my A/C off several minutes before I turn off my car. Frankly, that is absurd to expect a driver to have to do that every time.

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I too have this smelly sock odor for the first 2-3 minutes after start-up. It's very nasty. My kids complain every time. Got my Fusion in April and the smell start in Sept. My 2013 Explorer does not exhibit the same smell. Neither did any of my previous Fords over the past 20 years. This is a design issue. The design must be promoting mold growth. And by the way, I shouldn't have to turn my A/C off several minutes before I turn off my car. Frankly, that is absurd to expect a driver to have to do that every time.

 

+1000 internets to you! :)

 

My stinky car has been at the dealership since October 9th. After Riggo's post I am losing hope that this problem will be resolved by Ford anytime soon.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I too have this smelly sock odor for the first 2-3 minutes after start-up. It's very nasty. My kids complain every time. Got my Fusion in April and the smell start in Sept. My 2013 Explorer does not exhibit the same smell. Neither did any of my previous Fords over the past 20 years. This is a design issue. The design must be promoting mold growth. And by the way, I shouldn't have to turn my A/C off several minutes before I turn off my car. Frankly, that is absurd to expect a driver to have to do that every time.

 

My Fusion was built in April, is that your build date as well? I wondering if it's limited to a certain batch of cars made in April.

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The small disappears. Doesn't really make sense that it's mold, does it? The smell would never disappear.

 

Well mold needs moisture to "activate." So I'm guessing when the water, humidity, whatever is not present then the mold goes dormant. Then when that mositure comes back, so does the smell.

Edited by Riggo
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Hi All, new to this forum. Have 2013 Fusion Hybrid for 9 months now and last week the AC started stinking which led me to you guys. I don't think humidity has much to do with the issue as I live in Livermore CA and has not rained here since April and we are very dry area. I have not made an appointment with the dealer yet but planning to next week, I did wash my car the other day and made a point to open the hood and run the hose into the vent openings at the rear of the engine compartment near the window. I let the water run through there for about 5 minutes and it made a difference for about 2 days but now the smell is coming back.

 

My car was ordered in November of 2012 and delivered to us in Feb 2013.

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I should mention as well that if I just use the vent all day, there is no smell that can be noticed. However as soon as I turn on the AC the smell gets so bad for about 30 sec to a minute that it is unbearable, it actually is making my eyes water. Is anyone else having this issue.

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Guys, there is a fix, GM fixed this problem in their vehicles. In my 2010 Escalade there was a technical service bulletin and a computer program setting that could be turned "on", but required the Tech II diagnostic computer to do so. Essentially, when A/C had been used at shutdown, something like 15 - 30 minutes later (long after you will have walked away from the vehicle) the computer turns the fan on high for 5 minutes to dry the evaporator core, then turn back off. I'm sure why it waits for so many minutes before activating, but perhaps that is to preclude it from operating unnecessarily when shutdown for just a few minutes, like while filling-up for gas or going into a convenience store, etc. The Escalade has a remote start feature that, like many of our Fusions, can be used to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin. Obviously, running the fan when the engine is off is going to use some battery power, but not nearly so much as to prevent the car from starting later. So I imagine that those of us with computer-controlled A/C systems could do the same thing. Code needs to be written and uploaded with the next round of computer updates. With the MFT interfaced cars, this option could even be a driver-controlled option in one of the menus and not need a technician to activate.

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Guys, there is a fix, GM fixed this problem in their vehicles. In my 2010 Escalade there was a technical service bulletin and a computer program setting that could be turned "on", but required the Tech II diagnostic computer to do so. Essentially, when A/C had been used at shutdown, something like 15 - 30 minutes later (long after you will have walked away from the vehicle) the computer turns the fan on high for 5 minutes to dry the evaporator core, then turn back off. I'm sure why it waits for so many minutes before activating, but perhaps that is to preclude it from operating unnecessarily when shutdown for just a few minutes, like while filling-up for gas or going into a convenience store, etc. The Escalade has a remote start feature that, like many of our Fusions, can be used to pre-heat or pre-cool the cabin. Obviously, running the fan when the engine is off is going to use some battery power, but not nearly so much as to prevent the car from starting later. So I imagine that those of us with computer-controlled A/C systems could do the same thing. Code needs to be written and uploaded with the next round of computer updates. With the MFT interfaced cars, this option could even be a driver-controlled option in one of the menus and not need a technician to activate.

The first thing we need is for Ford to acknowledge there is a problem, which I don't think they have done.

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(without prejudice)

 

So looks like were having the same problem as all of you by the looks of it. For myself and my fiance and 11 month old daughter it's been a ongoing battle with Ford since this summer(more than 7 times I've been into the dealership). I would suggest that if your experiencing the smell to get a air quality test done. If you can't find a company to do one for you, Pro-Lab's has a at home brand that i simple to use and only cost's around 70.00 to have done. We found that we had two type of mold spores in the car that were blowing around and now also have two Doctor supporting us in it being unsafe to operate the car. We all have suffered from migraine's, hay fever like symptoms, swollen glands, coughing, and ear infections all caused by the two type of mold found in the car after any exposure to them. Along with that my fiance is asthmatic and since summer she has a unknown problem with her sinuses which all lead to us calling our car the "Fusion of Death"now. We have lost weeks of work and the health of my daughter is of the utmost priority. Would also like to mention our production date was in January and by reading everyone's post it's seems now the production date really isn't a factor. In the meantime I have actually parked the car and am driving a 2003 Ford Windstar Sport with 210,000km's that I bought and it ha no smell or a positive finding for mold spores blowing around. I am currently perusing the lemon law buy back program offered here in Canada and will know more buy November 10th and will update then. If anyone having the problem would like to email me or comment to this post the production date of your car and the brief description of your problem and the story ford has giving you too which seems to all be the same scripted spiel would be much appreciated because I also have a news outlet interested in this story.

Edited by Mattken Moore
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(without prejudice)

 

So looks like were having the same problem as all of you by the looks of it. For myself and my fiance and 11 month old daughter it's been a ongoing battle with Ford since this summer(more than 7 times I've been into the dealership). I would suggest that if your experiencing the smell to get a air quality test done. If you can't find a company to do one for you, Pro-Lab's has a at home brand that i simple to use and only cost's around 70.00 to have done. We found that we had two type of mold spores in the car that were blowing around and now also have two Doctor supporting us in it being unsafe to operate the car. We all have suffered from migraine's, hay fever like symptoms, swollen glands, coughing, and ear infections all caused by the two type of mold found in the car after any exposure to them. Along with that my fiance is asthmatic and since summer she has a unknown problem with her sinuses which all lead to us calling our car the "Fusion of Death"now. We have lost weeks of work and the health of my daughter is of the utmost priority. Would also like to mention our production date was in January and by reading everyone's post it's seems now the production date really isn't a factor. In the meantime I have actually parked the car and am driving a 2003 Ford Windstar Sport with 210,000km's that I bought and it ha no smell or a positive finding for mold spores blowing around. I am currently perusing the lemon law buy back program offered here in Canada and will know more buy November 10th and will update then. If anyone having the problem would like to email me or comment to this post the production date of your car and the brief description of your problem and the story ford has giving you too which seems to all be the same scripted spiel would be much appreciated because I also have a news outlet interested in this story.

 

Good for you man. I really hope this gains traction. Mold spores, depending on what species, can be very detrimental to your health. If I bought a new car and mold started inhabiting the vents and what not, I'd expect them to replace the vent system.

 

Do you have a 2013 or 2014 fusion?

I'm starting to think I should hold off for the 2015 Fusion...

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