PilotDeviation

So a new problem has developed over the last month or so -- not coincidentally, right after my water pump decided to fail. I have (or must have) a mold issue in my air conditioner. When I run the fan or the heater, I have no problem -- but when I turn on the A/C, an awful, awful musty smell comes flying out.

I took it to the dealer and they said it was NOT related to the water pump issue, but that my pollen filter was really dirty and must have trapped some moisture in my air conditioner. I tend to think that this is probably not the case, since the vehicle has 14k miles on it and is garaged 95% of the time it is parked and not exposed to a lot of the elements, etc.

Has anyone else had this issue with such a new car? Particularly if you've had the water pump issue... Luckily the dealership and AOA (you can bet I called them immediately after all of this crap) were nice enough to pay for a thorough cleaning of the system, although it still smells. I'm giving it a few days to see if it gets better.

JFA in L.A.

Start the car. Turn on the AC system. Put the wipers in service mode. Lift the hood. Spray Lysol into the air intake vent. It will enter the system, kill residual mildew (if it's really there), and extinguish the odor.
Works on any car.

manup

I too had a similar situation (smell) for two days. Our Q5 is also garaged so out of nowhere this was a mystery to me also. I opened all the windows and let the car sit in the garage for a couple of days and the "smell" dissipated completely? That was about one month ago. I have no idea what it was...just hope it does not return.

phxflyboy

Yep, this is a well documented issue here on the forums. I've had the same issue since shortly after getting my Q5 in May 2009. I haven't tried the Lysol method but I may this summer. The easiest solution I've come across is to crank up the heat through all the vents for about 30 seconds or so just before shutting the car off. I do this once every couple weeks and it helps a lot. Shouldn't expect to have to do this on a luxury veh at this price point but I love the Q5 so much it doesn't really bother me.

phxflyboy

FitzLA

Just out of curiosity, why do you have to put the wipers in service mode?

DesertFox

What he said...

DesertFox

I had the same problem after the water pump was changed. I noticed a lot of antifreeze was spilled in the engine compartment so I took a garden hose and sprayed water through the grill and washed the radiator and the front of the engine. No more musty.smell.

gat821

Just an added tip. Open your windows or doors when spraying the lysol. That disinfectant odor is pretty strong as it is. On another car I had to do this twice before the moldy smell went away.

john1r

I have this sometimes as well. Probably only about 10% of the time though. When it does happen, it lasts for less than a minute and then goes away on its own (w/o opening windows). My car is garaged and I haven't been able to figure out why it happens (i.e. after rainy days, on humid days, etc...) There seems to be no consistent pattern...

JFA in L.A.

So you can raise the hood for better access to the intakes.