Cooling system stinks up car even in winter

[fusionTX]

Honestly, I was ready to give up on my car. I could not imagine driving all Summer with the stench.

It's been a cold winter and cool spring in Houston, so it has't been much of an issue, but the few times I have had to use my A/C. it is worse than ever.

[Riggo]

Honestly, I was ready to give up on my car. I could not imagine driving all Summer with the stench.

It's been a cold winter and cool spring in Houston, so it has't been much of an issue, but the few times I have had to use my A/C. it is worse than ever.

 

Let us know how the fix goes!

[Riggo]

Great news.

There is 6.6 hours of labor for the FFH in that TSB.

Which means the parts will have to be pre-ordered and in stock, plus the car will be in the shop for at least one day.

 

I would have been fine with my car in the shop for a week if it meant getting rid of the smell it had. For those of you who never got this smell, you lucked out. It is truly awful.

[inco]

Sure glad this has not happened to me. Have not used the AC yet, being Canada and all, but happy to hear that Ford has come up with a solution that has affected so many. Now the test will be to ensure it works and the smell has been driven out. If it doesn't, I expect we will hear about it. And if it does work - we still want to hear about it and so will Ford.

[gkinla]

Stopped by the dealer today to see if there a fix for the musty smell in the AC system. My SA looked for any TSB to correct this problem and found this TSB 14-00-99 that was issued just a few days ago. Lucky timing on my part. I was going to post the TSB number but as usual the forum struck again. I'll be taking my FFH in next Tuesday for a fix. I'm hoping this is the final fix. On 3/20/2014 a deodorizing procedure was performed, YN-29. It lasted one month when the odor started to come back.

 

Thanks fusionTX for posting the complete TSB, 6.6 hours for the job, an all day affair, maybe more if parts aren't avaliable.

 

 

This was posted in other Fusion forum. Hallelujah !

 

TSB 14-0099

FORD:

2013-2014 Fusion

LINCOLN:

2013-2014 MKZ

ISSUE

Some 2013-2014 Fusion and MKZ vehicles built on or before 2/24/2014 may exhibit a musty or organic-type odor from the

front vents when air conditioning (A/C) is activated.

ACTION

Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.

SERVICE PROCEDURE

1. Replace the Climate Control Housing. Refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 412-00.

a. Transfer the components from the old housing to the new housing as needed.

PART NUMBER PART NAME

EG9Z-19B555-C Climate Control Housing - Manual Air Conditioning

EG9Z-19B555-D Climate Control Housing - Dual Zone Auto Temp Control

W714878-S439 Steering Column Shaft-To-Steering Column Pinch Bolt

OPERATION DESCRIPTION TIME

140099A 2013-2014 Fusion: Replace The Climate Control Housing (Do Not Use

With Any Other Labor Operations)

6.0 Hrs.

140099A 2013-2014 Fusion Hybrid: Replace The Climate Control Housing (Do

Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations)

6.6 Hrs.

140099A 2013-2014 Fusion Hybrid Plug In: Replace The Climate Control

Housing (Do Not Use With Any Other Labor Operations)

6.8 Hrs.

140099A 2013-2014 MKZ: Replace The Climate Control Housing (Do Not Use

With Any Other Labor Operations)

7.4 Hrs.

140099A 2013-2014 MKZ Hybrid: Replace The Climate Control Housing (Do Not

Use With Any Other Labor Operations)

7.7 Hrs.

WARRANTY STATUS:

Eligible Under Provisions Of New Vehicle Limited Warranty Coverage

Warranty/ESP coverage limits/policies/prior approvals are not altered by a TSB. Warranty/ESP coverage limits are

determined by the identified causal part and verified using the OASIS part coverage tool.

DEALER CODING

BASIC PART NO. CONDITION CODE

19B555 42

MUSTY ODOR FROM A/C VENT ON INITIAL START UP - BUILT ON OR

BEFORE 2/24/2014 TSB 14-0099

NOTE: The information contained in Technical Service Bulletins is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge, tools, and equipment to do the job

properly and safely. It informs these technicians of conditions that may occur on some vehicles, or provides information that could assist in proper vehicle service.The

procedures should not be performed by "do-it-yourselfers". Do not assume that a condition described affects your car or truck. Contact a Ford, Lincoln, or Mercury dealership

to determine whether the bulletin applies to your vehicle. Warranty Policy and Extended Service Plan documentation determine Warranty and/or Extended Service Plan

coverage unless stated otherwise in the TSB article.The information in this Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) was current at the time of printing. Ford Motor Company reserves

the right to supercede this information with updates.The most recent information is available through Ford Motor Company's on-line technical resources.

Copyright © 2014 Ford Motor Company Online Publication Date May 5, 2014 PAGE1

 

[GrySql]

Stopped by the dealer today to see if there a fix for the musty smell in the AC system. My SA looked for any TSB to correct this problem and found this TSB 14-00-99 that was issued just a few days ago. Lucky timing on my part. I was going to post the TSB number but as usual the forum struck again. I'll be taking my FFH in next Tuesday for a fix.

Say hello to our SA for me, I haven't been there since last August. :)

I'll be calling him for this service pretty soon, and a few others.

[jsolan]

I truly hope this fix works. I hope to hear back from some of you soon on it. My 20k oil change is coming up in a month or 2 and I may have them apply this as well. My smell is not as bad as some of your's but it's definitely there.

[gkinla]

It starts...I took my FFH in today to get the ball rolling on the AC musty smell TSB 14-00-99 fix. Parts are ordered, two day delivery. I won't bring my car in until next week as it will not be a one day operation. This is the first attempt at my dealer for this TSB. The whole dash needs to come apart to access the Climate Control Housing. I casually asked how long they would need the car, the answer was astonishing, one week. I said really. Because it would be their first attempt they didn't want to promise too short a time. I'll get a loner so it won't be too bad. I'll post as things progress.

 

 

Here is the page from the parts dept. On the parts screen it was called an evaporator.

[acdii]

I would not want to have to do that job. I have replaced heater cores before, not fun at ALL! This is even more complicated!

[SteveB_TX]

One of the guys on the Lincoln forums is a service tech. He says he has already changed out one of these, albeit the original version, and does not ever want to do it again. Says he will gladly share the love. :)

[Easy Rider]

On the parts screen it was called an evaporator.

 

I'll bet it was........because that's what it IS. :)

 

Part of replacing THAT is evacuating and recharging the entire AC system.

 

Apparently some component of the evaporator assembly makes a noxious odor when it gets damp.

Given the short time period for that to develop, I think it is likely that it is a CHEMICAL reaction and may have nothing at all to do with "mold".

 

Every car I have ever owned exhibited the mold problem to some degree........AFTER it was 6 to 8 years old......and a proper cleaning and disinfecting of the evaporator and tray solved the problem for LONG periods of time. This apparently is something altogether different.

 

Just one more note.......as long as so many people are watching this thread:

I had one old car where the smell just got worse and worse and worse and virtually nothing helped any.

Found out that the drain for the AIR INTAKE, which is located at the base of the windshield, had become plugged and there was one HELL of a wicked mess growing in there !!!! :drool:

 

I mention that mostly because of the one owner who seems to have found that vent hose and said it appeared to have some kind of "flap" on the end of it.

I'm not sure that is right.......but it might be.

Anyhow, it is pretty easy to dump a gallon of water into those vents....slowly....and then see if and how fast it runs out.

[Riggo]

I fear ripping the dash out in order to fix this problem will open up a whole new can of worms. Whether it be electrical problems or new squeaks and rattles. That's a shame that it has to be done this way.

[Toz]

I fear ripping the dash out in order to fix this problem will open up a whole new can of worms. Whether it be electrical problems or new squeaks and rattles. That's a shame that it has to be done this way.

Yup, that makes me nervous as well.

[gkinla]

Yup, that makes me nervous as well.

 

Tell me about that! I also have another issue that the SA informed me of. I had the aftermarket Ambient Lighting Kit installed by my dealer and it is in the way. It needs to be moved/removed. Now he tells me that Ford will not cover this removal/replacement cost under warranty. I'm having an issue with that. We're under discussion about this. My take on this is, Ford produce a faulty Evaporator/Climate Control Housing. What ever it takes to get the job done, is the cost, including, putting my FFH back the way they found it.

Edited May 16, 2014 by gkinla

[inco]

I'm a little surprised here. Your ambient lighting was installed by the dealer and now the dealer is asking if Ford will pay to have it moved or removed. And the lighting is aftermarket and not Ford. Is anyone else surprised that Ford declined.

 

The dealer was/is trying to provide a decimal insertion here to the dollar equation - ok trying to screw Ford, if I wasn't being clear. :play: The dealer should have, I would think as a matter of good customer relations, just gone ahead and done the work and said nothing. But no they would like Ford to pay. I can see the other side too with Ford having bad parts causing the problem, but moving or even temporarily removing the lighting - that doesn't sound like a big deal. Maybe it is.

 

As another example and maybe a bad one, but try this on for size. Man buys F 150 and installs camper body in the pickup bed. camper is attached to body, wiring hooked up and whatever else needs to be done and then Ford issues a recall for the bolts holding the bed to the frame. Should Ford have to pay to have the camper taken off and put back on? Don't think so. Any legal eagle types here that might offer a different perspective? :sneaking:

[gkinla]

I guess I wasn't as clear as I should have been. And I do see the point to your F150 example. The aftermarket ambient lighting is a Ford product, bought from this dealer's parts department and installed by the this dealer. I have been a customer since I bought my 2010 FFH from them, and have had all my service performed by them, including whatever service was performed on my 2013 FFH. So I'm thinking maybe for one to two hours extra labor, if that, a little customer loyalty relations benefit would be nice. I think what the issue is the lighting modules were double sided stuck somewhere under the dash and need to be removed. I'm only speculating here as the work won't be done until next week.

[acdii]

What is so different between the after market Ford lighting and the factory installed Ford lighting?

[gkinla]

What is so different between the after market Ford lighting and the factory installed Ford lighting?

 

It's very rudimentary, it has four modules one for under each side of the front foot well, and two for wherever you want, cubby, drink holder, etc. It's a 7 color system like the Ti and controlled by a mechanical switch and not dimmable. I had the two smaller LEDs put in the rear, on the end of the center arm rest, as it is on the Ti. The factory integrated ambient lighting has many more lighted areas and is controlled through MFT and dimmable.

 

 

 

 

The mechanical switch needed to have a hole drilled in the top of the center console. I didn't want this, so the mechanic came up with this switch that uses the auto start switch for control. I don't have auto start on my FFH so this worked great. I just think of the "A" as ambient lighting.

 

[cincidaddi]

My 2013 FFH has the smell issue as well and I'm glad to see they finally have a TSB available. I went to my dealer after reading this thread yesterday. I was told I need to bring it in first for an appointment next Tuesday to validate that this is the problem. Once they confirm, he said they will order the parts and perform the job. I'm a little peeved it couldn't be done earlier than that.

[GrySql]

It starts...I took my FFH in today to get the ball rolling on the AC musty smell TSB 14-00-99 fix. Parts are ordered, two day delivery. I won't bring my car in until next week as it will not be a one day operation. This is the first attempt at my dealer for this TSB. The whole dash needs to come apart to access the Climate Control Housing. I casually asked how long they would need the car, the answer was astonishing, one week. I said really. Because it would be their first attempt they didn't want to promise too short a time. I'll get a loner so it won't be too bad. I'll post as things progress.

 

Gkinla, I'm so glad you are going first at 'our' Dealer. I'll be calling them and setting this up next month so they ought to be done with your's by then - LOL!

I am following your saga with great interest and have faith that our Dealer will do the best possible job for us. :)

[jimfish]

I've got only 1300 miles on mine and I dread the first meet with the service service dept.

[gkinla]

I've got only 1300 miles on mine and I dread the first meet with the service service dept.

 

jimfish....you should be good to go. Us early buyers were the guinea pigs for the new design. We did have our issues but got them all worked out. Some of us had better dealers that got right to the problem without all the that's the way it was designed answers. The FFH design is beautiful and is a good handling ride. After the Climate Control Housing change I'm hoping all the issues will be caught up.

[gkinla]

Update on the Climate Control Housing Change.

 

I got a call from my SA yesterday, it will be a two man job I'm told. Except one of the team is going for a training class this week, not for the CCH change. So it was recommended I wait a week. These two are a team that handles the bigger repairs and I'm told are the best...so I'll wait for the repair on my SA's recommendation.

[halfelite]

My 2013 FFH has the smell issue as well and I'm glad to see they finally have a TSB available. I went to my dealer after reading this thread yesterday. I was told I need to bring it in first for an appointment next Tuesday to validate that this is the problem. Once they confirm, he said they will order the parts and perform the job. I'm a little peeved it couldn't be done earlier than that.

 

For people that have this issue is yours all the time? mine seems to come and go I would hate to have to keep driving to the dealer and they say nope nothing wrong just for the next day im driving to have the smell.

[inco]

Update on the Climate Control Housing Change.

 

I got a call from my SA yesterday, it will be a two man job I'm told. Except one of the team is going for a training class this week, not for the CCH change. So it was recommended I wait a week. These two are a team that handles the bigger repairs and I'm told are the best...so I'll wait for the repair on my SA's recommendation.

 

And by agreeing to wait a week they will move the ambient lighting and reinstall it at no charge. That's fair.