TSB 14-0099 - 03/05/2014 - MUSTY ODOR FROM A/C VENT ON INITIAL START UP

[GrySql]

TSB 14-0099

03/05/2014 - MUSTY ODOR FROM A/C VENT ON INITIAL START UP - BUILT ON OR BEFORE 2/24/2014

 

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

Edited June 19, 2014 by GrySql

[justwanttodownloadthesb]

Called Ford Canada about this issue MUSTY ODOR FROM A/C VENT ON INITIAL START UP...relayed the TSB Bulletin info TSB 14-0099. They (Renata) claim to have no knowledge of this issue and that no TSB exist for this issue for my VIN. Was a class action initiated in Canada? If so count me in. Brutal service! Told me to to take it in and trained ford staff will tell me how much it costs to fix it.

 

 

FYI: Model is not a hybrid but a regular Fusion 2013 SE

Edited September 24, 2014 by justwanttodownloadthesb

[GrySql]

Called Ford Canada about this issue MUSTY ODOR FROM A/C VENT ON INITIAL START UP...relayed the TSB Bulletin info TSB 14-0099. They (Renata) claim to have no knowledge of this issue and that no TSB exist for this issue for my VIN. Was a class action initiated in Canada? If so count me in. Brutal service! Told me to to take it in and trained ford staff will tell me how much it costs to fix it.

 

 

FYI: Model is not a hybrid but a regular Fusion 2013 SE

We have an enormous Thread dedicated to this subject, but as you are in Canada I'll point you to a another Canadian member here who took legal action on this.

Start reading at this point, then jump forward to follow his other comments, they are widely spaced. He said he won a judgement and Ford Canada admitted the problem exists.

Happy reading!

[justwanttodownloadthesb]

We have an enormous Thread dedicated to this subject, but as you are in Canada I'll point you to a another Canadian member here who took legal action on this.

Start reading at this point, then jump forward to follow his other comments, they are widely spaced. He said he won a judgement and Ford Canada admitted the problem exists.

Happy reading!

Thanks.

[GrySql]

Here's a .pdf file to download:

 

tsb14-0099.pdf

[FordServiceCA]

Called Ford Canada about this issue MUSTY ODOR FROM A/C VENT ON INITIAL START UP...relayed the TSB Bulletin info TSB 14-0099. They (Renata) claim to have no knowledge of this issue and that no TSB exist for this issue for my VIN. Was a class action initiated in Canada? If so count me in. Brutal service! Told me to to take it in and trained ford staff will tell me how much it costs to fix it.

 

 

FYI: Model is not a hybrid but a regular Fusion 2013 SE

 

 

 

Allow me to assist, justwanttodownloadthesb. I suggest making an appointment for diagnosis at your earliest convenience. Please PM me your VIN, full name, telephone number, and dealer info; I will escalate the concern to your regional customer service manager.

Kwasi

[justwanttodownloadthesb]

I have DMed you with pertinent info. Car is in being checked as we speak and the dealer is claiming the dirty cabin filter is at fault at the same time saying there is no smell that they can reproduce. So instead of finding a problem I am on the hook to buy a new cabin filter which in my opinion should be replaced along with the faulty AC parts. I am hoping for a positive intervention from FordserviceCA.

 

 

 

Allow me to assist, justwanttodownloadthesb. I suggest making an appointment for diagnosis at your earliest convenience. Please PM me your VIN, full name, telephone number, and dealer info; I will escalate the concern to your regional customer service manager.

Kwasi

 

Update 1 as of 2:pm 9/25/14: The service manager reversed earlier position and was now able to find the nasty smell after the car sat for awhile. He said the part has been ordered. Will further clarify when I pick up the vehicle later on today.

Edited September 25, 2014 by justwanttodownloadthesb

[Former Expedition owner]

Brought my HyTi in to the dealer I purchased my car from for an oil change, PCM update, navigation offset, remote start blows cold air, and the musty odor when A/C is activated.

 

Called on Tuesday Sept 16th for an appointment and was told they were booked until the following week. Made appointment for Thursday, Sept 25, dropped HyTi off at dealer at 5pm on Wednesday, Sept 24 with a specific list of the issues and associated TSB numbers.

 

No call from dealer on Thursday at the end of my work day, so I called them. "I was just about to call you", says Kirk at the service counter. Let me send a car to pick you up, which he did. When I arrived at the dealer, my HyTi was on the lift in the shop. Kirk tells me he wasn't going to be done with my HyTi today, so he will provide a loaner ('14 Fusion SE).

 

I have planned a trip this weekend and want to take my 41mpg HyTi, so I call Kirk at 10AM Friday morning to see when he will be done. Kirk says he will be done with everything except the musty odor A/C issue. When I ask why, he said he couldn't replicate the issue and would not perform the work. I told him that the smell happens on initial startup after sitting for a while. He said I never told him that and refuses to perform the work. I told Kirk that I was getting the feeling he didn't want to do the work because it would take about 7 hours to do. Kirk claims he could not replicate the smell, we proceed to get into a "discussion" on how I can smell it, I'm the customer, and I would like it fixed. Kirk refuses to perform the work and says I will have to leave my car there for a few days so he can replicate the smell. I told home that he has had the HyTi for two days now, he should have found the smell. He said I could pick up my car in an hour, without the "musty odor A/C" work completed.

 

Signed,

Extremely Frustrated Former Expedition Owner

[FordServiceCA]

Update 1 as of 2:pm 9/25/14: The service manager reversed earlier position and was now able to find the nasty smell after the car sat for awhile. He said the part has been ordered. Will further clarify when I pick up the vehicle later on today.

 

Thanks for the update, justwanttodownloadthesb. I've received your private message and have responded privately with a case number. If you have any further questions, you know where to find me! :)

Brittany

[Former Expedition owner]

I received a call from Ford Customer Service Manager who explained that the dealer has to verify that I have musty odors coming from my cooling system. She offered to set up a service appointment to do so.

 

I explained that I have not run the A/C in some time, since it is now October here in Upstate NY and will likely not be running to A/C again until April 2015.

 

The CS Manager said to make an appointment in April when I am running the A/C regularly and leave the HyTi overnight so the Service Manager can smell the musty odor.

 

When I voiced a concern over my warranty going out of mileage by April 2015, the CS Manager said she would extend my warranty free of charge. She then quickly recanted when she remembered I was in NY and said she couldn't do that in NY state.

 

I'm still upset that they had my vehicle overnight twice during my last trip for service and couldn't verify the odor.

[GrySql]

I received a call from Ford Customer Service Manager who explained that the dealer has to verify that I have musty odors coming from my cooling system. She offered to set up a service appointment to do so.

 

I explained that I have not run the A/C in some time, since it is now October here in Upstate NY and will likely not be running to A/C again until April 2015.

 

The CS Manager said to make an appointment in April when I am running the A/C regularly and leave the HyTi overnight so the Service Manager can smell the musty odor.

 

When I voiced a concern over my warranty going out of mileage by April 2015, the CS Manager said she would extend my warranty free of charge. She then quickly recanted when she remembered I was in NY and said she couldn't do that in NY state.

 

I'm still upset that they had my vehicle overnight twice during my last trip for service and couldn't verify the odor.

In my case, our Forum Rep Ashley got the local CSR involved and I told him that I was not willing to have the Ford odor treatment done and I'd wait until they had a HVAC fix. Months passed, GKinla had his dash removed (same Dealer as me), and I requested that my SA set up an appointment, he said I'd have to bring in my car for the sniff test. I requested to have a CSR call me again, one did and waived the Dealer sniff rest. I waited several weeks for a new Ford Plenum to show up at the Dealer and took my car in and the HVAC was changed out.

No sniff test was done because of the sequence of events and the CSR was in touch with a SA who knew his customer.

I have since lost that SA and am in the same boat as any new customer again, things don't go as well as they used to.

[Easy Rider]

I'm still upset that they had my vehicle overnight twice during my last trip for service and couldn't verify the odor.

 

Does that mean that it was not there.......or that they refused to ADMIT that it smelled rotten ??

 

There is a BIG difference.

 

If it really comes and goes, you probably do NOT have a model that qualifies under the recall........and instead just have one of several other conditions causing the bad smell.......some of which can be permanently fixed and some only partially.

[justwanttodownloadthesb]

Hooray!!! I had mine fixed and returned today. It is like having a new car again. The bonus is now don't need that strong air freshner to mask the odour—that was a double whammy. The real litmus/smell test was no allergic reaction after driving 3 times today. I am ecstatic.

 

Everything seems tight and right, all the buttons work and the trade-off for the invasiveness of the remedy is more than worth it. Thanks to this and the other forum linked in an above post for the assistance as well as Ford service canada.

 

Back to happy.

[Badbuy]

Has anyone else had this fix? My dealer just did a deodorizing of the evaporator coil and the combo smell is worse than it was to start with. At least a/c smell went away after running a bit.

[Easy Rider]

There are a couple of threads on here about this. Please look.

 

Bottom line is: The problem the TSB applies to is an odor that NEVER completely goes away not matter what you do and parts must be replaced.

[Howie411]

Is this on just Fusions? My wife has a 2013 C-MAX and it smells really bad. They wanted to charge her $98 for some deodorizing stuff they were going to spray.

[lolder]

Apparently the air distribution duct behind the dash was improperly designed and moisture can collect in it. The solution is removing the dash and putting in a newer duct. I don't know if the C-Max used the same defective design.

[FordService]

Has anyone else had this fix? My dealer just did a deodorizing of the evaporator coil and the combo smell is worse than it was to start with. At least a/c smell went away after running a bit.

Welcome to the forum!

 

I'll be happy to check out some additional assistance to get things smelling sweet again. What's your current mileage?

 

Meagan

[GrySql]

Is this on just Fusions? My wife has a 2013 C-MAX and it smells really bad. They wanted to charge her $98 for some deodorizing stuff they were going to spray.

Here is the TSB about this and the C-Max isn't mentioned:

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/9352-technical-service-bulletins-tsbs/?p=87994

Edited April 22, 2015 by GrySql

[Former Expedition owner]

It's April now and like I said in my previous post, I used the A/C for the first time since October 2014 when we had an 80 degree day last week.

 

That same musty odor came shooting out of my vents as soon as I turned the A/C on.

 

I'm not going to use the A/C again until I bring it into the dealer so they can get a whiff of that foul smell.

 

I'm due for an oil change soon and need some other warranty work done, so it won't be too long until I can report back if the dealer refuses to perform the TSB work again!

[GrySql]

It's April now and like I said in my previous post, I used the A/C for the first time since October 2014 when we had an 80 degree day last week.

That same musty odor came shooting out of my vents as soon as I turned the A/C on.

I'm not going to use the A/C again until I bring it into the dealer so they can get a whiff of that foul smell.

I'm due for an oil change soon and need some other warranty work done, so it won't be too long until I can report back if the dealer refuses to perform the TSB work again!

Get Meagan, our Ford Rep, on the case before you go.

[FordService]

Is this on just Fusions? My wife has a 2013 C-MAX and it smells really bad. They wanted to charge her $98 for some deodorizing stuff they were going to spray.

Has the smell gone away since your post? Please let me know, along with the mileage, and I'll check out some options.

 

It's April now and like I said in my previous post, I used the A/C for the first time since October 2014 when we had an 80 degree day last week.

 

That same musty odor came shooting out of my vents as soon as I turned the A/C on.

 

I'm not going to use the A/C again until I bring it into the dealer so they can get a whiff of that foul smell.

 

I'm due for an oil change soon and need some other warranty work done, so it won't be too long until I can report back if the dealer refuses to perform the TSB work again!

Once you have an appointment set up, please send me a private message with your VIN, mileage, best daytime phone number, full name, and dealer name/location.

 

Get Meagan, our Ford Rep, on the case before you go.

Thanks!

 

Meagan

[sunnychaser]

I bought my car used in April (it's a 2013). The bad smell from the a/c I thought was from the cabin air filter so I took it in for 20K service (which includes the filter). They said that the filter was not causing the smell and they would order parts and call me in 2 weeks to install. 3 weeks later, I called to see if the parts were in and was told there was no record of any parts ordered for my car and that I could check with the service manager the next day and set a time to have deodorizer liquid run through my system. I spoke with the service Mgr the next day and he said that they DID have parts there, but wouldn't know which ones they needed until they took the car apart. I dropped my car off the following business day for what I was told would be a 6-7 hour job. It was ready 2 days later (they also reprogrammed the power train control module and possibly replaced the steering gear bolt). The paperwork says they performed TSB 412-0 with odor treatment. The only parts used were deodorizer and a filter. Can I take it back and demand that they replace the housing as stated in the TSB 14-0099, or is TSB 412-0 the new fix? I hate to have that awful smell come back later.

[GrySql]

I bought my car used in April (it's a 2013). The bad smell from the a/c I thought was from the cabin air filter so I took it in for 20K service (which includes the filter). They said that the filter was not causing the smell and they would order parts and call me in 2 weeks to install. 3 weeks later, I called to see if the parts were in and was told there was no record of any parts ordered for my car and that I could check with the service manager the next day and set a time to have deodorizer liquid run through my system. I spoke with the service Mgr the next day and he said that they DID have parts there, but wouldn't know which ones they needed until they took the car apart. I dropped my car off the following business day for what I was told would be a 6-7 hour job. It was ready 2 days later (they also reprogrammed the power train control module and possibly replaced the steering gear bolt). The paperwork says they performed TSB 412-0 with odor treatment. The only parts used were deodorizer and a filter. Can I take it back and demand that they replace the housing as stated in the TSB 14-0099, or is TSB 412-0 the new fix? I hate to have that awful smell come back later.

Hi, welcome to the Forum!

If the odor treatment works, fine - if not, you might need some help working with your Dealer. The musty odor has to be obvious to the Service Advisor.

Send a Personal Message (PM) to Meagan, our on-site Ford Customer Service Rep here: http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/user/12405-fordservice/

 

Whatever you do don't delay past the 3 year/36 month Ford Warranty, after that Ford won't fix it.

[FordService]

...Send a Personal Message (PM) to Meagan, our on-site Ford Customer Service Rep here: http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/user/12405-fordservice/...

 

Thanks!

 

Meagan