AC Smell permanent fix

Has anyone had permanent fix to AC smell?
I did mist spray and dealer service with special spray but no avail. I also keep with fresh air and shuts of AC few minutes before arriving.

I also did cook the ac with high heat on for a while, gut it still smells.

any service or product you have used, please let me know please.
I am surprised on this forum that no one is complaining about the smell.

Thank you

Mine is 650 miles new and I believe I have a new car smell...

But I will say, something leaves a taste in my mouth within the first minute of being in the car. It's odd and I wrote it off until you mentioned this. Is it the AC? I'll try not using the air and see if I get that taste.


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How old is your car? The smell is likely trapped in the filter or your filter may have mild mold growth. Replace it.

CX5BC said:

Has anyone had permanent fix to AC smell?

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I'm coming up on three years, mine still has a bit of the new car smell. No A/C issues, I typically shut off the A/C about one minute before I arrive to my destination (leaving the fan on blowing cool air).

I gave a friend who owns a 2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur a ride last night. As we were pulling away from the curb he asked me when I had picked up the new "Volvo". I told him it was a Mazda and was almost 3 years ago. He was surprised on both counts.

Shutting off the a/c and letting it blow on a high for a minute before parking helps for sure. Also make sure you don't keep the system in recirculate mode constantly. Also, if you park on a slight incline, park in a way where the front of the car is lower than the back. This will promote the condensation from the evaporator to drain instead of staying inside the housing.


The reason a/c gets smelly is from bacteria and mold which forms when the water and moisture from the evaporator and housing doesn't dry.

MikeM. said:

I'm coming up on three years, mine still has a bit of the new car smell. No A/C issues, I typically shut off the A/C about one minute before I arrive to my destination (leaving the fan on blowing cool air).

I gave a friend who owns a 2013 Bentley Continental Flying Spur a ride last night. As we were pulling away from the curb he asked me when I had picked up the new "Volvo". I told him it was a Mazda and was almost 3 years ago. He was surprised on both counts.

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heh a volvo... man that spur is a strong car

Chris_Top_Her said:

heh a volvo... man that spur is a strong car

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True, and that's just the beginning of the nice things one could say about the Bentley.

Primary negative, cost of ownership. I can only recommend it for those that have more $ than they know what to do with.

Thank you for the replies. I do shut of ac couple minutes before I park, have new air filter in it and the cx-5 is 2.5 years old. If anyone successfully treated the ac smell please let me know. I wonder if sate to use foam through the drain hole or drill a small hole in the housing?

Generally speaking you have to use the dealer recommended (or equivalent) aerosol spray which is discharged by the intake at the base of the windshield. The product is suppose to kill the mold and bacteria this eliminating the smell. If it didn't work the first time it means your issue is more serious and may need several applications.

The reason others aren't complaining is because it's not a common problem and only becomes one when certain criteria are in play such as what I described above.

I had the issue before on a 2000 Neon I owned. It took several applications but eventually I cleared up most of the smell which was worst when first turning on the air. I quickly learned after that how not to have the problem again on future vehicles.

You can use the spray through the drain tube, but I don't think you will have much success as it's the evaporator you need to hit which can only be done using the air intake method (which is why an aerosol can is required). I also wouldn't recommend drilling any holes in the housing. A new cabin air filter will not get rid of the smell either.