My VW Dealer Telling it Like it is..

[Kurtatron]

129.95 to diagnose and repair foul body odor? Sign me up for that job! VW olfactory cleansing technician reporting for duty!

 

[DGXR]

VW... they even spelled it European... FAOUL
Fartzengrooven!

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

It's true about turning the AC off for a few minutes before turning the car off. LET THE BLOWER FAN STAY ON HIGH AND MAKE SURE THAT THE RECIRCULATE IS TURNED OFF!

This allows fresh air in to dry out the condenser unit and drain tube dryer means no moisture to let microbes grow.

Back in the 90s some GM cars could be fitted with an "afterblow" kit that would run the fan blower for a few minutes after shutting off the car after AC use to help dry the evaporator and prevent smells. I typically run the blower only for a few minutes before I arrive at my destination to help displace some of the moisture in the evaporator core and air box if I know the car will be sitting for more than 12 hours or more afterwards.

It appears some GM vehicles have the ability to have afterblow enabled via a BCM setting in modern times.

 

[Blinker]

Back in the 90s some GM cars could be fitted with an "afterblow" module that would run the fan blower for s few minutes after shutting off the car to help dry the evaporator and prevent smells. I typically run the blower only for a few minutes before I arrive at my destination to help displace some of the moisture in the evaporator core and air box if I know the car will be sitting for more than 12 hours or more afterwards.

Yep, GM still had this logic on vehicles up into the mid 2000’s. The GMT360 (Trailblazer) had this feature but it had to be enabled by the dealer in the event of a customer complaint of foul smelling AC.

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

Yep, GM still had this logic on vehicles up into the mid 2000’s. The GMT360 (Trailblazer) had this feature but it had to be enabled by the dealer in the event of a customer complaint of foul smelling AC.

We installed many afterblow kits on oldsmobile and buicks, many cars would be driven by retired people and say they drove it on a hot humid Sunday, parked it in a humid garage, it might sit until another several days to a week until it got driven again, those were the most common situations we seen where we installed afterblow kits per the TSB.

We never had to enable the feature on the Trailblazers but they were typically driven everyday, several times a day by the customers. And during dealership days they were still in the first few model years so there wasn't quite as many of them. Good feature to have!

 

[Blinker]

We installed many afterblow kits on oldsmobile and buicks, many cars would be driven by retired people and say they drove it on a hot humid Sunday, parked it in a humid garage, it might sit until another several days to a week until it got driven again, those were the most common situations we seen where we installed afterblow kits per the TSB.

We never had to enable the feature on the Trailblazers but they were typically driven everyday, several times a day by the customers. And during dealership days they were still in the first few model years so there wasn't quite as many of them. Good feature to have!

I think the afterblow feature was also available on Cadillac models too IIRC. I’m not sure if this has changed or not but at least regarding the Trailblazer, once the HVAC module after blow feature was enabled there is no turning back lol.

I imagine this caused a lot of needless worry with used car buyers thinking something was wrong

 

[Hermann]

My best cure for the stinch is to just switch your selector to outside air 20 sec. before turning off the engine. Lets passive fresh air flow through.

 

[Pelican]

I've had mine on auto for 4 years it selects when to get fresh air and when not, no foul odour so far.

 

[Gimpy1]

Hey neighbor, just get a can of this and save yourself the dealer visit.

Lubegard 96030 Kool-It Evaporator and Heater Foam Cleaner https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007PHD0...abc_X4E2ZXJZCXXTRRFBN00M?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Good stuff. Also to keep smells dow it is very important to make sure the drains are clear nd the CAF is in good condition.