A.C. Issues/Lemon Law

[Cmh07a]

Does the 3yr/36k cover this? Should be a no brainer? Then again dealers are thicker than thieves

they said no warranty (including extended bumper to bumper) covered my mildew smell situation since it was preventative maintenance, or something of that sort.

[Silver16]

they said no warranty (including extended bumper to bumper) covered my mildew smell situation since it was preventative maintenance, or something of that sort.

Forget the mildew. That's ancillary to the original problem. The AC does not function to design standards AND there is a odor included when in use. Primary issues is the AC malfunction. I bet the mildew is condensation from the improper functioning AC. AC is fixed correctly I can bet the smell is gone. It's the dealership. Substandard. Find another and try again. It's actually a common problem these days with dealerships. They make more money screwing you.

[Paintor]

Drop it off at a different dealer. Might be worth the trip.

[Cmh07a]

UPDATE: I just got my truck yesterday, A.C. seemed to be cooler and the mildew Snell was gone. And my touchscreen was fixed. I drove it maybe 10 miles total yesterday. Today I back it up about 3 feet and a ton of smoke started coning from under the hood and it smelled like burnt rubber. Now GM is getting involved.

UPDATE 2: I FORGOT TO ADD IT still smelled like sh!t when I started it up from the AC

[Bigmac]

I dont think the Lemon Law applies to used vehicles. Many dealers listised "As is" for any liability reasons.

Correct. Lemon Law only applies to new vehicles and to the original owner listed on the title. Been involved with such as an ex factory rep.

[Spurshot]

The mildew smell is mold. Unfortunately, it's common to virtually all automotive A/C systems. Bacteria from the air goes into the system and collects on the evaporator, where condensation accumulates. The moisture and bacteria incubate when the vehicle is stopped and the system warms in the summer heat.

 

There are a few ways to deal with it, depending on how bad it really is. There are sprays which you simply spray into the air inlet at the base of the windshield when the system is running. This works pretty well if you do it regularly. Lysol will work for this as well as any commercial treatment.

 

The next level is more involved and for more serious cases of mold buildup. This is a commercially available foaming cleaner. It has to be sprayed directly into the evaporator. That sometimes means you have to drill a small hole to put the hose from the can into the right area. These work pretty well at cleaning up a moderately fouled evaporator. Some of the worse cases I've seen of fouled evaporators were so bad, they required removal and either manual cleaning or replacement. Google "foaming evaporator cleaner" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi22mdXj3wM

 

My bet is your dealer used a can of the air inlet spray (GM brand, similar to Lysol). You probably could cure your problem with a foaming cleaner directly on the evaporator.

 

The condition is a constant or recurring issue. The persistence of the issue depends on the local humidity and bacteria in the atmosphere. I hear rural areas of the south are pretty severe.

 

One reminder, most of our trucks have a heater, ventilation, AC (HVAC) filter. You should remove the filter before you foam clean. Then replace the filter with a new one, if it's dirty.

[Cmh07a]

They said they used two types of cleaners that seal around the coils? Not sure what it was but they charged me 330 to do it.

[Spurshot]

If you aren't up to doing it yourself, find a good ac shop. They will know how to clean it. It doesn't sound like they got the foam on the condenser.