2013 edge interior odor

[Thomaswh3]

I have a 2013 edge limited that I bought new . I park it in a garage and do very little driving . I have noticed lately that when I first start it there is a strong odor coming from the vents . It smells like mildew or ? . I thought about changing the cabin air filter but I can't find any info on how to do it . Thanks for any help or advice , Tom

[normcloutier]

Probably Air Conditioning "stink". My 13 has it bad this year. Changing the cabin filter won't help the smell. It's the condensation in the AC system. Lot's of people complain about it here.

 

Ford says nothing they can do although the other 5 Fords in our service fleet (E-150's, a Freestar and F-150's) don't have the issue.

 

I try to turn the AC off 5 minutes before I get home and run the fan on high to dry out the condenser.

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

An oldtimer's technique is to get the car up to operating temperature (outside), open up all the windows, get the heat running full blast, and spray Lysol into the cowl for maybe 15-30 seconds. Let the heat run for 30 minutes. This should help quite a bit.

 

If that does not work, spraying the coils with something like this foaming cleaner should do the trick.

[normcloutier]

An oldtimer's technique is to get the car up to operating temperature (outside), open up all the windows, get the heat running full blast, and spray Lysol into the cowl for maybe 15-30 seconds. Let the heat run for 30 minutes. This should help quite a bit.

 

If that does not work, spraying the coils with something like this foaming cleaner should do the trick.

Doesn't Lysol have to come in contact with the surface in order to work? I assume the coil is on the filtered air side of the cabin filter. I never paid attention when I replaced my filter this spring.

 

With the glove box and filter so easily removed, is there something else one could spray while that is all apart?

[Thomaswh3]

Thanks for the info . I am leaving it outside in the sun with the windows down for a few days . I hope this helps .

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

Since air will be drawn in through the cowl and there on into the cabin, spraying Lysol into the cowl will draw it into contact with the surfaces the air is exposed to. Removing the cabin filter during this time would be a good idea also to maximize the effectiveness of this method.

 

Not sure if there is an easy way to get the foaming cleaner into the heater/evaporator core housing other than through the cowl. Possibly a long tube attached to the can and snaked in through the cowl on the passenger side? I was thinking there might be access on the right hand side where the blower fan/filter assembly is located, but I'll have to check.

 

See Figure 1

Item Part Number Description

1 N806113 LH rear footwell duct pin-type retainer (5 required)

2 18C420 LH rear footwell duct

3 N806113 RH rear footwell duct front pin-type retainer (2 required)

4 19728 Evaporator drain tube

 

See Figure 2

Item Part Number Description

5 W525859 Heater hose clamp (2 required)

6 W707142 Thermostatic Expansion Valve (TXV) fitting nut

7 19E889 O-ring seal (2 required)

8 W709450 Heater core and evaporator core housing nut (5 required)

9 19B555 Heater core and evaporator core housing

Edited September 6, 2014 by WWWPerfA_ZN0W

[WWWPerfA_ZN0W]

There is a way to vacuum out the evaporator core listed in TSB 11-9-6, but you will have to remove the blower motor to do so. After vacuuming thoroughly, the coil cleaning product might be usable.

 

Taken from the free Chilton's online manual for the '11 Edge:

http://www.chiltonlibrary.com/ContentDelivery.aspx?ca=Repair#1411968|937660

 

Blower Motor Removal and Installation

1. Remove the RH lower instrument panel insulator.

2. Disconnect the blower motor electrical connector.

3. Remove the 3 blower motor screws.

4. Remove the blower motor.

5. To install, reverse the removal procedure.