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Dear Craig:
 Now that the winter is here and I've had to turn on my heater, I've been smelling a strange musty smell coming from my vents. Is this normal or is there cause for concern? My girlfriend thinks I should take it in for service but I don't think that it's serious. Your thoughts? 
--John, Jenkintown, PA

John: There is cause for concern. What you may not know about your vehicle's HVAC system may be hazardous to your health. If you smell a musty fume coming from your vents, it's important that you take action under your warranty and if necessary, assert your State and Federal rights.

Bacteria, fungus, mold, and spores can all grow from accumulated condensation in your AC system. These unwelcome visitors can trigger allergy and asthma attacks and make it difficult to drive. If you think you may have mold growing in your vents, here's what you need to do:

**Make a service appointment with your dealership immediately. Make sure the service manager understands the severity of the situation.

**Try to track down where the scent is coming from. If you can point your service manager in the right direction, they may be able to fix it immediately. Also, let the service manager know when the scent is the strongest (i.e. when starting up the car, when turning on the heater to high, when turning on the rear defroster, when it rains.) The more information you can provide your service manager, the better!

**Make sure you receive a repair invoice outlining your problem and their solution. Do not let them mail the invoice. Have them print out the invoice when you pick up your car.

**If you still smell the fumes after your service, you need to bring the car back to an authorized dealership for another repair attempt. If you feel your dealership is not handling the problem correctly, take your car to another authorized dealership.

**If your car is under manufacturer's warranty, you should not have to pay any extra monies for treatments or ventilation services. This problem should be covered under both the original and extended manufacturer's warranties.

**If your car is under manufacturer's warranty and you have given the manufacturer three or more chances to fix the problem, you can assert your rights to cost-free legal representation under State and Federal Laws. You could receive a new car, a full refund or a significant settlement from the manufacturer. For a free consultation to determine if you have a Lemon Law or breach of warranty case, visit www.lemonlaw.com.

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