2011 DTS Platinum Window Well Odor

[fellenzer]

Greetings.

Here's a new one. My car is in the Cadillac service bay for several issues and I'm just off the phone with my the tech working on my car and he's never come across this. There is a musty odor coming from the front window wells with the windows down. He smells it and he can't find any "cause" that could be covered under warranty (I have a year left on the bumper to bumper) that would allow him to open up the door panels. I've had this car over a year, it is usually garaged and until now, no musty odors. Last summer was equally as hot. He says the weep holes are not clogged. 42,000 on the clock.

Any suggestions?

Thanks.

[55 cadi]

They should be taking the door panel off and see about the inside, just because weep hole is not blocked doesn't mean water has not got on anything on the inside that would create the smell.

Tell them to look inside the door, don't accept it back until they do,  if it's musty smelling it could lead to mold which in an enclosed care can make you sick.

[fellenzer]

The basis of our conversation was finding justification for taking the door panel off to investigate further. Cadillac won't pay for it unless there is some apparent or visible reason to think something was getting in there that didn't belong. The seals all look good, the trim is intact and looks good. Nothing broken or damaged. They want $100 per door just to open it up let along what they may want to fix it if they decided it isn't a warranty issue. Beyond the health concerns, I asked about what happens in two years when the bottoms of the doors rot out? Obviously, it is holding moisture and it shouldn't be. I would think that would be enough justification and apparently it isn't. Frustrating. I have loved Cadillac for years but this may be my last "new" one. It has been nothing but a headache since I bought it. It took months to find a low mileage certified Platinum. I should have kept my 2008 and been satisfied, but no, I wanted a Platinum.

He says he can find nothing in his database on musty doors.

I was hoping maybe someone here had a similar problem and might be able to provide guidance.

<sigh>

[Barry M Wheeler #2189]

I had a service manager who didn't know the meaning of "bumper to bumper" warranty either, so Alan Haas
suggested I call the 800 # and talk to someone there. I got full satisfaction, although I think Ally sold the car before it could be fixed. I hope the new owner finds the worn seam where my left pants pocket button caused it to wear open. (I had the same problem on my 2012 CTS and my local Chevy dealer fixed it.)

Be calm, polite, and let the person know first, "That you've never had this problem on any of your Cadillacs before", and the anxiety you've had since you agonized over trading your previous one that you had no trouble with to get the Platinum one.

Simply do as Joe Friday suggested, give them just the facts in a polite but distressed way, and see what happens.

(I got a quick call and polite call  from the Service Manager who duals in that position with the Audi store owned by the same people. I think he got confused with which store he was representing.)

[Ralph Messina CLC 4937]

Michael,

I would follow the advice above about calling the 800 service number and would also talk directly with the tech in a polite but assertive manner. I would also check the problem/odor myself in person. Water in a metal cavity will not smell musty. I suspect that the door panel has been off and the plastic water seal between the inside face of the door and the upholstery was not replaced. Water getting in the door could wet the back side of the upholstery panels. Wet upholstery boards would turn musty.

HTH,

Ralph

[55 cadi]

That's what I was referring to was the cloth on the inside not the metal, and the fact it is used you never know what's going on with it.

I did a quick Google search on smell in Cadillac doors.......you should look at it, there are a few complaints obout it and on the "Cadillac ATS forum.com" seems to help people and there is a Cadillac customer service person that gets involved in helping solve the problem.

Check it out, will probably help.

Jason

[fellenzer]

Thanks, Jason.

I searched the CLC and Cadillac Owners Forums and only saw posts on odors from the vents. I didn't think to Google it. Duh!