Technical Service Bulletin
87 Unpleasant odor from heating and ventilation system
87 15 64 2010146/13 June 24, 2015. Supersedes Technical Service Bulletin Group 87 number 15-63 dated May
18, 2015 for reasons listed below.
Model(s)

Year

VIN Range

Vehicle-Specific Equipment

All

2005 - 2017

All

Not Applicable

Condition
REVISION HISTORY
Revision

Date

Purpose

13

-

Revised Warranty (Updated for R8 vehicles)

12

5/18/2015

Revised header data (Added models)
Revised Warranty (Claim type specified)

11

8/28/2014

Revised header data (Added model years)
Revised Service, Warranty, and Required Parts and Tools (Added information
about models with two evaporators)

• There is an unpleasant, musty odor coming from the heating and ventilation system.
• The odor usually occurs when the vehicle has been sitting unused for five hours or more.
• The odor usually occurs within 20 to 60 seconds after the vehicle is started.

Technical Background
Condensation, which is a normal condition in all A/C systems, can cause a musty odor.
If the odor is noticeable in the vehicle when the engine is not turned on, the cause may be mold and mildew in the
passenger compartment, and not be related to the A/C system. All other possible sources of the odor must be
investigated before this bulletin can be performed. Before proceeding, consider the following:
• The evaporator housing drain must be open and free of debris.
• The cabin must be sealed with no water ingress into the passenger compartment.
• The plenum drains must be clear and free of debris.
• The pollen filter must be clean and free of moisture.

© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Production Solution
Not applicable.

Service
Contaminants are effectively neutralized by the Aircomatic® II Ultrasonic Climate System Cleaner (VAS 6189A)
and Airco-Clean® Ultrasonic Air Conditioning Treatment (VAS 6189/1). No other cleaning methods are permitted.
1.

If the vehicle is equipped with an in-cabin pollen filter (such as in the A3, A6, and Q7), remove the pollen filter
element and reinstall its cover before proceeding.

2.

Start the engine.

3.

Adjust the following climate control settings (Figure 1):
• Set the temperature to its lowest setting.
• Set the fan speed to its lowest setting.
• Set the airflow direction to the dash vents only.
• Activate recirculation and ECON modes.

Figure 1. Climate control settings.
4.

Thoroughly shake a 100ml bottle of treatment and empty it
into the filling chamber (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Pouring the treatment into the filling
chamber.

© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
5.

Connect the outlet tube (Figure 3).

Figure 3. The connected outlet tube.
6.

Place the cleaning unit into the passenger side footwell, ensuring that the unit is as level as possible.

7.

Connect the unit power cord, and route it through one of the
windows, which should be slightly open (Figure 4). All other
windows and the sunroof should be completely closed.

Figure 4. Window is slightly open so that the
cord can pass through.
8.

Turn the unit on and position the outlet tube so that the vapor is drawn into the recirculation air intake
(generally in the passenger side footwell area; see appropriate repair information for exact location).

9.

Close all doors. The atomized cleaning fluid will begin to come out of the vents. After 15-20 minutes, the
treatment is complete and the machine stops automatically.

© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
10. If the vehicle is equipped with a four zone climate control
system with 2 evaporators (such as Q7 and A8), repeat the
procedure for the rear A/C unit before proceeding. Use the
same A/C settings listed above. Position the outlet tube
toward the fresh air inlet vent for the rear unit. The
configuration of the Q7 is shown in the illustration (Figure 5).

Figure 5. Correct positioning of the outlet tube
on a Q7.
11. After the procedure, air the vehicle out for approximately ten minutes.
12. Check the Aircomatic® manual for instructions for unit maintenance after each use.

© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Warranty
• This bulletin is allowed only once per vehicle. The vehicle must be within its first 12 months of service and
under NVLW.
• There must be an original customer complaint of the specified odor symptom on the repair order for this bulletin
to apply. Adding this procedure on is not permitted.
• Subsequent applications, should they become necessary, will be the customer’s responsibility.
• Replacement of the pollen filter under warranty is not allowed within the performance of this procedure. The
pollen filter is covered only where specified at the appropriate maintenance interval.
When procedure applies to vehicles under warranty, use the following:
Claim Type:

1SP

Service Number:

8760

Damage Code:

0049

Labor Operations:

All models except R8:
A/C clean - All models with 8701 2999
single evaporator

70 TU

A/C clean - All models with 8701 3099
two evaporators

135 TU

R8:

Diagnostic Time:

A/C clean

8701 9999

210 TU

GFF

No allowance

0 TU

Road test prior to service
procedure

0121 0002

10 TU

Road test after service
procedure

0121 0004

10 TU

Technical diagnosis at dealer’s discretion
(Refer to Section 2.2.1.2 and Audi Warranty Online for DADP allowance details)
Claim Comment:

As per TSB #2010146/13

All warranty claims submitted for payment must be in accordance with the Audi Warranty Policies and Procedures
Manual. Claims are subject to review or audit by Audi Warranty.

© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.

Technical Service Bulletin
Required Parts and Tools
Part Number

Part Description

VAS 6189A

Aircomatic® II Ultrasonic Climate System Cleaning unit

VAS 6189/1

Airco-Clean® Ultrasonic Air Conditioning Treatment (100ml bottle @ $22.34)

Additional Information
All parts and service references provided in this TSB (2010146) are subject to change and/or removal. Always
check with your Parts Department and service manuals for the latest information.

© 2015 Audi of America, Inc.

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All rights reserved. Information contained in this document is based on the latest information available at the time of printing and is subject to the copyright and other intellectual property rights of
Audi of America, Inc., its affiliated companies and its licensors. All rights are reserved to make changes at any time without notice. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites, without the prior
expressed written permission of the publisher.