[Livfast335]

My AC/vent, smells all the time when you first start it up. They said they didn't smell anything bad. I'm like seriously? How do I fix, or convince them to get this fixed?

[BavarianFanatic]

Something like smell is 100% subjective. What "smells" to you may not "smell" to others. All they can do is measure it relative to other vehicles. If it's not abnormal then there's not a whole lot you can do about it...

[Livfast335]

Great! Anything I can do on my own? I have a very sensitive sense of smell

[Mauricio Palacios. MD]

Or

Tell us about the results…

[F32Fleet]

If it goes away shortly after startup I would let it go.

BTW don't drive in recirculation mode and keep the temp around 72 degrees with AC on. It will go away.

[cashpayme]

I had the same issue, my AC smelled bad at start up after my car was in the body shop for a few months.

I just had the cabin filters replaced during a service and the smell is gone now. Give that a try.

[DrivenByE30]

Soaks your new cabin airfilter with LYSOL
Let it dry all day long
Replace the old filter...

No more smelly feet odor.

[t335xi]

Use your park car vent scheduler and park car vent feature every time after you drive and always keep your ac button on. It will keep you from getting the mold smell with ac.

[Piggieback]

I have the same issue and I'm leaning towards the notion that the cabin filter does not have charcoal. Seems like a ridiculous problem to have, the air filter is full of bacteria from outside air, mixed with stagnant water will produce an awful smell. I've had a lexus, kia, ford, dodge, jeep, never have I had issues with a/c system smell before.

[F80_M]

I'm having the same issue as well, but with my MY14 Mini Cooper. The smells is like musk/mold (which they found on the air filter). I've taken it into service 4 times now and they have done everything possible. Changing air filter, cabin filter, and evaporator. All in which mini corp said are all resolution to this smell. At this point I'm going to try to lemon the car as its in the shop more than I'm driving it.

[DrivenByE30]

YLemon a BMw on this issue is overkill, but then again every single BMW are affected by this design flaw, that No other cars brand encounters. ..


Charcoal does not prevent mildew and mold from forming.

You. Guys dont want to listen to me and try Lysol??!...
This is the effective way to get rid of the odor everytime you have to replace the filter...

Not even BMW knows about this solution!
It is the most simple and effective solution.

So if you are looking for them to resolve your odor problem, they will never.. until they design a better vent system like lexus...

[Livfast335]

Originally Posted by t335xi

Use your park car vent scheduler and park car vent feature every time after you drive and always keep your ac button on. It will keep you from getting the mold smell with ac.

How does this work? What' the point? Sorry for the newb questions.

[joz]

I get the same thing when I start the car once every while. Lasts about 5 seconds. Its as if there is stale air in the system from the previous drive.

[Piggieback]

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

YLemon a BMw on this issue is overkill, but then again every single BMW are affected by this design flaw, that No other cars brand encounters. ..


Charcoal does not prevent mildew and mold from forming.

You. Guys dont want to listen to me and try Lysol??!...
This is the effective way to get rid of the odor everytime you have to replace the filter...

Not even BMW knows about this solution!
It is the most simple and effective solution.

So if you are looking for them to resolve your odor problem, they will never.. until they design a better vent system like lexus...

Just did what you recommended, I will get to the bottom of your bull**** . I'm curious as to what the replacement interval is for the cabin filter. Took mine out, and it was filthy, and I recently had service done at the dealer with some filters replaced,hmmm.

[DrivenByE30]

Originally Posted by Piggieback

Just did what you recommended, I will get to the bottom of your bull**** . I'm curious as to what the replacement interval is for the cabin filter. Took mine out, and it was filthy, and I recently had service done at the dealer with some filters replaced,hmmm.

i usually change mine every year... or by the time it reach 2 years (it is the most).

mine is probably up for replacement soon

[dan99]

when i first got the car, i had some sort of oil smell, but went away after about a month.

[RPM90]

BMW's AC system design has been pretty weak for a while now.
The AC smelled in my '03 E45, '09 135i, and now '13 335i.
Their system has a poorly designed system to get any condensation moisture out of the car. So that water then sits stagnant and eventually begins to smell.

I have had some success with turning the heat on during the last few minutes of my drive, and turn the heat up to around 75-80. Success is not perfect but a bit better.

As for the tech deciding that someone's AC does not smell, well, who is to say that that tech's nose is any better than the customers?
IMO, the customer is correct, not the tech. Why? Why would a customer take time away from their busy schedule just to have to bring their car in, leave it while a tech looks at it, and then be called to come pick it up? Right, they wouldn't.
Tech's like to think that customers make things up as if that is what busy people want to do, which is to waste their time at a dealers tech center.

Just fix the darn smelly AC and be done. They know how to spray some cleaner in there. The system may even need a hole or two drilled so that the moisture collecting in the area has a place to come out of and/or evaporate.
If these tech's claim "no smell/no problem", then it won't get reported to BMW engineers who might be able to offer a solution.

At this point in the history or HVAC in cars there is no reason why any AC system should smell other than it's poorly designed, which is likely the case.

Good luck to all of us out there.

[rking117]

when I got my Z4 CPO and got it home the next day it has what smelled like mold growing. I called my buddy who is a mad scientist and he hooked me up with this.

http://www.dvelup.com/Cart/index.php...roducts_id=122

It is better than anything i have ever used out there. They have other products i have used too like the wax n dry love that stuff.

[smithf80]

Originally Posted by rking117

when I got my Z4 CPO and got it home the next day it has what smelled like mold growing. I called my buddy who is a mad scientist and he hooked me up with this.

http://www.dvelup.com/Cart/index.php...roducts_id=122

It is better than anything i have ever used out there. They have other products i have used too like the wax n dry love that stuff.

Funny how the product image is a BMW. (x5 I believe)

[Livfast335]

Hey guys, sorry to revive the thread, but I wanted to know if I'm getting screwed here.

I asked them to fix the smell, because its just nasty everytime I turn the AC On. I suspect the cabin filter wasn't changed the last time it was due for maintenance.... but they said ohh we can't check, its built into the seat or something and its $159 to change it because its not due yet.

Then they called back, and said they can do a solution for $89, that will help remove the smell. They said they do it all the time, but its not under warranty.

So I need to pay $89 to do something because of their stupid design flaw?? If this is normal let me know, because to me it doesn't seem normal.

[Piggieback]

Originally Posted by Livfast335

Hey guys, sorry to revive the thread, but I wanted to know if I'm getting screwed here.

I asked them to fix the smell, because its just nasty everytime I turn the AC On. I suspect the cabin filter wasn't changed the last time it was due for maintenance.... but they said ohh we can't check, its built into the seat or something and its $159 to change it because its not due yet.

Then they called back, and said they can do a solution for $89, that will help remove the smell. They said they do it all the time, but its not under warranty.

So I need to pay $89 to do something because of their stupid design flaw?? If this is normal let me know, because to me it doesn't seem normal.

Just pay it, I have the same issue and its basically moisture retention in the system. If its dry outside, with low humidity, notice you have no smell, however if it rains or the humidity goes up, the system for some reason holds in the moisture. I usually just run the a/c system to get the moisture out, needless to say, the whole thing is a huge wtf on the engineers side.

[DrivenByE30]

For less than $20, i can fix this for ya.

You are basically paying the SA, the driver who is going to move your car, the admin who is processing your papers, the technician who is actually doing the work and the manager who is telling the technician when to do it.

If you dont mind paying $70 extra... it's up to you...


This feet smell is a recurring poor design from BMW that is affecting all BMW for several generation without end...

... all you need is antibacterial spray every time you replace your new cabin air filter....
Of course BMW knows about this simple solution.... But why tell you, or why even do it for free when they can milk you for it? You are at their mercy.


The dealers know this all too well.
So they either:
1) say they dont smell what you smell
2) say it is not due to service yet until next time (and they do it couple times)
3) say they dont know how to fix it (for free), but
4) if you pay them, (miraculously) they have this magical thing that make the smell go away...

After i got tired of begging them to perform this magical thing under warrantee during the first year, I decided to take matters into my own hand.

(Actually i have been doing this for years with my previous BMW, so this is nothing new to me.)

After three years of F30 ownership, i have taken out twice the cabin airfilter (once a year), spray lysol and never ever had any bad odor....

The cabin airfilter is in a very strange position, so be ready to perform some yoga tricks...

But it beats paying $80 each year... (A $20 spraycan is reusable everyyear....)