[ƒ°]

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

Popped the hood, could NOT see where the filter could be at all

and it's not even mentioned in the manual.... as if they didn't want us to mess with it?

I am over 17k miles, smelled a few months ago already.

I found some info on how to clean the AC evaporator for an older BMW.

http://bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/AC/smell.htm

It looks pretty complicated. I'm just going to check the cabin filter and do the "Dryer Sheet" trick along with the "spraying Lysol into the intake" trick.

[DrivenByE30]

From RealOEM.com

[DrivenByE30]

Originally Posted by Number

I found some info on how to clean the AC evaporator for an older BMW.

http://bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/AC/smell.htm

It looks pretty complicated. I'm just going to check the cabin filter and do the "Dryer Sheet" trick along with the "spraying Lysol into the intake" trick.

That's what i was exactly fearing... an overly complicated process just to remove / access to the cabin air filter (something that should have been design with easy access in mind since they knew you would have to replace it periodically...) (and why didn't bmw just spray anti-mold during assembly ???)

Anyways, i performed these procedures on my E36.
So when i bought my F30, i was hoping that BMW would have learned the lesson and put the cabin filter in a much more accessible location.

Damn it!


Well if anyone of you want to spray through the vent (downstream up)

Here's the schematic:


1, 2, 3, (and 5, 6) are for the head/body vents

7, 8 are for the front foot wells

11, 4 are for the rear passengers

both 13 are for the rear passenger foot wells

[weixp386]

Originally Posted by Number

So this week, my AC all of sudden started to reek on all settings. Is there a way to fix this?

there might be a dead rat cooking on ur engine... it happened to a friend

[ƒ°]

For the past few days I've been running the fan full blast at 84 degree heat and Air circulation from the outside. The smell has gone away for now. But I also bought a can of Lysol just in case.

[DrivenByE30]

I haven't test it out but maybe this would help:

http://www.f30post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=776885

[johnofcross]

Any luck? I think the chemical cleaning route is the only option. Just got the stinky smell as well, so looking at current options. I think the best solution is to take out cabin air filter, then use this to clean out evaporator:
http://amzn.com/B0002Z2MKO

I'll update the thread if I have any luck.

If this occurs again after cleaning, maybe a kit from this company would be best? Anyone had this done?

http://www.dwd2.com/

[DJ Rocc]

Originally Posted by Number

I found some info on how to clean the AC evaporator for an older BMW.

http://bmwtips.com/tipsntricks/AC/smell.htm

It looks pretty complicated. I'm just going to check the cabin filter and do the "Dryer Sheet" trick along with the "spraying Lysol into the intake" trick.

Yeah same thing happened to me in my 316ti after a few years of use. It's an awful Vinegar like smell!! What we had to do was to spray, and circulate Lysol through the a/c inside intake until it finally went. I took a few cans well, but never reoccurred after that.

I think it could be caused by passengers with stinky feet, lol.

[misterjim]

Originally Posted by TonyS

I had this on my E46 and was told to do the following by a tech (and it does work)...

Turn the AC up to max temp and put the fan on full, and leave for 20 minutes. Then turn the temp down to min and leave for another 20 minutes. This kills the bacteria that cause the smell.

There are also commercial products that kill off the bacteria, but this is free and worth a try first.

So should the a/c be on internal circulation or should it be drawing fresh air from the outside?

[JUSTIN808]

I personally noticed it starts to smell only after an air freshener is added. Do you guys use air fresheners.

[DrivenByE30]

I found the solution and i resolved this problem on my car!! I will tell you in the morning how i did it...

I wrote a long post on my phone, but it got deleted by mistake and i am too tired to type it again now...

[DrivenByE30]

I have not put any air freshener in my car ever since i got this car, so i dont think thats the issue at all.

As amtter of fact, i know exactly what the issue and the culprid of this problem, since i have COMPLETELY removed the smell ENTIRELY from my car.

My pregnant wife's nose can attest of it, and do not let your dealership tell you otherwise:
The problem and source of this bad smell comes from the condensation and the moisture trapped in the cabin air filter.

Now i have shared this problem with my dealership and requested that my filter be changed.
They did it unwillingly saying that it would not solve the problem, and they are right, they usually go on to say that you need to perform a $300 cleaning procedure of the entire HVAC system to get rid of it, BUT THATS WHERE THEY ARE WRONG!

I DID IT MYSELF USING A SIMPLE, EASY AND CHEAP PRODUCT, and my car now is odorless for over six month!!!

Merber NUMBER above was right, use LYSOL! Simple as that.

But you gotta use it at the right spot!

Originally Posted by johnofcross

Any luck? I think the chemical cleaning route is the only option. Just got the stinky smell as well, so looking at current options. I think the best solution is to take out cabin air filter, then use this to clean out evaporator:
http://amzn.com/B0002Z2MKO

I'll update the thread if I have any luck.

If this occurs again after cleaning, maybe a kit from this company would be best? Anyone had this done?

http://www.dwd2.com/

The first product you mentionned in your post is excellent, but it just cheaper to use Lysol and you dont have to spray it everywhere in your car vents conducts.

THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM IS AS FOLLOWED:

At your next opportunity, change your cabin air filter, but before installing it you gotta spray PROFUSELY on both side of the filter. Its gotta be practically soaking wet. (Hold your jokes)

When doing so, make sure you are protecting yourself and not inhalling this product, i recommend you do this in a well vented area, if not outside in your garden or simething.

Once done you gotta leave the filter in a shaded, but well ventilated area to dry for at least half a day or even a full day/night.

After which you are ready to put that sucker in. MAKE SURE TO PUT the filter in following the flow direction, just check how your old filter was oriented and placed, there should be an arrow indicating the flow direction.

Tighten everything and you are ready to use. The first couple of days will smell like lysol, so i suggest blowing the fan to your foot area during that time to avoid receiving all in your face.

I ComPLETELY AND HAVE ENTIRELY got rid of the bad smell from my car. Am so happy to be driving for the past 6month with the AC on amd Off without a faint of that odor.

Proud to have an odorless car now.

And we dont even have to recirculate or vent the car after each use... none of that.

As a joke, my wife and i we sometimes say we miss having the bad smell, it gave our car character... lol

Enjoy and we hope this helps you.

Remember, this shouldnt cost you more that $10, or $70 if you include a fancy filter...

[shivaswrath]

easier to keep the AC button on....dousing your cabin filter with lysol seems like an odd solution.

[OC40]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

easier to keep the AC button on....dousing your cabin filter with lysol seems like an odd solution.

That sounds great for the lungs...

[andrew 330i]

~ turn off the 're-circulating air' button 5 minutes before you shut the car off to get the moisture out of the system.

[Andrew115]

I had an issue like this, brought it to the dealer and they couldn't replicate. They did some type of "clean" in the heat/ac system. No issues now. Perfect.

[johnofcross]

I actually did use the product very recently, and I can attest that it works. Follow the instructions in the can, and two days later, the pre-AC air is stink free (just a hint of citrus smell from the product).

Only downside is that you have to take the cabin filter out, and that was challenging for me because you have to contort your body to reach down there. I'm a big guy and I didn't know what I was doing, so it took a while. But well worth the work tbh.

I'll try your tip next time, if it comes back. Just wanted to leave a review on the product I used. I do not see that as the cause of my problem this time because my cabin air filter was change maybe 2 months ago.

Originally Posted by DrivenByE30

I have not put any air freshener in my car ever since i got this car, so i dont think thats the issue at all.

As amtter of fact, i know exactly what the issue and the culprid of this problem, since i have COMPLETELY removed the smell ENTIRELY from my car.

My pregnant wife's nose can attest of it, and do not let your dealership tell you otherwise:
The problem and source of this bad smell comes from the condensation and the moisture trapped in the cabin air filter.

Now i have shared this problem with my dealership and requested that my filter be changed.
They did it unwillingly saying that it would not solve the problem, and they are right, they usually go on to say that you need to perform a $300 cleaning procedure of the entire HVAC system to get rid of it, BUT THATS WHERE THEY ARE WRONG!

I DID IT MYSELF USING A SIMPLE, EASY AND CHEAP PRODUCT, and my car now is odorless for over six month!!!

Merber NUMBER above was right, use LYSOL! Simple as that.

But you gotta use it at the right spot!




The first product you mentionned in your post is excellent, but it just cheaper to use Lysol and you dont have to spray it everywhere in your car vents conducts.

THE SOLUTION TO YOUR PROBLEM IS AS FOLLOWED:

At your next opportunity, change your cabin air filter, but before installing it you gotta spray PROFUSELY on both side of the filter. Its gotta be practically soaking wet. (Hold your jokes)

When doing so, make sure you are protecting yourself and not inhalling this product, i recommend you do this in a well vented area, if not outside in your garden or simething.

Once done you gotta leave the filter in a shaded, but well ventilated area to dry for at least half a day or even a full day/night.

After which you are ready to put that sucker in. MAKE SURE TO PUT the filter in following the flow direction, just check how your old filter was oriented and placed, there should be an arrow indicating the flow direction.

Tighten everything and you are ready to use. The first couple of days will smell like lysol, so i suggest blowing the fan to your foot area during that time to avoid receiving all in your face.

I ComPLETELY AND HAVE ENTIRELY got rid of the bad smell from my car. Am so happy to be driving for the past 6month with the AC on amd Off without a faint of that odor.

Proud to have an odorless car now.

And we dont even have to recirculate or vent the car after each use... none of that.

As a joke, my wife and i we sometimes say we miss having the bad smell, it gave our car character... lol

Enjoy and we hope this helps you.

Remember, this shouldnt cost you more that $10, or $70 if you include a fancy filter...

[DrivenByE30]

Originally Posted by OC40

That sounds great for the lungs...

No smell of lysol whatsoever after two days...

.... and to this day, nothing at all!

[SergioK]

Originally Posted by OC40

That sounds great for the lungs...

Reminds me of when my F30 was brand spanking new. With all the glues, plastics, etc the interior of the car was off-gassing so much I'd get a splitting headache if I left the A/C on recirculate. New car smell may be 'nice' but it's also highly toxic.

The researchers found more than 275 different chemicals in the interiors of cars. Some chemicals of concern include bromine from brominated flame retardants (BFRs) which are added to plastics to make them less flammable, chlorine used for polyvinyl chloride (PVC) used for plastics and windshields, lead, and heavy metals.

[afterace]

I have encountered a similiar issue on my F30 recently - I couldn't get out the bad smell coming from the HVAC at startup, AC on or off. I tried spraying different chemicals into the circuit, as well as getting the AC cleaned up by the workshop - nothing could work as the smell came back after few days. I even replaced the cabin filter twice just to be sure. It turned out the water ducts between the front wheel arches and the front firewall were totally clogged up and the water stayed there for months. Got those unclogged and the problem is gone now.

[jparnes1]

Try this:

* Start engine, open the hood
* Open all windows and moon roof
* Run aircon on maximum flow & maximum heat for a couple of minutes
* Spray a disinfectant (like Lysol) into the aircon air intake for 15-30 seconds
* Let aircon run for another couple of minutes

The Lysol will kill any mold/bacterial growth in the system. Use a real disinfectant, not just an air freshener.

That has worked wonders for me in the past in my Z4 with aircon systems that started smelling like dirty socks.

[oonowindoo]

My car smelled and I left the heater on for about 1 week :rofl: no seriously, bascially whenever i drove the car, i had the heater on with windows open.
It was uncomfortable but it was needed so my car does not smell like feet when I have passengers.

The smell has gone away but i still left my fan on (no heater) 24/7 unless i need to turn on AC.

Basically there is always some kind of air coming out of the AC vents, so it does not give time for the bacteria to build up.