AC Stinks like shi*

[Grail05]

So i recently bought a cabin filter total 4 its right under the hood. 2 on the left and 2 on the right...

so when i turn my AC on or even just the fan, it smells like a cow shi*... is there another filter that i need to replace?

[italyix]

Not sure about other filters to replace....might wanna use this:
http://www.detailersdomain.com/1Z-ei...aner_p_78.html

[MilehighM3]

There are no other filters. It sounds like maybe your evaporator is leaking. You would notice it on initial start up more than other times until the leak gets worse. How's your a/c performance? I know it's not exactly summer any more, so you may not notice it declining yet. Evaporators are somewhat of a common issue on the E9x platform as well as 1series and X5s. Since you bought microfilters, I'm assuming your warranty is expired?

[m3an]

it's mold in the system.

You can use a cleaner that sprays into the vents that will work. It may be a precursor to another issue though

[Grail05]

Originally Posted by Bmw135er

There are no other filters. It sounds like maybe your evaporator is leaking. You would notice it on initial start up more than other times until the leak gets worse. How's your a/c performance? I know it's not exactly summer any more, so you may not notice it declining yet. Evaporators are somewhat of a common issue on the E9x platform as well as 1series and X5s. Since you bought microfilters, I'm assuming your warranty is expired?

My A/C are fine.. its really cold.. the smell started about 2-3 months ago at first i thought it was just and Micro filters but after replacing it wasnt the case.. although the smell died down a bit but still some there.. and yes warranty is out..

it has been hot here too and at 98degrees F. my AC is running fine and cold i usually have it in in 2-3 bars only cause its really cold...

Originally Posted by m3an

it's mold in the system.

You can use a cleaner that sprays into the vents that will work. It may be a precursor to another issue though

yea im in the process of using the sprays.. but whay would you say that it might precursor to another issue? just curious

[m3an]

Originally Posted by Sean05

My A/C are fine.. its really cold.. the smell started about 2-3 months ago at first i thought it was just and Micro filters but after replacing it wasnt the case.. although the smell died down a bit but still some there.. and yes warranty is out..

it has been hot here too and at 98degrees F. my AC is running fine and cold i usually have it in in 2-3 bars only cause its really cold...



yea im in the process of using the sprays.. but whay would you say that it might precursor to another issue? just curious

b/c mold is only in the system due to moisture. The evap may not be able to fully pull all the moisture out of the unit and then when it sits, mold forms. This is why I say it may lead to another issue. It may not either, but even you say that the AC works great, which it may, but you may not be able to detect the variance of temp that falls out of range meaning it needs servicing.

I thought my AC worked great, but vaguely suspected that it should/could be a little bit colder. Brought it to dealer and low and behold it was like 2 degrees out of spec and warranted a leak test which found the evap failing. Hope this isn't your case as I had mine done 2 weeks prior to warranty expiring and its a big job to do requiring the dash be pulled apart.

[M3PO]

Originally Posted by m3an

b/c mold is only in the system due to moisture. The evap may not be able to fully pull all the moisture out of the unit and then when it sits, mold forms. This is why I say it may lead to another issue. It may not either, but even you say that the AC works great, which it may, but you may not be able to detect the variance of temp that falls out of range meaning it needs servicing.

I thought my AC worked great, but vaguely suspected that it should/could be a little bit colder. Brought it to dealer and low and behold it was like 2 degrees out of spec and warranted a leak test which found the evap failing. Hope this isn't your case as I had mine done 2 weeks prior to warranty expiring and its a big job to do requiring the dash be pulled apart.

My AC sucks. It barely gets cold when it's 80+ outside. It will get pretty chilly if it's in the 70s outside. The more I run it, the better it seems to work also. I suspect that I may have an evaporator issue. I don't use the AC enough to warrant having it replaced (out of warranty) though. IIRC, some cars had a problem with losing refrigerant due to loose schrader valves. I thought about maybe having that checked out because it is simple and cheap.

To avoid mildew and mold forming in the system, I always run the fan with the AC off for about a minute before I shut the car off. I think that when you shut the car off with everything cold, moisture condenses on the everything in the system and allows the mold/mildew to start growing. Running it for a minute with the AC off brings everything up to room temperature and keeps moisture out of the system.

[Moxie]

Crank the heat for a while. Run the fan only just prior to parking it. Worked for me in other cars.

[MilehighM3]

As others have stated, turn the A/C off and let the fan run the last mile or so home. At least a few minutes of operation prior to shutting the car off. This will allow the moisture to be mostly removed from the evaporator and the heater box in general and reduce the mildew build up. It going to smell really bad the first few time you do it especially. If you're unfamiliar with how R134a smells, it tough to describe. Stinky, but almost a sweet smell. Definitely a unique aroma, and unmistakable when you do smell it. If the smell doesn't get better in a week or so, it may be worth getting a second opinion from someone who is familiar with the smell.

[1MOREMOD]

maybe a "friend" slipped a turd in the vent.