Smelly air con

Jules59 · 06-20-2015, 02:10 AM

My car has started to emit an unpleasant, "smelly socks/mouldy" sort of smell from the ventilation system when first turned on. After a few minutes it clears. The air con is otherwise working fine.
The microfilter (with activated charcoal) was changed by the dealer earlier in March of this year during an oil service.

Im thinking of checking the scuttle drains and changing the microfilter and see if that makes a difference.
The non-genuine are alot cheaper than OEM, are they as effective - they probably dont have the charcoal, so Im thinking not.

Any other suggestions ?

jimbo666 · 06-20-2015, 02:26 AM

It won't be the filter. It'll be bacteria on your air con evaporator and will need cleaning. You can buy sprays from motor factors or air con service centres can sort it - BMW dealers included.

Jules59 · 06-20-2015, 08:10 AM

Ok thanks - thats much more logical in fact - I'll get a quote from Dealership and a local air con place.

Hulla the Hulla · 06-22-2015, 07:18 AM

Autoglym for one, do a spray can which you set off in the car with the aircon running. Close all the windows and let the can do it's thing, about 5 mins or so. Should clean the aircon and make the car smell nice. Very easy to do and cheaper than going to a main stealer or even an aircon place. Last one I had off Amazon was less than £9.

gaza01 · 06-22-2015, 08:07 AM

after a drive when the car engine is warm, park up, engine running and turn heat and fan to max and let it blow for about 3 mins...the sustained heat kills the bacteria.
The sprays works as well by all accounts but I've always just done the above. Also do this after using the ac just to get rid of the moisture.

OGM2LCI · 06-22-2015, 09:40 AM

Mine's started to do this, and if I come to the end of a drive and put the air con off and turn the fans down, the next time I come to my car (I always have it on light on the windscreen) it mists up really badly like there is a lot of moisture there somwhere along with a nasty moist smell

Aragorn30d · 06-23-2015, 04:14 AM

Mine does the misting up thing too, though clears very quickly (within a few seconds i guess), usually happens if i've been driving the car not too long ago, and its been a warm day with the AC running. A bit of a smell accompanies it, nothing too bad just a bit of a whiff.

I tend to just leave the AC on all the time anwyay, but dont notice it when its colder, nor if the cars been parked for a day or two. Only the past few weeks when its been sunny and warm.

Waspo · 06-23-2015, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jules59

My car has started to emit an unpleasant, "smelly socks/mouldy" sort of smell from the ventilation system when first turned on. After a few minutes it clears. The air con is otherwise working fine.
The microfilter (with activated charcoal) was changed by the dealer earlier in March of this year during an oil service.

Im thinking of checking the scuttle drains and changing the microfilter and see if that makes a difference.
The non-genuine are alot cheaper than OEM, are they as effective - they probably dont have the charcoal, so Im thinking not.

Any other suggestions ?

Air Con Bomb........... Nice Tits

She don't come with it, but there are loads on Fleabay

Soul_Glo · 06-25-2015, 10:41 AM

The spray will never truly make it to the evap. For a proper clean it needs to be removed. Anyhow use two but use them one after the other and not together. Once you have used the cans as per instruction then air the car. Leave windows open for around 10 minutes if you can. That eBay one is decent. Lysol is good too if you can get it. There is one on Amazon too called silver bomb or something which is okay. The autoglym one is weak in my opinion.

06-20-2015, 02:10 AM	#1
Jules59 Lieutenant 57 Rep 540 Posts Drives: Still searching ... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wilds of Warwickshire iTrader: (0)	Smelly air con My car has started to emit an unpleasant, "smelly socks/mouldy" sort of smell from the ventilation system when first turned on. After a few minutes it clears. The air con is otherwise working fine. The microfilter (with activated charcoal) was changed by the dealer earlier in March of this year during an oil service. Im thinking of checking the scuttle drains and changing the microfilter and see if that makes a difference. The non-genuine are alot cheaper than OEM, are they as effective - they probably dont have the charcoal, so Im thinking not. Any other suggestions ? __________________ Jules
	Appreciate 0 Tweet Quote

06-20-2015, 02:26 AM	#2
jimbo666 Private First Class 10 Rep 163 Posts Drives: E90 330d Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Northampton iTrader: (1)	It won't be the filter. It'll be bacteria on your air con evaporator and will need cleaning. You can buy sprays from motor factors or air con service centres can sort it - BMW dealers included.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-20-2015, 08:10 AM	#3
Jules59 Lieutenant 57 Rep 540 Posts Drives: Still searching ... Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Wilds of Warwickshire iTrader: (0)	Ok thanks - thats much more logical in fact - I'll get a quote from Dealership and a local air con place. __________________ Jules
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2015, 07:18 AM	#4
Hulla the Hulla First Lieutenant 19 Rep 373 Posts Drives: E91 335d Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: South iTrader: (0)	Autoglym for one, do a spray can which you set off in the car with the aircon running. Close all the windows and let the can do it's thing, about 5 mins or so. Should clean the aircon and make the car smell nice. Very easy to do and cheaper than going to a main stealer or even an aircon place. Last one I had off Amazon was less than £9.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-22-2015, 08:07 AM	#5
gaza01 Colonel 105 Rep 2,692 Posts Drives: E92 335i Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: London iTrader: (3)	after a drive when the car engine is warm, park up, engine running and turn heat and fan to max and let it blow for about 3 mins...the sustained heat kills the bacteria. The sprays works as well by all accounts but I've always just done the above. Also do this after using the ac just to get rid of the moisture.
	Appreciate 2 Quote

06-22-2015, 09:40 AM	#6
OGM2LCI Lieutenant 45 Rep 443 Posts Drives: E87 M2 LCI Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: UK iTrader: (0)	Mine's started to do this, and if I come to the end of a drive and put the air con off and turn the fans down, the next time I come to my car (I always have it on light on the windscreen) it mists up really badly like there is a lot of moisture there somwhere along with a nasty moist smell
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-23-2015, 04:14 AM	#7
Aragorn30d Lieutenant Colonel 175 Rep 1,596 Posts Drives: E90 330d Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Fife iTrader: (0)	Mine does the misting up thing too, though clears very quickly (within a few seconds i guess), usually happens if i've been driving the car not too long ago, and its been a warm day with the AC running. A bit of a smell accompanies it, nothing too bad just a bit of a whiff. I tend to just leave the AC on all the time anwyay, but dont notice it when its colder, nor if the cars been parked for a day or two. Only the past few weeks when its been sunny and warm.
	Appreciate 0 Quote

06-25-2015, 10:41 AM	#9
Soul_Glo Major General 13352 Rep 7,484 Posts Drives: G20 Join Date: May 2013 Location: Manhattan, NYC iTrader: (1)	The spray will never truly make it to the evap. For a proper clean it needs to be removed. Anyhow use two but use them one after the other and not together. Once you have used the cans as per instruction then air the car. Leave windows open for around 10 minutes if you can. That eBay one is decent. Lysol is good too if you can get it. There is one on Amazon too called silver bomb or something which is okay. The autoglym one is weak in my opinion.
	Appreciate 0 Quote