theXman

What if you open the driver door really fast (with other doors remain closed), that would cause a vaccum effect which suck out all the stale and harmful air inside the cabin as you open it. Then its safer to enter. Right?

OP - I also heard that the new car smell actually is harmful to your health (probably emitting the same material). What are you going to do about that?

DD_545i

sofa? air freshener? I don't have a sofa or an air freshener in my car. So I guess I'm safe.

I can see why opening the windows is a good idea to quickly swap the air, but what's that got to do with the air conditioning? So far you've only mentioned dashboards, sofas and air fresheners as being the carcinogens - not the air con.

I often open all the windows via the remote control on really hot days, just to give the air-con an easier time of it.

phileas

Hahahahah

flyingpuck

Hey Bteljuice....thanks for posting this, whether or not it is taken seriously, is not up to you, just know you did the right thing!

irony

can we turn on the fan and expel the air and then turn on the ac?

tex_phil

this thread is 20 years too late.

-Mike-

+1, thank you for sharing. I did some searching and it does look to be true, but in smaller doses then this may lead you to believe. In fact, from what I found, you will get more exposure to the listed carcinogens from fuel and other vehicles then you will in the cabin. In any case, I wasn't aware I could be exposed to ANY carcinogens while driving my car, and that just plain sucks. Thanks again.

I gotta get me one of these......same cost as a new e60! I bet electricity doesn't emit benzene

http://www.teslamotors.com/models/index.php

MerDoX

Another car myth. I'm sorry but it's just another myth, which passed on and on by emails. Just like these below....

- Attaching magnets to a motorcycle, or flashing your brights at a traffic signal, will turn a red light green.
- Filling up with gas during the hottest part of the day will hurt your mileage.
- It's illegal to drive barefoot.
- Gangbanger wannabes drive around at night with their headlights off, then ? gasp! ? shoot drivers who flash their lights at them.
- Gas stations posted warnings on pumps advising drivers not to use cell phones while filling up for fear that an electric spark could cause an explosion.
- Special, high-pitched whistle mounted on your car will scare deer and other critters away.
- Pushing a pedestrian button repeatedly will activate the crossing signal faster.
- If a traffic cop writesBike against traffic because you can see oncoming traffic better and avoid collisions. down information incorrectly, the motorist will be cleared.
- Bike against traffic because you can see oncoming traffic better and avoid collisions.

While it's good to take precautions, the benzene level in your hot car is so low that it's insignificant. If this was true, rich people in Africa or Middle East, where normal temp is higher than us, would die of cancers....but apparently they are not. Sorry to bust your bubble

obacht545

you're right, but there's always something to be concerned about if you look hard enough. with hybrids and electric vehicles it's EMF (electromagnetic frequency). pick your poison...

consultingdoc

Hi all,
This is my first post, and I'm looking for y'all's expert opinions. I'm looking at buying my first BMW -- a new, 2010 535i. But, in perusing the posts in other fora, I've seen lots claiming that the A/C in Bimmers is bad, slow, weak, and, in general, not adequate for hot American climates. This could be a killer for my desire to buy a BMW instead of a Lexus, since summer temps in Dallas often go above 100 degrees F. Can anyone give me information and/or your opinion (based on published data or your own experience) regarding the ability of Bimmers in general and 535i's in particular, to cool the car on a hot Texas (or other southern state) summer day? How effective is the A/C, how cool, how long to cool the car, does it break down after a few years of use?
Many thanks.