Me too. But it never gets killer hot here in Germany although the humidity does get pretty high sometimes. Wonder if this is an issue for any of our friends in Singapore. They have special cooling fans and stuff for the engine .....maybe they have a different setup for the AC too Attachment 7292
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Oh yes we get the same stuff over here too. There is always a sourish, damp moist smell upon engine startups. Smells like a p*@sy sometimes.

This smell is caused by water being trapped in the evaporator coil and the water condensate collection pan. Therefore, when you leave the car there overnight, next morning you will get the whiff of it.

There was this E39 that had the problem. Local agent actually replaced the coil 4 times, removed dashboard 5 seperate times and did some modifications according to factory reccommendations, modifying the pipes, drilling holes and stuff like that and the smell is still there. The owner was of course fed up, sold his 5 and bought a 7. Guess what? The smell is still there!!!

There are couple of things you can do to minimize the smell. Put to non recirculation when on highways for the hot air to come into the coil to create more condensate to flush out the left over water. Or Before you switch off the engine, switch off the compressor for 5 to 10 mins. This will minimize the smell when you switch on the engine next time. Try it.

 

I am seeing a pattern hear. Those of us who have the system on set to full auto all the time have no problem. Mine is on even when the windows are down.

Keeping the system on recycle and turning off the compressor causes the odor.

 

It possibly a defective recirculation feature

 

Sorry for not being more clear, I keep mine on Auto all the time and still have the odor...

 

same problem - Central Texas

 

LOL !

 

As stated here previously, the source of the smell is mold that grows in the system due to trapped condensation. The only good way of minimizing this is to always try to turn off the compressor several minutes before turning off the engine (as was already recommended in another post). You will notice a large amount of water accumulate on the vent louvers and some might even condense a bit on anything that the vent is blowing on - such as the steering wheel. All that water vapor needs to get out, otherwise mold will form and begin to smell.

 

me too. Central Califonrina

 

Right, the turn of the AC before stopping is known, the point is that we (or at least I) never had to do this on any other car I've owned. And all have been here in New Orleans, subjected to the same high heat and humidty, with the AC running nearly year-round. I can tell you, when it's 98 degrees out with 90% humidity, driving to a business meeting in a suit, turning off the AC several minutes before arriving is NOT an option.

 

Always on Auto and have the smell.
We also have other problems with our A/C: the evaporator freezes in hot, rainy conditions and we lose ALL air.
Guess what? Surprise, surprise, the evaporator box was full of mold & causing the smell. Doyathink the two are related???