image969

Hello. As of a couple weeks ago, I get a smell coming from vents when turning on the air.. I've read a few things about what to do such as putting regular air on to circulate before i get home each day

however its not just AC for me.. It's when i put the air on period..

Could this just be the microfilters under my hood?

And also.. It's not a terrible smell.. nothing that makes me shut the air off. .It just seems a bit out of place.. seems to over power my everyday air freshener I have in the car..

BimmerFan52

Once the mold is in the ducts of the ventilation system it doesn't matter whether you run heat, just the fan or AC, it is going to smell.

The cabin filters should be changed every 30K whether you have smell or not. They might be the source of odor but probably not.

Before the mold takes hold if you run the fan with the AC turned off 2 miles before you stop the car this can prevent mold from taking hold in the first place.

Several things you can try to remove the smell:

1. Remove the cabin air filters and spray Lysol into the openings under the cabin air filters while the fan is running and then let it sit for a while. It may kill enough of the mold to remove the smell.
2. Do the same thing but with Einszett Klima-Cleaner which is made specifically for the job
3. Go nuclear and implement the procedure outlined in the PDF attached.

image969

Thanks for the help.. I got this car last november. It's certified. Would this be covered under warrenty you think? I suppose I could just call them. thanks again.

BimmerFan52

Not covered, but doesn't mean the dealer won't do it as a courtesy.
Costs nothing to ask.

KyleB

replace your cabin filters. spray BG "frigi-fresh" into the vents. the smell should go away. you more than likely have mold buildup in your ductwork. it's not uncommon.

image969

Yea.. Dealer wanted 200 dollars to do it.. So I bought stuff at autozone.. Seemed to do the trick.. DRiving to work this morning I smell the fumes of the stuff I sprayed in there. Hoping that doesnt' take too long to go away.. But definitly better than mold smell.. thanks

donpb

I just use any mold/mildew cleaner but something with a pleasant smell. Whatever smell it is usually wears off in a few days.

psam550

Reviving this old thread....

Can anyone tell me where the AC evaporator is located on a 2006 550i? How to best shoot the cleaning agent into the evaporator/drains? I want to attack the mold smell. Thx.

turboawd

pop hood, and there is a micro filter on each side at bottom of windshield. remove them, and then with car running and ac running, you can see the flaps open down in the hole. you can see the evaporator a little. spray a cleaner down there. i actually used scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner and just sprayed the heck into each side. foam and all. got rid of the smell for me.

psam550

Thx, Turboawd.

One or two more questions: I suspect that the drain pipe from the AC system is clogged because I don't see the condensation run off. Where is the drain line? How do I check it and unclog, if necessary? Thx.