Air conditioner stinks! (E38 1996 728)
Discussion
The air conditioning on my BMW emits the most noxious smells on times - not unlike stagnant water. I bought the car in September 2002 and from the service record I believe it may have been standing for a few months before I bought it.
My guess is that the smell is due to water that has accumulated somewhere in the system when the car was standing. The problem has somewhat alleviated with use but is still present - mostly when you first start the air conditioning, or when you change function (from air conditioning to hot air for example).
Perhaps an air box has some gunge at the bottom of it and needs cleaning out, or maybe a filter needs replacing? Any help would be very much appreciated!
My guess is that the smell is due to water that has accumulated somewhere in the system when the car was standing. The problem has somewhat alleviated with use but is still present - mostly when you first start the air conditioning, or when you change function (from air conditioning to hot air for example).
Perhaps an air box has some gunge at the bottom of it and needs cleaning out, or maybe a filter needs replacing? Any help would be very much appreciated!
The E34 five series had this problem on occasion - I believe the microfilters can be a place for mould to accumulate. Whether the E38 is similar enough in this regard, I don't know, but it'd be a cheap fix.
Try the E38 boards on www.roadfly.org - very good source of knowledge there.
Try the E38 boards on www.roadfly.org - very good source of knowledge there.
Gassing Station | BMW General | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff