Mouldy Odour from A/C

[Ghostrider]

To avoid this...try switching on your heater when you drive in the evening (like late at nite when there is little cars on the expressway). Wind down your window and let the hot air blast thru the aircon system.

This will kill some of the bactaria forming at your cooling coil.

You can also go to CAS and get your aircon cleaned by them using the foam chemical. This foam can be bought from BVO at around $50 a can. Good for a few treatment.

You spray the foam thru your aircon vent...these will eventually find their way to the cooling coil and blower...the residue will be flush out thru the normal channel.

 

[KT]

Can someone explain this in English to me please

“To burn” micro organisms out: Place car into the sun, start engine, switch on circulating air, adjust heating and blower to maximum achievement, close all doors and windows and wait 10 to 30 mins. The car heats itself thereby very strongly and hot air from the interior kills all microorganisms in the heat exchanger by the operation with circulating air.

 

[Orh LuLu]

To avoid this...try switching on your heater when you drive in the evening (like late at nite when there is little cars on the expressway). Wind down your window and let the hot air blast thru the aircon system.

This will kill some of the bactaria forming at your cooling coil.

You can also go to CAS and get your aircon cleaned by them using the foam chemical. This foam can be bought from BVO at around $50 a can. Good for a few treatment.

You spray the foam thru your aircon vent...these will eventually find their way to the cooling coil and blower...the residue will be flush out thru the normal channel.

Thanks for the additional tips bro.... Actually PML already had most of the things in my A/C cleaned.... so far no problem... later dun noe... :errr:

Posting this thread is to let forum bros whom might infuture hv such problem knows what they will be expecting from PML.... maybe some already knew....

KT... I pri 6 only lah... mus ask spelling and grammer police in tis forum to explain to you...

 

[BMWSILVER]

Re: Mouldy Odour from A/C

Hi ! Daniel.

Yah ! Same shit every day from PML :screwedu: :screwedu:

I own a few cars before but odour from A/C happen when car are 2 to 3 years old. However, for BMW car is 2 to 3 months old.

When people buy new car because they just love the New Car Smell but as for BMW is really Damn Smelly.

Really very piseh when you fetch guests. At first all guests will be happy to sit your car and they just keep saying Wow ! BMW Car BMW Car. The next minutes they all keep quiet because you have just started the engine and switch-on the Air-con :ehhh: :ehhh: :ehhh:

I think the best way is to keep changing the Air-con filter. Any idea Eng Soon sell these filter and how much is E46 Air-con filter costs ? Anyone can advise ?

 

[Azrielsc]

Hey Hymics,

Thanks for the information. I've put it up as a "Sticky" so that pple can read through the information given by the pple from BMW AG regarding smelly air-con!

KT: I think what BMW AG meant was that when u start the car under direct sunlight, increase your air-con temperature to the max as well as the speed of the air-con and leave it blasting for 10-30mins...

Cheers!

 

[KT]

KT... I pri 6 only lah... mus ask spelling and grammer police in tis forum to explain to you...

My apologies .. I thought those were content you copied from letter from Germany ...

Did I just make the matter worst?

 

[louis]

i'm not sure what temperatures are reached in the heat exchanger but although "burning" may kill the mould or bacteria, some microbes produce heat resistant spores that will persist and give rise to more fungi/bacteria. so..... suck thumb lah...

 

[Orh LuLu]

KT... I pri 6 only lah... mus ask spelling and grammer police in tis forum to explain to you...

My apologies .. I thought those were content you copied from letter from Germany ...

Did I just make the matter worst?

KT, nothng to apologise abt.. I spent 1/2hrs typing word by word from the PML letter... damn siong.. my typing skill is still "Tang Lang Quan".. finger by finger word by word.... :screwedu: nw finger cramp.

and seriously I primmoly....I mean Pr 6 only..

 

[BMWSILVER]

KT... I pri 6 only lah... mus ask spelling and grammer police in tis forum to explain to you...

My apologies .. I thought those were content you copied from letter from Germany ...

Did I just make the matter worst?

KT, nothng to apologise abt.. I spent 1/2hrs typing word by word from the PML letter... damn siong.. my typing skill is still "Tang Lang Quan".. finger by finger word by word.... :screwedu: nw finger cramp.

and seriously I primmoly....I mean Pr 6 only..

Hi ! Daniel.

Thanks for sharing this PML Letter with all of us

Next time ask your maid to type la
Don't keep asking her to wash your car

May be she can type faster than you ! Hee Hee !

See you brother

 

[Nuke]

- “To burn” micro organisms out: Place car into the sun, start engine, switch on circulating air, adjust heating and blower to maximum achievement, close all doors and windows and wait 10 to 30 mins. The car heats itself thereby very strongly and hot air from the interior kills all microorganisms in the heat exchanger by the operation with circulating air.

Hymics...use hokkien la..

but thanks man! much appreciated.

 

[quiksilver]

i tried the "burn out" method. it works for my car.

 

[KT]

i tried the "burn out" method. it works for my car.

Wow, good to hear, will try it out this weekend. Hope the bad smell will go away for my car too.

Just checking, you would increase the temperature setting to its highest, run the fan speed at its highest and make it in re-circ mode and blast for 10 mins - 30 mins or so .. is that how you do it? Thanks

 

[Ghostrider]

Actually there is another product that you guys might wanna try if the burn out does not work. I have tried these product a few time and it works for me.

I can't recall the name...but you can get it easily from most petrol kiosk...its either yellow or green in colour. Aircon cleaner.

What you do is to spray the product into all your aircon vents....then you switch your vent to recirculate...then on the cleaner container...you switch it to auto dispense...leave it in the car with your aircon blasting at full power....30 mins later the treatment will be complete.

After treatment, your car will smell like a bed of roses.

 

[Orh LuLu]

i tried the "burn out" method. it works for my car.

Wow, good to hear, will try it out this weekend. Hope the bad smell will go away for my car too.

Just checking, you would increase the temperature setting to its highest, run the fan speed at its highest and make it in re-circ mode and blast for 10 mins - 30 mins or so .. is that how you do it? Thanks

DK, so after "burn out" method works, how long will it last before the Odour comes back again for yr ride?

 

[ryan]

i tried the "burn out" method. it works for my car.

Wow, good to hear, will try it out this weekend. Hope the bad smell will go away for my car too.

Just checking, you would increase the temperature setting to its highest, run the fan speed at its highest and make it in re-circ mode and blast for 10 mins - 30 mins or so .. is that how you do it? Thanks

DK, so after "burn out" method works, how long will it last before the Odour comes back again for yr ride?

Why not put a hungry hippo in your car?

 

[Stranger]

This is the original document SI from BMW, if you are interested.


Mouldy odour from air conditioner
All series
Complaint: A mouldy smell can be detected inside the vehicle for a short time in either heating or air conditioning mode. This happens in particular immediately after the engine is started with the air conditioner or automatic air conditioner switched on, or after switching the air conditioner off during a journey.
Cause: The cause of this complaint is not a fault in the air conditioner or automatic air conditioner, nor in the vehicle. The odour is caused by environmental influences during the air conditioner's operation period. The continuous condensation of air humidity on the evaporator when the air conditioner or automatic air conditioner is operated over a lengthy period creates an ideal habitat for bacteria and other micro-organisms.
Together with impurities brought in from the outside air, these can cause microbes to grow on the evaporator, resulting in a mouldy smell.
By changing the microfilter regularly, the entry of impurities can be minimised and
occurrences of the above-mentioned issues can be delayed and/or prevented.
Replacing the evaporator does not produce a lasting result as microbes are still able to form again.
Affected vehicles: All series with air conditioner (IHKR) or automatic air conditioner (IHKA)
Procedure: 1. Cleaning with the "Aircomatic" evaporator cleaning unit
In case of customer complaint, clean the evaporator with the "Aircomatic" cleaning unit provided by the WYNN'S company. The "Airco-Clean" cleaning agent from the same company is required for this process. WYNN'S calls this cleaning process the "ultrasonic method."
Important.
The "Seku-Aircond" cleaning agent for the spray unit may not be used for this process.
Description of the working steps:
• Remove the microfilter (after cleaning the unit, replace it with a new filter).
• Start the vehicle.
• Switch off the air conditioner.
• Set the temperature control to the lowest (coldest) setting.
• For automatic air-conditioning systems (IHKA): Switch off the automatic air distribution/air supply.
• Select the lowest blower speed.
• Set the ventilation to aim at the upper body area.
• Set the air supply to recirculating air function.
• Shake bottle of "Airco-Clean" well.
• Set the ultrasonic device upside down and screw the bottle of "Airco-Clean" into the unit with the opening at the top.
• Screw the ultrasonic device back into its original position, so that the bottle can drain partially into the unit.
• Lie the ultrasonic device horizontally in the footwell on the front passenger side.
• Attach the spray hose to the unit.
• Lay the spray hose in a position which ensures that the recirculating air system can suck in the vapours emitted from it. Ensure that there are no kinks in the hose!
• Connect the ultrasonic device with the power cable provided. The spraying begins!
• Close all doors and windows of the vehicle.
Important: Never allow any persons to remain inside the vehicle during the treatment!
• After approximately 20 minutes, the treatment is finished and the ultrasonic device shuts off.
• After the treatment, open the doors and ventilate the vehicle for approximately 5 minutes.
• After the treatment, pour out any residual fluid in the ultrasonic device and rinse the ultrasonic device with water briefly.
2. Cleaning with the spray unit
If the "ultrasonic method" does not achieve lasting results because of strong contamination of the evaporator, the evaporator must be cleaned with a spray lance and the "Seku-Aircond" disinfectant. Compared to the "ultrasonic method," the mechanical cleaning power for this method is greater, as in this case a disinfectant is sprayed at high pressure.
The disinfectant to be used for this process (Seku-Aircond) is delivered as a 100%
concentrate in a 2-litre package. However, it is used at a concentration of only 5%. That means: To make 1 litre of cleaning agent, mix 50 ml of disinfectant with 950 ml of plain water. After spraying, the cleaning agent must be allowed to work for 15 minutes. Then, rinse the evaporator with 1 litre of plain water.
Description of the working steps:
For the following series, refer to the corresponding repair instructions for a more detailed
description of the working procedure. Repair instructions which are currently unavailable are to be updated according to series processing.
• E39, E53 with air conditioner (IHKR):
Cleaning the evaporator RAE3964-6451001
• E39, E53 with automatic air conditioner (IHKA):
Cleaning the evaporator (automatic air conditioner) RAE3964-6451002
• E46 with air conditioner (IHKR) or automatic air conditioner (IHKA):
Cleaning the evaporator RAE3964-6451001
• E65/E66 with air conditioner (IHKR) or automatic air conditioner (IHKA):
Cleaning the evaporator RAE6564-6451001
• E60/E61/E63/E64 with air conditioner (IHKR) or automatic air conditioner (IHKA):
Cleaning the evaporator RAE6064-6451001
• E85 with air conditioner (IHKR) or automatic air conditioner (IHKA): Cleaning the evaporator RAE8564-6451001
Parts: 1. Cleaning with the "Aircomatic" evaporator cleaning unit
(applies to all series)
Description Part number Quantity
"Aircomatic" cleaning unit 81 34 0 307 140 1
Airco-Clean 83 10 0 308 228 12
(1 box containing
12 pieces)
The "Aircomatic" cleaning unit can be obtained from the CARTOOL company, and the
"Airco-Clean" cleaning agent can be obtained directly from BMW Parts Service.
2. Cleaning with the spray device
Description Order number/Part number Quantity
Spray device:
- E39, E46, E53
64 1 450 1
- E65, E66, E67 (left-hand drive)
64 1 460 1
- E65, E66, E67 (right-hand drive)
64 1 470 1
E60, E61, E63, E64 64 1 480 1
- E85 (left-hand drive) 64 1 490 1
- E85 (right-hand drive) 64 1 250 1
SATA spray gun 81 45 9 429 217 1
Seku-Aircond 81 22 9 410 394 1
The spray device can be obtained only from the CARTOOL company; the spray gun and the "Seku-Aircond" cleaning agent can be obtained from BMW Parts Service.
Warranty reimbursement is not possible as the problem does not constitute a technical defect.

 

[quiksilver]

Wow, good to hear, will try it out this weekend. Hope the bad smell will go away for my car too.

Just checking, you would increase the temperature setting to its highest, run the fan speed at its highest and make it in re-circ mode and blast for 10 mins - 30 mins or so .. is that how you do it? Thanks

DK, so after "burn out" method works, how long will it last before the Odour comes back again for yr ride?

So far the smell did not return for the past 2 years. The method is similar to what KT described. try it out if u got some free time!

 

[Orh LuLu]

Why not put a hungry hippo in your car?

Ryan, can meh? i tot the hippo for absorbing moisture? :ehhh:

 

[ryan]

Why not put a hungry hippo in your car?

Ryan, can meh? i tot the hippo for absorbing moisture? :ehhh:

For mould to grow, it requires humidity(moisture) and heat right?

I mean...if you could make the car a very dry place to be...

Then again, im just giving out a very rough shot...cause i have no proof tha t a hungry hippo can prevent mould from growing in a car. But if it works in cupboards to prevent stuff from growing on our clothes..why not?

 

[eliz888]

Re: Mouldy Odour from A/C

hi all..
my new BMW 523iA has the same problem when the car is just one month old. Wrote to Mr Henry Lim of Performance Motor and he dismissed the case, saying there is nothing much he can do as it is environmental effect !! so much for the great advertising they are emphasizing on customer service.