BMW Air-Con has musty smell after its turned off..??

[ellie666golf]

Does anyone know, why after I have been using the air-con for a journey does it have an odour after I switch it off.
For example if I go out for a day & have used the air-con, when I only turn on the blower to circulate air within the car I constantly get a smell for a couple of minutes....?
The air-con still works very well, so can't assume it needs recharging..?
Without taking it to BMW or an air-con specialist, does anyone have any idea how I can cure this, do I need to replace a filter or something..?? If so how easy is it to do..??

(BMW 330d Sport 2003)

[E30M3SE]

You need some of this,


..or a similar product.

[M-J-B]

I had this and ran my car in the drive on full heat, fan up full speed for about half an hour and the smell never returned

[BIG BAVARIAN]

That would be the bacteria build up in the evaporator,after sporadic use, as most people tend to only use it in the summertime;To avoid this in the future run the aircon/climate for a minimum 30 mins a month all year round (with heater on in wintertime obviously)as above run the heater on full power to burn off any bacteria.

It also lubricates the seals and helps avoid potentially huge repair bills,at the cost of a bit of extra fuel ,hence ads that read "just needs a re-gas", when the evaporator or condenser are seized due to lack of use, costing hundreds to fix.

[CarZee]

M-J-B said:

I had this and ran my car in the drive on full heat, fan up full speed for about half an hour and the smell never returned

Nice tip... I think I'll try that before the chemicals..

ETA: Windows open, recirculating etc?

Edited by CarZee on Tuesday 18th August 00:14

[obscene]

E30M3SE said:

You need some of this,


..or a similar product.

I got some of that and now have a nice Lemon fresh car instead of that horrible crayon smell.

[M-J-B]

CarZee said:

M-J-B said:

I had this and ran my car in the drive on full heat, fan up full speed for about half an hour and the smell never returned

Nice tip... I think I'll try that before the chemicals..

ETA: Windows open, recirculating etc?

Edited by CarZee on Tuesday 18th August 00:14

Nope, windows shut and left the car to do its thing.