Interior smells. Any suggestions

[Hobz]

So there has been a slightly offputting smell in my car since I got it. It hasn't been a stench, just a dry musty smell (some people say 'old person' smell, some say mouldy), and I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience in their 8.

At some point I will be tearing out the dash to do the heat exchanger maintenance, and in the process was going to clean out the vents. For the most part the smell is associated with the heating system. Could this indicate a coolant leak? The carpeting is dry and I don't notice any other interior dampness or I would have taken out the dash immediately.

There is the occasional sloshing associated the coolant valve going to the heater unit, but until I deal with that I didn't think it was the cause of the smell.

[Ladislav]

Could be your A/C evaporator enclosure is plugged and accumulating water because it is not draining the water that condenses from the air, or you are losing coolant via the heater core.

Do you check your coolant regularly? Are you losing any?

[Wuffer]

Replace the cabin filters lately?

[Hobz]

Thanks for the tips. I'll check what I can in the morning

And no, I haven't replaced the cabin filters yet. I got the car about 8 months ago and am just getting around to doing the regular maintenance stuff.

[Wuffer]

Change them - they filter the air into the cabin - betcha they are gross - and smelly! 8-)

[NickF]

I have the same problem but I put it down to too much beer and curry My panel filters are revolting but I have more important stuff to spend cash on, can they be cleaned?

[8Harry8]

No!

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1187493

Instead of beer and curry you better spend your money for water and bread next time, then you can afford the filters soon!

[koenig d]

if you can remove the radio you can see the pipework that feeds the heater core, mine had a dry salty looking powder at a weeping joint.It turned out to be a leaky o ring on the ks8, but I changed the plastic pipework and the matrix while the dash was out and all 5 o rings.

[Hobz]

if you can remove the radio you can see the pipework that feeds the heater core, mine had a dry salty looking powder at a weeping joint.It turned out to be a leaky o ring on the ks8, but I changed the plastic pipework and the matrix while the dash was out and all 5 o rings.

That's worth inspecting. Good advice, thanks

[smokum]

antifreeze has a sweet smell

[Hobz]

I checked the cabin air filters and they were a little dirty but not gross so they might have been replaced before. I'm going to buy some replacement filters and the cleaning spray/foam and see if that makes a difference.

I checked around the HCV and everything looks great. Overall, all the hoses in the engine bay that I can see look great, even under the intake cover.

The car was always stored during the winters, probably for months at a time. I wonder if this gave time for organisms to grow so perhaps the cleaning foam will help. The smell has been getter less obnoxious over time so airing out the car also seems to help.

I checked the coolant, and when cold the coolant is right at the top of the 'KALDT' marker, and i haven't topped it up since I got it, so it doesn't look like it's burning/leaking coolant, but I'll keep better track of that now.

As far as A/C condensation collecting somewhere, is there an easy way to check this?

[TTTXGreg]

Can't resist for humor....what type of deodorant do you use?! Maybe switch? Seriously, the drain issue is what I would be looking for. Leave the windows down for a bright, sunny day and see if you can "dry" the car out. Also check the sunroof drains.

[ethanw]

Those cars are old and smell comes with that. As everybody else said, first things first fix any possible issues.
What I used in my previous 850 was an "ozone generator" that I got in China for a good price.... Some folks may argue that will destroy the plastic.... Yes it will if you let it run 8 hours at the time. The trick is to run it 2 hours every night for one full week and any possible smell in the car is gone... The car smells like brand new after that.
Ozone generators are used in housed damaged by smoke and flood...

[bRIZZAd]

Is your recirculated air on? Usually when turned on mine initially smells a bit stale... not an 'off' smell by any means, just dead-air?

[Hobz]

Can't resist for humor....what type of deodorant do you use?! Maybe switch? Seriously, the drain issue is what I would be looking for. Leave the windows down for a bright, sunny day and see if you can "dry" the car out. Also check the sunroof drains.

Good advice, I had totally forgotten about the sunroof drainage.

I use Axe deoderant, which has the girls flocking to me all the time, until I get in the car and then they all run for the hills. It's really cramping my style so I need this smell issue solved asap!

[Deaks]

Hi there

I'd become accustomed to a steadily worsening aroma in our '95 840 and put it down to 'old car smell'. No such luck. If I'd been a bit more observant I've have noticed that on parking after running the aircon there were no pools of condensate forming under the car. What was actually happening was the condensate drains were blocked. The condensate (which is supposed to disappear through the floor via two drains either side of the transmission tunnel) instead flowed under the carpet and saturated the sound deadening material both sides of the car. You wouldn't notice this because there's a waterproof layer beneath the carpet and the surface remains bone dry.The long term results of this were a corroded ABS controller which lives in the LH sill. Replacement about £700/$1,000. To check for this you can get your hand under the carpet through a flap under either front seat, accessible after removing the plastic shroud from the rear of the motor mechanism. Alternatively you can remove the footwell speaker grille and door trim strip and prise the carpet away from the sill.
I removed the carpets and sound-deadening and shut them in a small room with a de-humidifier (it was winter so no sun-drying option). Drying out took six weeks!
But happily when completely dry there was no odour at all. That encouraged me to give the seats some hide reconditioner so now it smells great!
PS: Unblocking the tubes has so far proved beyond me and the aircon is off limits. Lucky the North of England isn't renowned for high temperatures!

[TxGR8White]

if you can remove the radio you can see the pipework that feeds the heater core, mine had a dry salty looking powder at a weeping joint.It turned out to be a leaky o ring on the ks8, but I changed the plastic pipework and the matrix while the dash was out and all 5 o rings.

The pipework that you are talking about should not be visible when you remove the radio. Those tubes are located BEHIND a plastic cover on the Heater Core assembly. They are only visible after you remove the dash and open up the heater core box.

[Noggie]

Just go to a detailer and book an "ozone" treatment, guaranteede to kill any germ that causes smell.

I plan to do this to my car this year to kill a slight smell inmy cooling system.

Note that this treatment takes 2-3 days to do.

This is what i.e taxies use to get ridd of vomit smell from the carpets.

the cr is fully taped up to seal it completely, then a canister of the stuff is deployed inside the car and sits lke thet for 24+ hour depending on how bd the smell is.

[ethanw]

Be careful with the ozone. No more that 2 hours every night if you really care about the plastic in your car..... Do that for a full week and you car will smell like brand new... And it will stay like that too... I have my own ozone generator and the method works really well

Just go to a detailer and book an "ozone" treatment, guaranteede to kill any germ that causes smell.

I plan to do this to my car this year to kill a slight smell inmy cooling system.

Note that this treatment takes 2-3 days to do.

This is what i.e taxies use to get ridd of vomit smell from the carpets.

the cr is fully taped up to seal it completely, then a canister of the stuff is deployed inside the car and sits lke thet for 24+ hour depending on how bd the smell is.

[ChrisFuture8]

No!

http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum....php?t=1187493

Instead of beer and curry you better spend your money for water and bread next time, then you can afford the filters soon!

....hahaha...LOL

[Hobz]

Deaks: It sounds like I need to check the A/Cdrainage. My ABS is also not working. Coincidense?

Since this is my thread I can hi-jack it:

Noggie: Hvor i Norge bor du? Jeg vokste opp i Stavanger. Har vaert 10 aar siden jeg var der sist, savner det forferdeligt :P Haaper aa ta kjaeresten paa en cruise opp fjordene i sommer.

[smokum]

Fabreeze?

[Deaks]

Hi Hobz
Could be. But getting under the carpet, either under the seat or by the door sill, is an easy check.
Let me know if you feel any damp and I'll run through the drama of getting the carpets out.

[Noggie]

Deaks: It sounds like I need to check the A/Cdrainage. My ABS is also not working. Coincidense?

Since this is my thread I can hi-jack it:

Noggie: Hvor i Norge bor du? Jeg vokste opp i Stavanger. Har vaert 10 aar siden jeg var der sist, savner det forferdeligt :P Haaper aa ta kjaeresten paa en cruise opp fjordene i sommer.

I'll answer this in English, and sorry for my late reply.
He pretty much just asked me where I live since he comes fom the same country.

I actually live in Stavanger, same city as you grew up in, I have lived here the last 9 years, If you decide to come here let me know