DISGUSTING SMELL from Ventilation

[JohnnyJohnny19]

Hey All!

My 2013 328 xdrive is emitting an awful disgusting smell from the ventilation system. Everytime the ventilation system is turned on.

What can I do to remove this and staying away from the dealer???

Thanks

[bmwdirtracer]

"Awful disgusting" is in the nose of the beholder.

We can't know if you're smelling burning oil, molded leaves, or a dead rat.

If it's burning oil, you have to fix the oil leak....likely the valve cover gasket.

If it's rotting leaves, well, you need to change the cabin air filter (You've been changing that at least once a year, right?) Maybe put a can of "Frigi-Fresh" into the HVAC system, in case you have mold on the evaporator core, too.

If it's a dead rat, well, the job becomes much more difficult......you're going to have to find the dead rat, and remove it. Most likely location will be in the blower fan, having been chopped to bits..... eeeeewww.

[JohnnyJohnny19]

"Awful disgusting" is in the nose of the beholder.

We can't know if you're smelling burning oil, molded leaves, or a dead rat.

If it's burning oil, you have to fix the oil leak....likely the valve cover gasket.

If it's rotting leaves, well, you need to change the cabin air filter (You've been changing that at least once a year, right?) Maybe put a can of "Frigi-Fresh" into the HVAC system, in case you have mold on the evaporator core, too.

If it's a dead rat, well, the job becomes much more difficult......you're going to have to find the dead rat, and remove it. Most likely location will be in the blower fan, having been chopped to bits..... eeeeewww.

hahaha
It's a mold, humid stinky feet smell.
It usually comes on for a few minutes as the car is turned on or when the AC was previously used.
The problem is, I purchased the car second hand from the dealer and i do not know if the filters were changed. I am thinking with that smell they were not.

[bmwdirtracer]

Change the cabin filter (aka Microfilter). Buy a can of "Frigi-Fresh", or "Frigi Clean", or both, from a BG dealer. This will be hard to find; they sell only to pro shops, I think....but Google it. Use as directed, spraying it into the openings fed by the cabin filter with the blower on.

And then, use your a/c - HVAC system in the normal mode, not recirculating, and turn off the A/C several minutes before you shut off the car, so that moisture does not remain on the evaporator core while parked, to breed mold.


EDIT: Here you go:

https://www.amazon.com/Detail-King-A.../dp/B00ZRZJL9O