musty smell from vents when first started up
09-18-2007 | 10:16 PM
#16
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 243
Likes: 0
From: Bay Area, California
UCrazyKid, the instructions were very helpful. Thanks! Very easy to do but it sure helped to located where the filter was placed.
I'll bring the camera for sure. Don't want to miss the opportunity to take pics of 100+ Porsches barreling down 101. That will be a beautiful sight
I'll bring the camera for sure. Don't want to miss the opportunity to take pics of 100+ Porsches barreling down 101. That will be a beautiful sight
09-18-2007 | 11:23 PM
#17
Instructor
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 135
Likes: 0
From: nc
ahhhh!!!!1
I have been out of town for a couple of weeks and have not driven my 2000 996 coupe. Started it up yesterday and had a relatively strong musty smell from the air vents. It went away in a minute or two and I forgot about it for the day. Started up again today and same smell for a while then it was ok. Its been a hot summer in Minneapolis so AC was running a lot but now its cooled off and I just noticed the smell. Climate control set to automatic at 72 degrees and ac comes on automatically. Ideas?
09-19-2007 | 12:33 AM
#18
Racer
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 474
Likes: 29
From: Long Island (New York)
Also, avoid using the recirculate feature
That musty smell is pretty well known to BMW owners. On one of my BMWs, some years back, the AC wasn't very strong when the car was sitting in traffic, so I tended to use the "recirculate" feature, which recirculates the inside air rather than drawing in the hot air from the outside. Using the recirculate feature massively accelerates this must problem. After I found this out, I avoided using it on that car and other BMWs that I subsequently bought and have not had this problem on those cars. Of course, in the interim, the AC got much better, so there didn't seem to be much need to use recirculate anyway.
09-19-2007 | 02:53 PM
#20
Three Wheelin'
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 1,894
Likes: 7
From: near Seattle
If the problem is mildew that has collected in air vents, a solution of water with 1/3 bleach does the trick better than many prepared products. It may not smell as much, either.
Remove carpets where it might drip. Spray it into the vents and in the air inlets. Let it stand for about 20 minutes. Repeat. Then drive the car for a while to dry the system out.
Sometimes the smell can indicate that a scupper (drain for water/condensation) has become clogged and the system is now collecting water at a low spot. No doubt Renntech has diagrams that will show if there are drains that might have become clogged. A fairly common problem across all marques in the Southern states.
Remove carpets where it might drip. Spray it into the vents and in the air inlets. Let it stand for about 20 minutes. Repeat. Then drive the car for a while to dry the system out.
Sometimes the smell can indicate that a scupper (drain for water/condensation) has become clogged and the system is now collecting water at a low spot. No doubt Renntech has diagrams that will show if there are drains that might have become clogged. A fairly common problem across all marques in the Southern states.
09-19-2007 | 09:02 PM
#21
Pro
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 698
Likes: 0
From: Lake Forest, CA
Oggie,
Very good suggestion. We have found that customers that always use recirculate, report the musty smell more often.
Switching to outside air, seems to allevate the stale, musty air.
It seems to be a common problem in the VW's as well and the techs also advise their customer to vary the type air flow.
Very good suggestion. We have found that customers that always use recirculate, report the musty smell more often.
Switching to outside air, seems to allevate the stale, musty air.
It seems to be a common problem in the VW's as well and the techs also advise their customer to vary the type air flow.
