[casperM4]

6 months after service center replaced and cleaned the AC, the vinegar smell came back. Not sure why I keep having this issue, the first incident occurred a year after purchase (brand new 2021) and I had to take it in and paid $500 for cabin air filter replacement and evaporator cleaning.

Now it is happening again and I don't want to spend another $500 or planning to DIY. I did something similar on a Tesla and it was easy enough, basically just spray Kool-It foam into the slot where air filters are.

I'm not sure if it's similar for BMW, especially in G05. No luck so far with google search. If anyone has info on this, please let me know. TIA

[Tejas1836]

https://www.bmwx5info.com/cleaning_evaporator-2377.html
This may help

[chefwong]

Do you run you AC -alot-
If you are running the AC alot and if the weather allows to just turn off the ac but leave fan on....the last 2 miles/few minutes en route to home to allow the system to dry out some and not have residual condensate. The vindegar smell is mildew/mold....

[nZtiZia]

i have this issue, too. after 2 years of operation, it's been more consistent with AC use (we've had a mild winter so AC was still in use up until about a week ago). i'll see if they can add the cleaning to my yearly maintenance i already have scheduled next week.

[chefwong]

casper/nti. Just buy a can of this and give it a go

https://www.amazon.com/nextzett-9611...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

It's a well respected brand. I use their stuff ...some are decades old favorites.

[Fifthtoe]

Originally Posted by chefwong

Do you run you AC -alot-
If you are running the AC alot and if the weather allows to just turn off the ac but leave fan on....the last 2 miles/few minutes en route to home to allow the system to dry out some and not have residual condensate. The vindegar smell is mildew/mold....

I've been doing this on my cars for the last 25 years and it helps a lot!

[Mixelplux]

Originally Posted by casperM4

6 months after service center replaced and cleaned the AC, the vinegar smell came back. Not sure why I keep having this issue, the first incident occurred a year after purchase (brand new 2021) and I had to take it in and paid $500 for cabin air filter replacement and evaporator cleaning.

Now it is happening again and I don't want to spend another $500 or planning to DIY. I did something similar on a Tesla and it was easy enough, basically just spray Kool-It foam into the slot where air filters are.

I'm not sure if it's similar for BMW, especially in G05. No luck so far with google search. If anyone has info on this, please let me know. TIA

Were you successfully able to clear this up?

[Lionel Hutz]

On my Tesla, I was able to manage this smell by cranking temp and blower speed to the absolute max and letting it run for 20-30 minutes. Baking out the smell/bacteria seemed to work as well if not better than using the system cleaner sprays.

[chefwong]

Cranking up the heat *post* issue doesn't really bake it out....

Black mould/mildew, whatever you wanna call is grows/builds up in wet dark conditions....which happens if you just turn off the AC and then park the car....

It needs to dry out before then..to prevent the growth in the 1st place

[Big_CG]

Has anyone done this recently? I popped the side carpet panel off and the little plastic panel under the steering wheel off to have a look. I noticed there is a yellow removable cap on the driver side of the evaporator. I am wondering if that is where to insert the klima cleaner foam to clean the evaporator.

[BlkGS]

There is so much crazy going on here that it's tough for me to wrap my head around.

First off, cabin air filter replacement is a diy job. It's a 10-20$ part on Amazon.

Secondly, you don't clean inside the evaporator, it's full of refridgerant and is a sealed system. You MIGHT one day need to clean the evaporator coils, but no G05 is old enough for that to be reasonable.

The evaporator will sweat onto a pan that will have a drain tube coming out of it. If you run your ac you should see a little.puddle under your car, maybe less in less humid areas, but here in FL it's a sizable puddle in the couple minutes it takes to get out the door after remote starting. If you don't have a puddle, might have a blocked tube that needs cleaned, bugs and stuff tend to like to crawl up in them.

[Mixelplux]

Originally Posted by BlkGS

There is so much crazy going on here that it's tough for me to wrap my head around.

First off, cabin air filter replacement is a diy job. It's a 10-20$ part on Amazon.

Secondly, you don't clean inside the evaporator, it's full of refridgerant and is a sealed system. You MIGHT one day need to clean the evaporator coils, but no G05 is old enough for that to be reasonable.

The evaporator will sweat onto a pan that will have a drain tube coming out of it. If you run your ac you should see a little.puddle under your car, maybe less in less humid areas, but here in FL it's a sizable puddle in the couple minutes it takes to get out the door after remote starting. If you don't have a puddle, might have a blocked tube that needs cleaned, bugs and stuff tend to like to crawl up in them.

Cabin filter replacement didn't fix ..

[BlkGS]

Originally Posted by Mixelplux

Cabin filter replacement didn't fix ..

Are the moonroof drains clean? Just like the evaporator drain those can get clogged too.

[chrisado]

Sprays designed for this are made to be drawn into the air intake at base of the windshield with the fan running. The idea is that it kills the mould on the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins. It is inside the evaporator box - not inside the refriderant coils thenselves. Letting the system run a few minutes with the ac off helps alot but when it gets stinky, the moukd and bacteria needs to be jilked off.

[Mixelplux]

Originally Posted by chrisado

Sprays designed for this are made to be drawn into the air intake at base of the windshield with the fan running. The idea is that it kills the mould on the surfaces of the cooling coils and fins. It is inside the evaporator box - not inside the refriderant coils thenselves. Letting the system run a few minutes with the ac off helps alot but when it gets stinky, the moukd and bacteria needs to be jilked off.

I'm still suspecting I may have a clog somewhere. I've been maintaining the smell by spraying AC vent cleaner into the air intake under windshield but smell will always come back after a couple days.

I even tried emptying a can of foam cleaner into the cabin filter area with the filter removed.

All fixes are only good for a few days

[chrisado]

Have you checked to see if the drain hose is clear? If you run the ac, you should see a steady drip come from underneath the car - inline with the base of the windshield area. You might be able to see the hose under the dash after removing a panel.

[Mixelplux]

Originally Posted by chrisado

Have you checked to see if the drain hose is clear? If you run the ac, you should see a steady drip come from underneath the car - inline with the base of the windshield area. You might be able to see the hose under the dash after removing a panel.

I couldnt really notice much liquid coming out I'll check again. I did notice alot of liquid drained out when i was spraying the foam cleaner in a emptied cabin filter area

[chrisado]

Im not sure where the cabin filter box is located - pissibly after the evaporator. I would try the cleaner sprayed at the intake base of windshield from the outside. That way it hits that side of the evap coils first.

[Mixelplux]

Originally Posted by chrisado

Im not sure where the cabin filter box is located - pissibly after the evaporator. I would try the cleaner sprayed at the intake base of windshield from the outside. That way it hits that side of the evap coils first.

the cabin filter right under/ behind the glove box....I take out the filter spray foam cleaner in there and put back filter and run the fan for 10-15 mins. Itll resolve the issue for a couple day but smell will eventually come back.

Now I do spray AC Vent pro cleaner into the intake regularly to try to mitigate the smell

It just sucks I went through 3.5 years of the car without any issues and now it persists.

[Mixelplux]

Originally Posted by Big_CG

Has anyone done this recently? I popped the side carpet panel off and the little plastic panel under the steering wheel off to have a look. I noticed there is a yellow removable cap on the driver side of the evaporator. I am wondering if that is where to insert the klima cleaner foam to clean the evaporator.

have you done this?

[Rockstarr]

This was taken from ISTA should anyone need it.