rleggs

has anyone smelled "something" when they come back from a trip or a small errand and upon parking in the garage after some time when going back in..I smell an odor?...is that the diesel?..something else?..should I be worried?...its not the tires....never had a smell with the gasoline car?..

thanks.

oinick

Definitely.

It is not the same odor as with the old diesels, but it is there, and it is more noticeable after short trips. Not like sulfur or a gasoline engine, kind of sweet yet unpleasant at the same time.

I assume it is normal. As I have said, I am over 7500 trouble free miles, and I have noticed the odor you describe many times.

StevethePilot

I find if I bathe regularly ...

Seriously, I haven't noticed anything outside my 320. I have, however, noticed something a bit dank in the A/C some days.

oknish

I have noticed that too but it's very brief like maybe 5 or 7 seconds.

Nevada Jack

I think what you are smelling is the stale air inside the vehicle vents tubes and such that are expelled when the car is started. This has been discussed before and occasionally I will have the same situation in my S Class.

boxboss

This is quite common in Bimmers and has been discussed many times. It results from cold air remaining in the vents (like NJ says) and a bit of condensation forming. This cool moist air allows a bit of mold/mildew to form (or rehydrate if it was dormant) and results in the smell. There is even a BMW SIB for dealing with it if the customer compains too much. IMO, the cure is worse than the disease.

The solution is to turn off the AC compressor a couple of minutes before turning off the car. This will allow the cold air to be removed from the vents.

I know, we are talking MB's here, but I'm sure it's the same issue.

StevethePilot

On the one hand, that makes sense. On the other hand, where the heck does that "moist" air come from in the middle of the Sonoran desert?

rleggs

should this be a health concern, if any?....while driving?..or just breathing that air constantly?...

jpeardm

I got in the habit of leaving the a/c on which dries the air then crank up the heat for a few minutes while pulling down my street. This dries and heats the vents.

boxboss

Interesting. Answer this question to provide a clue to the answer (for me anyway) - do you have condensation drip from the bottom of your car (from the AC condensor drain tube) when the AC is on?

boxboss

That's the usual/easy solution to the problem.

StevethePilot

Well, lately yes, but we've entered monsoon season which means dew point/temperature spreads that approach normal. Honestly, though, I haven't smelled the smell in a while and didn't take note if it was on days I had water running out from beneath. I know some days with the AC blasting, it's so dry I see little to no water drip from below the car, and other days I think I have a leak from something because there's so much of it.

boxboss

My thoughts: If you see ANY water at all on normal hot dry days (it's the desert) that means some small amount may still collect in the ductwork.