smell coming from vents after ac is switched on or off

Condensation causes all kinds of flora and fauna to grow in your HVAC system. Dealers have a spray that'll kill it, and then you can lessen its appearance by drying out the HVAC system before parking: shut off the AC compressor, open the windows and the fresh air intake, and turn the blower on to its highest setting for a few minutes before you shut the car down...

thanks!

is just doing what you say going to fix it, or do I need to get the spray for sure...? It just started doing this last week after a few days of rain

does this car have a cabin filter?

"SharkmanBMW" wrote in news:bzs6g.4059$ix6.292043 @news20.bellglobal.com:

kids missing a snake or lizard? or mouse ?

Maybe not "for sure", but in my experience once the critters have infested the system it takes a spraying to kill 'em. It only takes a couple of minutes - the tech sticks a thin tube down one of the vents, hooks it up to a spray can and hoses the system down, then runs the blower with all the vent controls open to make sure the stuff gets all around in the ducting.

Humid weather definitely enables this problem...

almost certainly...

Happens in dry areas also. Here in AZ some cars are really prone to it as well. I do the 'dry out' trick and never have the problem. A block from my house I swtich the ac off. I don't even run the blower on high or open the windows. Just slowly let it get back to warmer air (since ac is off)..

Yup. A spray only sorts things short term - it *will* come back.

My E38 suffers from the same and the dealer has used these sprays before. You can save yourself a fair bit of money and get the sprays yourself - in the UK, Wynns do one (about =A312 inc postage). Presumably you spray it into the air intake under the bonnet - anyone know where it is/is it easy to get to? (I don't venture under the bonnet very often!).

La Tercia Real

You must replace the microfilter(cabin filter) every 15,000 miles. It cost 15 bucks. Replace it.

Then you can do that antimicrobial spray through the ventilation system if the smell persists.

ER

Normally, you set the system to re-circulate and spray into the cabin air intake which is in the footwell. Febreeze works pretty well at a fraction of the price of specialist products.

You had to bring up that foul memory didn't you?

A tarantula. No shit, a tarantula.

"But dad, I thought you'd freak out if I brought it in the house".

Hep me, hep me oh dear god hep me.

I put the car into winter storage a little early that year. The good news is dead^H^H^H^H freeze dried red leged tarantula doesn't seem to stink.

My sons only ever wanted a parrot and settled for a budgie. My daughters wants spiders, snakes, lizards and tree frogs. No, they would not settle for a hamster. Except as food.