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Old 05-28-2010, 02:15 PM   #6
Terri Kennedy
There and back again
 
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Carmudgeonly Ride: 2003 BMW 325xiT; looking for a new fun car
Location: New York
Posts: 2,939
Quote:
Originally Posted by ZBB View Post
No word from mid afternoon, so I call the SA to check on status. He had just gotten word back from BMW that they wanted to try a new procedure for dealing with this that needed a new special tool to insert some Lysol (probably the same stuff Terry has) around the evaporator. Problem is that the tool won't be in until Friday...
See - you should have borrowed mine

Quote:
SA calls; tool arrived Thurs, procedure done on Thurs afternoon. But it didn't work -- smell remains in the car as of this morning.

They now have permission from BMW to pull the dash and clean the evaporator. But he cautions me that if the source of the smell turns out to be a dead rodent, that BMW won't cover it under warranty. Estimate is ~$1800 for the fix if that's the case. Car won't be ready until Tuesday.
On an E46, I'd look for:
  • blocked drain holes in the bottom of the evaporator housing (drains to the underbody)
  • critters or vegetable material between the skid plate and the underside of the car
  • critters or vegetable material in the area between the windshield and hood (air filter, vent slats, and so forth)

Presumably an E9x is similar...

If it is was a critter, adding the critter zapper (unfortunately not allowed in the US) would be cheaper than dealing with the carcass afterwards. Here's the E46 version. Apparently there is enough of a problem with critters eating the wiring that BMW has come up with this kit as an option for all of Europe.

Last edited by Terri Kennedy; 08-07-2017 at 05:28 PM. Reason: Fix ex-tmk.com URL
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