Dear Tom and Ray:

I have a 1986 BMW 528e with 50,000 miles on it! It's a great car. I take very good care of it and I have it professionally detailed once a year. I'm a flight attendant and park the car at the airport for days -- sometimes weeks -- at a time. Last summer, the car began smelling like B.O. I had several people, including the local BMW dealer, look at it, and no one seems to know what the problem is. It usually smells the worst when I turn on either the AC or the heat, and one person said it could be mildew in the ventilation system. I'm willing to do just about anything necessary to solve the problem, as we love the car. The BMW dealer said for $350-$400 he could remove the ventilation system and clean it, but there's no guarantee that that would fix it. There does not appear to be mildew under the rugs, and the car itself doesn't smell -- just the ventilation system. Any suggestions? -- Susan

Ray: Sure. There was an episode of "Seinfeld" in which Jerry had the same problem. I think it was a BMW, in fact. Now, I'm trying to remember. How did he solve it?

Tom: I think he had the car stolen.

Ray: Right. Well, let's try some other approaches first. If you've narrowed it down to the ventilation system, the first thing I'd do is make sure the AC evaporator is draining properly. When the air conditioner is on, it removes moisture from the car's interior. And that moisture is supposed to condense in the evaporator and then drain out through a tube underneath the car.

Tom: If the drain is clogged up with gunk or leaves or stuff, the water wouldn't be able to escape, and that would create an ideal breeding ground for stinky mold spores. The drain usually can be blown out with compressed air. It's an easy job.

Ray: If it turns out your drain IS clogged, then you've found the source of the problem, and you may be able to just clean out the vents with a commercially available spray product, like Fridgie Fresh or even Lysol (unless, like some people, you think that smells almost as bad as B.O.).

Tom: Once the drain is clear, if spraying the vents doesn't get rid of the odor, you might resort to having the entire ventilation system taken apart and cleaned, because there may be something other than mold spores in there (like a dead mouse, for example, or water leaking in from another source).

Ray: But I'd start with the evaporator drain. And then go up the ladder to a ventilation system rebuild and, if all else fails, a "mysterious disappearance." Good luck, Susan.

* * *

Dear Tom and Ray:

Please advise winter storage instructions for a Porsche Model 924S. -- Robert

Ray: Arizona.

* * *

How can you tell if a used car is in good condition -- or even OK, for that matter? Find out by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "How to Buy a Great Used Car: Things That Detroit and Tokyo Don't Want You to Know." Send $3 and a stamped (55 cents), self-addressed, No. 10 envelope to Used Car, PO Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

© 1997 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

Back to the September 1997 index