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odor when it rains... can't find any wet spots??

946 views 20 replies 7 participants last post by  HerbP 
#1 · (Edited)
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#6 · (Edited)
I would suspect a torn door vapor barrier if the door trim has ever been off for any reason. Usually results in wet carpet.
Check the drains at base of windshield where the fenders meet the fire wall. They get clogged with leaf debris. Cleared mine over the summer, my car is a garage queen and I was surprised at the amount of crud I found. To completely clear you need to remove the pollen filter parts, and also loosen the fender liner. Not sure if it would cause water intrusion, but who knows...
There are sunroof drains, but that usually results in a leak in the trunk where the electronics are, still worth checking. I think the outlet is also in the rear fender liner area, but not 100% sure on that. I have never checked mine, I probably should.
 
#8 ·
It could be the drain under the cowl that drains behind the wheel well. The water will build up in the cowl, then leak into the AC ducts. If you found leaves in the drain, you probably have drain in the cowl also. If you pull the back of the wheel well back, you will see a black rubber grommet on the wheel arch. Pull the bottom of it down, & see if water runs out. I cut a piece of my flapper off, where it can't clog up again.
 
#11 · (Edited)
You need to remove the bottom part behind each wheel. The junk is right above the rocker panel. Here is mine after cleanup. I thought I had a picture of the crud but I don't. It was a lot more than I expected and at the risk of repeating myself, my car is a garage queen. My partner refers to my E46 and E63 as the ultimate parking machines.
 
#21 ·
rained again today, and odor is back, so i will have to do that. kind of confused about the instructions. so i have to remove the whole wheel liner?
You do not have to remove the tire to access the drain, but it gives you a little more working room. The rubber flap will be in the back left part of the frame. I will attach a link with a pic, to help out. If the flap is stuck, the water will start pooling out. There is also one on the drivers side, but the passenger side dumps directly into the AC system causing the problem. It is very hard to find the drain on the passenger side from the top. Link below.

http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=888892&highlight=drain
 
#19 ·
just out of interest have you had your A/C system cleaned professionally, the dehumidifier can give off mouldy smells as part of the climate control system.
When you cleaned the area around the air filters did you hose down into the drain holes so that water definitely runs freely out of the bottom vent holes. I did this to my car having originally cleaned the vents at the top of compacted leaves, and it made a real difference. Chasing these smells can be a real pain but having done all I have mentioned fixed mine!!!
 
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