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Exhaust fumes inside my 2004 BWM 330 XI?
It snowed yesterday. I cleaned the snow from my car, but there was a bit of a pile at the base of the windshield. I always have the AC on, even in the winter. I'm dring down the street when the heater kicks on. I immediately noticed a smell. At first, I thought it was coming from the car in front of me and I turned the air filter on. No improvement. I got a little light headed and turned the heater off and opened the windows. It was definitely carbon monoxide and I'm still feeling the effects.
I've never experienced this before. When I got to work, I removed the snow from the base of the windshield. Any ideas of what happened?
Brod: I was referring to the microfilter when I said i tunred the air filter on. There is a button on the heating/AC system that turns the micorfilter off, sets it to automatic, or sets it to on. I usually have it set to auto, but if I smell something funny (skunk, car exhaust, I'll turn it on).
3 Answers
- brodLv 61 decade agoFavorite Answer
Use of the heater requires that air recirculation is off (no lights on both A & A with a round arrow) and that fresh air comes in from the microfilter
positioned underneath the front windshield. I assume that the intake grilles of the microfilter had been blocked by snow (but how it could have precipitated CO to enter the passenger compartment is unsure and a puzzle if true). Please read your owners manual if you are unsure which setting is which. I do not even understand what you meant by "turned the air filter on". Fresh air can be vented in or not allowed depending on the vent setting but the air filter (aka microfilter) can not be turned on or off.
When at recirculate the microfilter is out of the loop and has no effect on the cabin air.
You were right in opening the windows just in case there was really CO inside your car. Just to be sure bring the car to a repair shop or dealer for checkup of the exhaust system and passenger compartment seals.
- Anonymous1 decade ago
I have an older model BMW and it has a continuous fresh air flow blowing into the rear of the car. From time to time I can smell exhaust and it usually happens when I'm at a stop for an extended period of time. Is it possible that you have ice under the vehicle causing a bit of your exhaust to mix into the air coming into the vehicle? I would check for exhaust leaks and or excessive ice build up under the vehicle.
Source(s): personal experience - 1 decade ago
The heater is simply one of those issues that is important, and that takes knowledgeable watching over about
