The Quest of Microfilter

[Julius]

Hi guys, after a couple ours of fiddling around i've come to a dead end. Cars in the garage with a few pieces all over the place. I've tried following instructions for microfilter replacement but my housing is all 2 peice.

http://www.bmwe34.net/e34main/maintenance/gen_maintenance/Data/mircofilter%20(3).jpg

But mine looks like the following with no grey bit at the end. There is no old filter in it atm! its all empty! As you can see in the dodgy pictures mine has no entrance. How am i surpose to fit it all in there? The black side covering is impossible to get, theres one screw left and its above where hands dont reach? Going by the bentley and some other instructions from bmwe34.net.

Please someone advise me on what to do?

http://anoxia.auscstrike.com/filter1/jpg
http://anoxia.auscstrike.com/filter2.jpg
http://anoxia.auscstrike.com/filter3.jpg

[Julius]

It looks likes mine wasnt ment to be, so how do i get rid of that stale smell from the air con.

[rickm]

First, what year is your car? US? Euro? Not all of the cars had them.

On the bottom there is a gray clip with the brass piece over it. Squeeze it (top and bottom) and it will slide out. Makes access to that screw easier. The top of my "door" has a plastic handle that you turn to remove the door.

I can't make out too many details in that picture, but what is that black area on the plastic cover?

[rickm]

For the stale air there are products that you can purchase to clean what might be growing in your AC system. Once a month I start my car up, open the hood, turn on the HEAT on high then turn the fan on high. Where the cabin air intake is under the cowl I spray some Lysol (on both sides) and let it run for a bit. It seems to keep it smelling unmusty and fresh.

[Julius]

Im australian so i guess euro. This is just pure stupidity, why have a housing but no door, there is plenty of room in there for a filter. i felt in there and could feel the evaporator etc. All i have removed is the sword the card controller u see there in the pic. So am i basically surpose to drive round with my windows down when it gets too staleish in the car from the a/c? I knew not all the cars had them, but couldnt find anywhere which ones did and which ones didnt?

Thanks for posting rickm, i appreciate all the help i can get on this.

[Julius]

thanks (posted at same time)

[rickm]

After 15 minutes the larger image you posted still hasn't DLed, is that a TIFF? :D

The housing would have to be there to hold the finned thing that's in there. If that wasn't there...and the finned item decided to leak...then you'd have a mess. (I know, "finned item"....I've been up since 5am yesterday.)

[Julius]

hehe. Yer im not sure about the pic, its the same as the others *shrugs*. I think i'll call it a nite and i'll take up ur idea of the Lysol and flushing it out :) Thanks for you time rick, get some sleep haha.

[tdgard]

Hate to say this, but I don't think a filter will do you any good. These filters are just some fibers with maybe charcoal. Hardly anything that would take care of musty stale air. Good for keeping pollen and dust out though. I'd take a look at killing whatever is causing the odors to begin with. Good luck--sounds like it could be a big job.

[Geoff Hoad]

Julius, is there any connection between the smell and your missing pet hampster?

Hope you got my other message suggesting how to fix it.

Good luck,

[Julius]

Yes Geoff thanks i read the msg :D, but in conclusion mine doesnt use one. Anyway i put it all back together and now it aint right :( Air con only blows on level 4, before it only blew on 2 3 and 4. Maybe something with the shutters. On cold air heat comes down to the feat, maybe i missed something, here i go again.

[rickm]

Julius, is there any connection between the smell and your missing pet hampster? Good luck,

Uh, I had to remove a mouse caught in my intake, not a fun job. Didn't take long for that little bugger to stink the car up. Took all of that mess out, scrubbed it down with hot soapy water, let air dry, sprayed it with more lysol. Then left the windows down all day.

[Geoff Hoad]

Strange place to keep a mouse, eh Rick? :)

Can just image the smell.

[mike wong]

cabin air filter part # 64 31 1 390 836

[rickm]

Strange place to keep a mouse, eh Rick? :)
Can just image the smell.

I think the cat must have run it up in there....no storage bin for him in there that I found.

Smell wise...I thought it was electrical at first until the bugger starting to compost, then it was a bit rank. :D The rankest thing I've ever smelled was burning human flesh (mine, I had a campstove explode) followed by some crab bellies that I had in a container in the bed of my truck. Went fishing, forgot about 'em. 2 weeks later I found it, forgot WTF was in it. Reminded me of someone I dated, lol.

[winfred]

my uncles fox bate, it starts off with a road kill cat and gets worse from there, that and couple week old dead human is near the top of my list of **** i don't wanna smell again


The rankest thing I've ever smelled was burning human flesh (mine, I had a campstove explode) followed by some crab bellies that I had in a container in the bed of my truck. Went fishing, forgot about 'em. 2 weeks later I found it, forgot WTF was in it. Reminded me of someone I dated, lol.

[Geoff Hoad]

The smell from recovering from 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns tro both legs last year was interesting, that's for sure. Glad none of those smells is in my car. Except for time I had that Vindaloo... :)

[winfred]

i got burned good enough to melt the fingernails on my right hand, that was fun


The smell from recovering from 1st, 2nd and 3rd degree burns tro both legs last year was interesting, that's for sure. Glad none of those smells is in my car. Except for time I had that Vindaloo... :)

[Geoff Hoad]

We sound like a right real pair of disasters! :)