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Car Forum / BMW Cars / August 2007

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E46 trunk smell during the summer

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bjn - 02 Aug 2007 01:21 GMT
Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy, oily
smell that fills the trunk when the trunk warms up from the sun.  I cannot
track it down.  If I had to relate the smell to something, I'd say it
smells like a box of Crayola crayons that have been left in the sun.

I've had passengers in the back seat who insisted on opening the windows
because of the smell.  One of them nearly got sick.

Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
it?
Jerry - 02 Aug 2007 02:23 GMT
Wow, this is a new one - I've had an E46 for 6 years without this occurring.

It does sound like something may have fell under the seat or in the trunk.
and that may have 'melted' in the heat...

> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
> oily
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
> it?
bjn - 02 Aug 2007 02:37 GMT
I have emptied the trunk (removed spare tire and everything else that
wasn't fastened down).  

Smell remains.

The smell is definitely eminating from the trunk.

>Wow, this is a new one - I've had an E46 for 6 years without this occurring.
>
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>> Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
>> it?
Bob Smitter - 02 Aug 2007 02:26 GMT
> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
> oily
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
> it?

Yes, I have it in my 2006 model E46.  I haven't located or gotten rid of it.

Bob
bjn - 02 Aug 2007 02:34 GMT
>> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
>> oily
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>Yes, I have it in my 2006 model E46.  I haven't located or gotten rid of it.

Thanks to google, it appears we are not alone.
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-370341.html
bjn - 02 Aug 2007 02:54 GMT
>>> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
>>> oily
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
>Thanks to google, it appears we are not alone.
>http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-370341.html

Another thread:
http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=763776
SharkmanBMW - 02 Aug 2007 02:56 GMT
I was going to say check there as well as e46fanatics,com
http://forum.e46fanatics.com/index.php

and here:
http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e46/

I have read all about it years ago, sorry, but I don't remember the cause.

>>> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
>>> oily
[quoted text clipped - 15 lines]
> Thanks to google, it appears we are not alone.
> http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-370341.html

Signature

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bjn - 02 Aug 2007 23:00 GMT
Thanks.  This one:
http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e46/6936633-1.html

seems to be describing my problem.  The stench in my trunk does seem to be
strongest near the undersid eof the speaker shelf.

>I was going to say check there as well as e46fanatics,com
>http://forum.e46fanatics.com/index.php
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>> Thanks to google, it appears we are not alone.
>> http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-370341.html
Butch Pink - 03 Aug 2007 15:00 GMT
> Thanks.  This one:
> http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e46/6936633-1.html
[quoted text clipped - 28 lines]
>>> Thanks to google, it appears we are not alone.
>>> http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-370341.html

I took my 2003 E46 CPO car to my local dealer to try and determine where
the smell was coming from.  I had to pay for the analysis ($110 USD) and
was told they were not able to find the source of the smell; very
discouraging --They were nice enough to deal with though.

I believe I will check the shelf in my E46 and see if it is the problem;
 Thanks for providing another place to look!

By the way, before taking the car to the dealer I steam cleaned the
interior and trunk area, cleaned the Leather seats with pH balanced
cleaner and cleaned all of the glass --using all natural cleaners on the
entire car.  The smell was still there (although not as strong).

I use have an Odor remover in the trunk that seems to be helping
(http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=173075) --smells
like berries  :-)

Butch
Tom K. - 03 Aug 2007 16:38 GMT
>> Thanks.  This one:
>> http://bimmer.roadfly.com/bmw/forums/e46/6936633-1.html
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> (http://www.damprid.dsiwebbuilder.com/index.asp?cat=173075) --smells like
> berries  :-)

Although others have derided it as an old wives tale, I've found that
leaving an open can of ground coffee in the car helped with other odors.

Tom K.
frischmoutt - 02 Aug 2007 17:30 GMT
I had this kind of smell in my 2002 model  Z3 coupé for some years after I
bought it.
It happened to come, by hot weather and intensive car usage, from the
passage which is below the passenger door (side sill ? dunno the correct
term), opening in the compartemt at the right of the engine, close to the
windscreen, under the bonnet.
Probably the wax that the manufacturers put on their cars when stocked for
long of shipped far away the place they were built. It might have dropped in
this place, not so far from the exhaust pipe. Otherwise, a nice leather
smell is still present after 6 years and 100000 km.;-)

> >> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
> >> oily
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> Thanks to google, it appears we are not alone.
> http://forums.bimmerforums.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-370341.html
R. Mark Clayton - 02 Aug 2007 18:20 GMT
> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
> oily
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
> it?

Waxoyl treatment?
Jeff Strickland - 03 Aug 2007 00:42 GMT
Have you owned the car since it was new, or did you buy it used?

If you bought it used, have you taken the trunk apart to look for the source
of the smell? Remove the floor panel and take the spare out to be sure there
are no foreign objects that can make the smell. Remove the panel on the
right side of the trunk to be sure nothing has fallen into the battery
compartment.

You should also give serious consideration to lifting the back seat bottom
cushion out to make sure there is nothing underneath. If you lift from the
front bottom edge, the seat has spring-clips holding it down that you have
to overpower. No tools should be needed, but it will require considerable
force to get the springs to let go.

Having said all of that, my daughter has an '00 3 Series that has a waxy
smell, but we think it is from melted lipstick or equivelent that is
embedded in the passenger footwell carpet.

> Now that the warm summer has arrived in the northeast, there's a waxy,
> oily
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
> Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
> it?
bjn - 04 Aug 2007 13:32 GMT
I bought the car new.  

Inside of the car (interior) and trunk has been inspected and cleaned. This
smell is coming from the car itself, not from anything that spilled.

>Have you owned the car since it was new, or did you buy it used?
>
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
>> Has anyone experienced else this smell in the E46?  How do you get rid of
>> it?
Jeff Strickland - 04 Aug 2007 16:58 GMT
Sorry, I read that after I posted ....

> I bought the car new.
>
[quoted text clipped - 35 lines]
>>> of
>>> it?
bjn - 05 Aug 2007 13:34 GMT
No problem, I appreciate the assist.

>Sorry, I read that after I posted ....
>
[quoted text clipped - 37 lines]
>>>> of
>>>> it?
 
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