No, that's not how it is. There's something wrong if the car stinks. I don't ever smell anything, not in this car or my 2007 MCS. Nada.

 

Dropped my 2014 MCS off today for this problem. The dealer is aware and advised me not to expect my car back till end of business on Thursday. Production date is May 2014. Will post results. While it's there they will also take care of the side impact recall.

 

Dropped my 2015 F55 (May 2015 production) off at the dealer for this issue as well. I gave them the campaign number mentioned earlier. The dealer is going to replace the evaporator and related parts under the campaign. Its going to take three days but hopefully takes care of the problem.

 

Had mine replaced, problem is back after a few months.

 

Well, dealer just called to inform me that my car doesn't qualify for the campaign as my production date was May 2015 and the cutoff is March 2015. They are doing something called a "fresh scent" procedure but I'm not hopeful this will be much more than a couple squirts of frebreze. I can see this lasting a couple weeks and back it will go to the shop again.

 

Your MINI (like mine) was built with the new evaporator, so neither of us are eligible for that service bulletin.

I had to bring mine in because the drain from the new prevaricator was improperly installed at the factory causing all the condensation to leak into the passenger side foot well (soaking my carpet). They fixed the drain and took out my carpet and let it dry for three days before reinstalling (billed MINI over $800 for that procedure).

After this was done, I started to notice a Vinegar smell each time I would start my car in the morning.

FWIW, (and I don't know if MINI did this), on one DIY website talking about refreshing a Car's AC vents, they recommend using 1/4 cup of White Vinegar in a gallon of water to be sprayed into the vents to clean them out and restore freshness. Maybe that's why mine smells like a tossed salad on start up each morning.

But seriously, if that were the case I'd get that vinegar smell regardless of my air flow setting and as stated prior, mine only smells when vent is set to "outside air". Recirculate smells fine on start up.

 

Had my evaporator replaced in June under the bulletin and I’ve started to notice that the moldy smell has come back. I’ve now talked to three different dealers and they have told me that there isn’t anything they can do until MINI releases a new bulletin. Frankly this is ridiculous, I don’t know about you guys but I sure as hell don’t enjoy driving around in a car that smells like mold. Does anyone know a MINI USA factory rep that we could reach out to and complain about this issue?

 

You can try this one as a start:

http://www.miniusa.com/content/miniu...ontact-us.html

https://www.contacthelp.com/Mini/customer-service

 

Let me know if you reach someone... I will gladly add my voice to yours!

 

I talked to a MINI USA rep this evening. Cannot say my faith is in anyway restored. I mentioned the evaporator problem and he said yes during early production there was a problem. Hell, early production from beginning of 2014 production through April of 2015 is hardly "EARLY" production.

I explained the Vinegar smell I was having and he said this is the first he's ever heard of it. I mean come on fella. I know he's supposed to be a MINI cheerleader, but at least fess up with known issues and fain surprise.

My dealer told me to make and appointment and they would order a new evaporator (which mine should be since it was built 10 May 2015). I'm sure they will replace whether mine qualifies for it or not, but if I'm having the smell with a new evaporator installed now, why wouldn't it come back if they put another new evaporator in the car??????

It only smells when venting in outside air (not when set to recirculate) so that tells me there is something stinking in the vent that draws in outside air (and there has to be one to funnel the outside air into the cabin, no?) - Since the evaporator is in play regardless of how the car venting is set. Stinks one way and not the other tells me it ain't the evaporator...

 

If you can try to figure out the plumbing of the system and determine where outside air is drawn in and where it goes from there. Maybe there is a section of the ducting that pools liquid.

 

Therein is the problem. I have been looking for a diagram of the 2014/15 MINI that shows venting and air intakes for the cabin and have come up empty.

I know many cars grab the outside air from the base of the windshield. I thought tha perhaps the wash and wax I use to clean the car may be pooling in that intake (if there is one there) and subsequently causing the vinegar smell.

I will sit down with the Service manager and try to discuss this beyond the point of just swapping out parts and hoping to "shot gun" fix the problem.

Others have posted that even after they have had the Evaporator replaced, the/a smell returns. Soooo, one wonders if it's not the evaporator, the fault has to fall somewhere else.

As a side note, I always run my AC venting outside air. In Florida with our humidity, running a closed system will cause mold to form. I only use the recirculate to quickly down the car as necessary and the revert to out vented air for the AC (and even then rarely do I do this).

 

Freudian spell-check.

 

USA, I spoke to the service manager at my MINI dealership... it seems that they have another vehicle (a 2015, no less) that's experiencing the same issue, and the fix that they have tried most recently is correct the seals around the air cabin filter box. They suspect that the humidity causes a build up somewhere in the filter box that then seeps in AROUND the microfilter if it's not properly sealed. They're going to monitor the 2015 and see if it does the trick or not.

IDK? Seems like you have nothing to lose my suggesting your service department look into it. For what it's worth, this is Braman MINI in Miami.

 

Mine is a May 2014 build MCS with Auto Climate Control. I live in Houston, so I run the A/C pretty much year round in Auto mode. I took it for 10,000 mi oil change in early April. About two weeks later I noticed the passenger carpet was wet. It was wet in the foot well but almost standing water under the seat. I blotted it, blew air in there for awhile to dry. A day later, after about a 75 mi drive, I checked it and the water was back. Took it to the dealer to check, and took about a week to get it into the dealer for the repair due to availability of loaner car. It was starting to have a little odor also. They said it was a crimped drain tube. Happened at the factory. The car was 10 months old, and as I said I run the A/C all the time. We have very high humidity here. I thought it was quite odd the this happened right after the oil change. You would have thought that this would have occurred a lot sooner. They fixed it, dried out the carpet and padding, applied some 'deodorizer'. Seemed fine for a little while, then I started to notice the vinegar/mildew odor when the car is first started. It fades after a few minutes. Looks like I will be making a visit to the dealer to look into this. Thanks to everyone that has posted on this.

 

I had the exact same issue as you. Carpet soaked on passage side. Was told crimped drain hose installed incorrectly at factory. Said my evaporator was the new design.

You are having the identical issue I'm experiencing.

Let us know how you make out and I'll do the same.

 

FWIW, Lexus has similar issues with CT200h. They changed cabin air filter to carbon activated filter. It helped a little. They also do the evaporator "wash" which also helps - temporarily. The reason is - after wash if you start using A/C in recirculating mode, it will come back. So their TSB - literally - is to turn off the AC when you are close to destination and run fan on high speed on outside air. I don't turn it off but I always run A/C on outside air mode now. On longer drives, I will switch to recirculate. This has helped a lot - and I havent had the air filter replaced or "washed" evaporator.

You can try this and see if it works. Other option is too crank up the temperature and let the heater run for few minutes - both in recirculating and outside air mode. That should kill all the mold and the smell.

 

Wanted to mention this to you (since you are having the identical issue I did, including the soaked carpet etc.,)

The smell you get in the morning on start up varies on mine depending on how the vent is set the night before (just before I shut the car off).

If I leave the venting set to auto or outside air only, abd shut the car down for the night, on start up the following morning, I get the smell. However if I set the vent mode to recirculate (cabin air only), the night before on start up the next morning, I do not get any vinegar smell at all.

Try it with yours and let me know if you get the same result.

 

Have not taken car in yet. Too much stuff going on to have the car laid up for a few days in a row. Next week perhaps.

Update, getting the initial blast of stink now regardless of how the car's air venting is set.

Likely a faulty evaporator (even though mine was built after the new evaporators were introduced into the assembly line).

Still love the stinky little bugger.

 

Had mine replaced a few months ago...stink is back again. Love the car, but don't want the funk!

 

I hate to think I may have to hang a Fabreeze car vent air freshener off the AC vents in a $31K car that's only 6 months old.

Heading into MINI today to have a sit down with the service manager and see what he has to say. Perhaps they have seen this occurring in post evaporator"fix" cars and have a work-around.

I'm debating whether I want them to tear into the dash area to replace the updated evaporator already in my car with another one of the same design. Since many say the smell returned even after the fix.

 

I wouldn't let them tear the dash for it. Just more sources for rattles and awkward gaps.

 

I have a May 2015 build F56S and my wife and I are getting very familiar with the vinegar smell. I have read this entire thread (and others) and I believe the "vinegar smell" issue is entirely different from the earlier issue related to the moldy/mildew smell associated with evaporator defect. The smell we are experiencing is definitely not moldy or mildew or water accumulation related.
It only happens at start up. Lasts less than a minute or two and is exactly the smell of vinegar (ACETIC ACID). I have not taken it to the dealer yet. Still has under 1000 miles since we bought it in August.
I will be contacting my service rep soon, since my wife says its getting worse.

 

Talked to our service guy about it and have a appointment set up for a diagnosis and to open a ticket with BMW/MINI.

Apparently the original fix for the bad evaporators had a second re-design later. So, in essence there is a redesign to the redesign of April 2015. He is fairly confident that is the problem we are experiencing with the whiff of Vinegar on start up.

Our MINI service department has been great and I'm confident this issue will be resolved satisfactorily.

I'll post results after I bring the car in for the diagnosis.

 

RET says "the drain from the new prevaricator was improperly installed"

I thought it was a direct and creative approach.