Stock Problems/Issues Discussions related to warranty related issues and repairs, or other problems with the OEM parts and software for MINI Cooper (R50), Cabrio (R52), and Cooper S (R53) MINIs.

Cabin filter smells and wings through my MINI air vents

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
  #1  
Old 08-23-2016, 02:58 PM
alivenkickn's Avatar
alivenkickn
alivenkickn is offline
Neutral
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Posts: 10
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Cabin filter smells and wings through my MINI air vents

Are you getting bad smells or small wings that fly out of your air vents in the cab of your MINI?! Let me explain:

About a 1/2 of year ago I left a 40 lb. bag of dog kibble food on the garage floor and forgot about it. The following morning mice (or one mouse?) ate out the bottom of the bag and all sorts of kibble was strewn across the floor - I begrudgingly cleaned it up. Fast forward three months down the road and I noted a musty smell coming from the vents, especially in the recycling mode with the AC on. Three months after that I noted several small fly wings coming out of the vents and landing on my pants and also showing themselves most notably on the black leather interior of my 2004 MINI Cooper S; hummmm... this DOES NOT look good!!!

After laying out a white sheet on the passenger side (good thing to always do) I pulled the black box that encased the inner cabin filter and look what dropped out...

Yes, dog kibble immediately started falling out as I removed the box, but look at the SIZE of the handful amount of kibble AND the maggots that were riding on the top of the cabin filter that me and my family and friends got to breath for six months!!!

Pretty disgusting (!!!) and with vacuuming, blowing with a compressor and now putting Fabreze Dryer Sheets (which I understand they hate!) in close proximity to where my MINI is parked. I no longer store any kind of food, rubber, or anything on the floor of our garage that these industrious mice might find edible or storable; you might do the same
 
Attached Thumbnails Cabin filter smells and wings through my MINI air vents-dog-food-and-magots-on-the-cabin-filter-.jpg  
  #2  
Old 08-23-2016, 03:23 PM
Mini Mania's Avatar
Mini Mania
Mini Mania is offline
Banned
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Nevada City, Calif
Posts: 3,376
Received 21 Likes on 19 Posts
Cabin Filter

Originally Posted by alivenkickn
Are you getting bad smells or small wings that fly out of your air vents in the cab of your MINI?! Let me explain:

About a 1/2 of year ago I left a 40 lb. bag of dog kibble food on the garage floor and forgot about it. The following morning mice (or one mouse?) ate out the bottom of the bag and all sorts of kibble was strewn across the floor - I begrudgingly cleaned it up. Fast forward three months down the road and I noted a musty smell coming from the vents, especially in the recycling mode with the AC on. Three months after that I noted several small fly wings coming out of the vents and landing on my pants and also showing themselves most notably on the black leather interior of my 2004 MINI Cooper S; hummmm... this DOES NOT look good!!!

After laying out a white sheet on the passenger side (good thing to always do) I pulled the black box that encased the inner cabin filter and look what dropped out...

Yes, dog kibble immediately started falling out as I removed the box, but look at the SIZE of the handful amount of kibble AND the maggots that were riding on the top of the cabin filter that me and my family and friends got to breath for six months!!!

Pretty disgusting (!!!) and with vacuuming, blowing with a compressor and now putting Fabreze Dryer Sheets (which I understand they hate!) in close proximity to where my MINI is parked. I no longer store any kind of food, rubber, or anything on the floor of our garage that these industrious mice might find edible or storable; you might do the same
Wow, amazing story! Didn't know mice packed food out. Glad to hear it sounds like the problem is solved. I think I might surround the MINI with traps.

Drive Hard. Drive Safe. Keep Grinning.
 
  #3  
Old 09-01-2016, 02:33 PM
bee1000n's Avatar
bee1000n
bee1000n is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego, CA
Posts: 1,522
Received 7 Likes on 6 Posts
Ugh. That's a horror story!
 
  #4  
Old 09-01-2016, 02:37 PM
bavmotors's Avatar
bavmotors
bavmotors is offline
6th Gear
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Near Buffalo NY
Posts: 3,387
Likes: 0
Received 12 Likes on 12 Posts
It's always fun to hear these stories, can't believe what some guys find in their cabin filters.
 
  #5  
Old 09-01-2016, 07:48 PM
pkunk's Avatar
pkunk
pkunk is offline
3rd Gear
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: NM
Posts: 162
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
When I first bought my 2nd hand Clubman I changed out the cabin air filter and there was all kinds of junk on top of it. I read some threads here about why and there was one suggestion tha was simple enough to implement. Behind the battery is where the fresh air comes from.
 
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
cupc4ke
Stock Problems/Issues
11
10-08-2018 07:02 AM
xcountryfun@gmail.com
1st Gear
12
08-16-2016 03:17 PM
padman12
MINIs & Minis for Sale
2
04-28-2016 09:15 AM
ewgoforth
Stock Problems/Issues
2
03-14-2016 08:14 AM
FSU_MINI_LOVER
Detailing 101
12
04-20-2006 08:14 PM



Quick Reply: Cabin filter smells and wings through my MINI air vents



All times are GMT -7. The time now is 11:46 PM.