I dont know if this is a common issue, but hopefully it might help other members!
I noticed an unusual smell in the car shortly after I bought it.
I thoroughly cleaned the car, thinking it might be from a spilt drink (gone off milk). I removed both seats and thoroughly cleaned the carpets with a professional carpet cleaning machine. I'd done this on a car I'd bought previously whose previous owner was a smoker, it completely removed the tobacco smell.
Unfortunately I still had the strange smell in the z4...
I narrowed it down to the drivers door, lowering the window and putting my nose near the gap I could smell it.
The smell seemed to be worse in wet, or just after wet weather. After a few days of dry weather it was gone.
I recently changed my speakers and discovered the problem.
The in-door speakers have a plastic shield at the rear to protect them from moisture, this had a felt pad on it that was wet and mouldy. It was the same on both driver and passenger door.
The doors weren't leaking, and the inside was bone dry, but the pad was sandwiched between the wet/dry sides of the door seal.
I noticed an unusual smell in the car shortly after I bought it.
I thoroughly cleaned the car, thinking it might be from a spilt drink (gone off milk). I removed both seats and thoroughly cleaned the carpets with a professional carpet cleaning machine. I'd done this on a car I'd bought previously whose previous owner was a smoker, it completely removed the tobacco smell.
Unfortunately I still had the strange smell in the z4...
I narrowed it down to the drivers door, lowering the window and putting my nose near the gap I could smell it.
The smell seemed to be worse in wet, or just after wet weather. After a few days of dry weather it was gone.
I recently changed my speakers and discovered the problem.
The in-door speakers have a plastic shield at the rear to protect them from moisture, this had a felt pad on it that was wet and mouldy. It was the same on both driver and passenger door.
The doors weren't leaking, and the inside was bone dry, but the pad was sandwiched between the wet/dry sides of the door seal.
Just Kidding, I know why.