::.. Fogging on Driver's Side

[Qube]

There's a nusiance that I've been meaning to post, but...

The driver side windshield, and to a lesser degree, the side window... will fog. Here's the case:

Outside is colder... like -10c. Drive a bit, leave the vents open on climate sword and actual vents. Leave the car, come back, the driver's side is fogged.

Because I was there you say? I can have full passenger compliment and still only the driver side will fog.

When I wipe the condensation, it seems to have a slight oily feel to it.

If I manually close the blade (upper dash vents), then it's much better. There would only be a little bit, if any. Now I do hear the opening and closing whirrrrrr sounds when you turn on and off the car...

There seems to be a faint smell to it... like power steering fluid I surmise. I gather it must be coming from the dash vents because where there are partitions between the vents, the fog is thinner.

[willobmw]

Hopefully it is not the heater core. Antifreeze smell maybe?
Good Luck.

[SharkmanBMW]

sounds like a heater core... sweet smell of coolant.

[Jimbo]

This is almost definitely the heater core, a seemingly common problem on E34's. My car has had the exact same symptoms for about a year except I occaisionally get a very strong sickly sweet smell that is definitely coolant. I have not had the time or money to fix it, so I just deal with it and top off the coolant every once in a while hoping the leak does not get worse, which it hasn't.

[Qube]

This is almost definitely the heater core, a seemingly common problem on E34's. My car has had the exact same symptoms for about a year except I occaisionally get a very strong sickly sweet smell that is definitely coolant. I have not had the time or money to fix it, so I just deal with it and top off the coolant every once in a while hoping the leak does not get worse, which it hasn't.

I never even thought it was coolant, lol. Yeah. I have a coolant leak, but it's not bad. I top off every now and then

[Alan_525i]

Fromt he description its almost 100% surely your heater core. I went through the same several years ago.

[uscharalph]

There's a nusiance that I've been meaning to post, but...

The driver side windshield, and to a lesser degree, the side window... will fog. Here's the case:

Outside is colder... like -10c. Drive a bit, leave the vents open on climate sword and actual vents. Leave the car, come back, the driver's side is fogged.

Because I was there you say? I can have full passenger compliment and still only the driver side will fog.

When I wipe the condensation, it seems to have a slight oily feel to it.

If I manually close the blade (upper dash vents), then it's much better. There would only be a little bit, if any. Now I do hear the opening and closing whirrrrrr sounds when you turn on and off the car...

There seems to be a faint smell to it... like power steering fluid I surmise. I gather it must be coming from the dash vents because where there are partitions between the vents, the fog is thinner.

That was the telltale sign that my heater core was leaking.

[uscharalph]

I never even thought it was coolant, lol. Yeah. I have a coolant leak, but it's not bad. I top off every now and then

That's probably where your coolant is going. I bypassed my heater core, till I get it fixed (If ever). No more coolant loss.

[uscharalph]

This is almost definitely the heater core, a seemingly common problem on E34's. My car has had the exact same symptoms for about a year except I occaisionally get a very strong sickly sweet smell that is definitely coolant. I have not had the time or money to fix it, so I just deal with it and top off the coolant every once in a while hoping the leak does not get worse, which it hasn't.

If the heater core leak isn't very bad, just don't use the heater and watch the coolant level closely. If the coolant gets low and you overheat, it could worsen the heater core leak due to the added pressure.

[Jay 535i]

Qube, I have the EXACT same problem:

http://www.bimmer.info/forum/showthread.php?t=17970

Although I'm nervous about it, a buddy and I have decided to tackle fixing it ourselves when the weather improves, using this guide:

http://www.homeofsbc.com/Fixes/Heater/heater.htm

Since we're both in Toronto, maybe we should get together and tackle the two cars as a three-man team, lending technical, moral and beer support?