That Secondhand car smell
Discussion
Not the damp, musty, cigarette smoke scent of an old banger in the classified section of the Croydon Comet but that off perfume smell that you have, even in a one year old Approved Used sitting outside the BMW showroom.
Same in every not so old SH car I've sat in, at any dealers.
What is it? and why do they use it?
3 of my last few cars that I have bought were brand new, a Duster, a Mustang and an Abarth. I love that brand new motor smell, it's intoxicating
When I part exed my Abarth for an Alpine, my one regret was giving up that new aroma. The 695 was only 6 months old and I was swapping for a 1.5 year old Alpine.
The A110 was gorgeous and drove fantastically but it already had that weird artificial SH dealer smell, despite a cockpit covered in alcantara and leather, plus looking immaculate.
Alpine is going today, I've fallen on hard times.......again, thus I need to be sensible, and practical. Can't have all that cash sitting in the street, a car that actually makes me want to drive it for no other reason than to enjoy it. Costs me too much in petrol just for a blast out to the countryside.
Thanks to another thread on here, I'm considering a Fiat Panda Twin Air and yesterday I was at a dealership that had 5 for sale ranging from 2014 to 2021.
All in great condition, looking shiny and as new, until I sat in them and my nostrils were assaulted by that same damn odour.
What the feck is it?
Same in every not so old SH car I've sat in, at any dealers.
What is it? and why do they use it?
3 of my last few cars that I have bought were brand new, a Duster, a Mustang and an Abarth. I love that brand new motor smell, it's intoxicating
When I part exed my Abarth for an Alpine, my one regret was giving up that new aroma. The 695 was only 6 months old and I was swapping for a 1.5 year old Alpine.
The A110 was gorgeous and drove fantastically but it already had that weird artificial SH dealer smell, despite a cockpit covered in alcantara and leather, plus looking immaculate.
Alpine is going today, I've fallen on hard times.......again, thus I need to be sensible, and practical. Can't have all that cash sitting in the street, a car that actually makes me want to drive it for no other reason than to enjoy it. Costs me too much in petrol just for a blast out to the countryside.
Thanks to another thread on here, I'm considering a Fiat Panda Twin Air and yesterday I was at a dealership that had 5 for sale ranging from 2014 to 2021.
All in great condition, looking shiny and as new, until I sat in them and my nostrils were assaulted by that same damn odour.
What the feck is it?
It’s probably a ‘bomb’ air freshener which effectively fills the car with an overwhelmingly powerful scent over the course of a few minutes. That’s why it’s so intense compared to the magic tree variety. I had an aircon service with and apple bomb once in a company car - never again!
Dont know what they use but the smell of a used car is a big part of the appeal, I dont want it is it smells ropey as chances are you will never get rid of it.
Back in my motor trade days, can remember a Sierra smelling strongly of fish, a posh family part exed it, was mint and high spec but smelt like a fishmongers on a hot day, we couldnt shift it, was cleaned intensively and it came back, must have been in a vent or something, sent to the auction.
We had another (Belmont I think) and the only way to describe the aroma was Arse, the bloke who brought it in was a big fat lump and the seat had been marinaded in his personal hygiene problems for some years, the trusty wet vac got that out.
I had a Mondeo that had been chain smoked in, tried allsorts and always had twang of B and H after a few days.
But, you get one that smells nice, its a big selling point subconsciously. My Jag smelt great and was immaculate, you see photos of cars at dealers and they look grubby, a years worth of dandruff on the steering wheel cowl, dirty switches. You shouldnt really be able to smell the previous owner !
Back in my motor trade days, can remember a Sierra smelling strongly of fish, a posh family part exed it, was mint and high spec but smelt like a fishmongers on a hot day, we couldnt shift it, was cleaned intensively and it came back, must have been in a vent or something, sent to the auction.
We had another (Belmont I think) and the only way to describe the aroma was Arse, the bloke who brought it in was a big fat lump and the seat had been marinaded in his personal hygiene problems for some years, the trusty wet vac got that out.
I had a Mondeo that had been chain smoked in, tried allsorts and always had twang of B and H after a few days.
But, you get one that smells nice, its a big selling point subconsciously. My Jag smelt great and was immaculate, you see photos of cars at dealers and they look grubby, a years worth of dandruff on the steering wheel cowl, dirty switches. You shouldnt really be able to smell the previous owner !
It could be worse when my Golf GTI PP was delivered to me it had the unmistakable smell of pensioner from its one previous elderly owner. A year on & it's still faintly there. I'm just grateful that's the only thing wrong with it & there are no stains on the tartan fabric! 
Edited by Richard-390a0 on Thursday 7th August 11:55
croyde said:
Not the damp, musty, cigarette smoke scent of an old banger in the classified section of the Croydon Comet but that off perfume smell that you have, even in a one year old Approved Used sitting outside the BMW showroom.
Same in every not so old SH car I've sat in, at any dealers.
What is it? and why do they use it?
3 of my last few cars that I have bought were brand new, a Duster, a Mustang and an Abarth. I love that brand new motor smell, it's intoxicating
When I part exed my Abarth for an Alpine, my one regret was giving up that new aroma. The 695 was only 6 months old and I was swapping for a 1.5 year old Alpine.
The A110 was gorgeous and drove fantastically but it already had that weird artificial SH dealer smell, despite a cockpit covered in alcantara and leather, plus looking immaculate.
Alpine is going today, I've fallen on hard times.......again, thus I need to be sensible, and practical. Can't have all that cash sitting in the street, a car that actually makes me want to drive it for no other reason than to enjoy it. Costs me too much in petrol just for a blast out to the countryside.
Thanks to another thread on here, I'm considering a Fiat Panda Twin Air and yesterday I was at a dealership that had 5 for sale ranging from 2014 to 2021.
All in great condition, looking shiny and as new, until I sat in them and my nostrils were assaulted by that same damn odour.
What the feck is it?
So, every car you get into suddenly has the same smell?Same in every not so old SH car I've sat in, at any dealers.
What is it? and why do they use it?
3 of my last few cars that I have bought were brand new, a Duster, a Mustang and an Abarth. I love that brand new motor smell, it's intoxicating
When I part exed my Abarth for an Alpine, my one regret was giving up that new aroma. The 695 was only 6 months old and I was swapping for a 1.5 year old Alpine.
The A110 was gorgeous and drove fantastically but it already had that weird artificial SH dealer smell, despite a cockpit covered in alcantara and leather, plus looking immaculate.
Alpine is going today, I've fallen on hard times.......again, thus I need to be sensible, and practical. Can't have all that cash sitting in the street, a car that actually makes me want to drive it for no other reason than to enjoy it. Costs me too much in petrol just for a blast out to the countryside.
Thanks to another thread on here, I'm considering a Fiat Panda Twin Air and yesterday I was at a dealership that had 5 for sale ranging from 2014 to 2021.
All in great condition, looking shiny and as new, until I sat in them and my nostrils were assaulted by that same damn odour.
What the feck is it?
Can't think what the common factor is.
Furbo said:
So, every car you get into suddenly has the same smell?
Can't think what the common factor is.
Haha, well except for the new ones.Can't think what the common factor is.
Just dropped the Alpine off, and sat in the new Duster and Bigster whilst paperwork was being sorted.
Worlds apart from my 2021 Duster. Proper clunky doors like an old BMW.
And smelt just lovely
There is no distinct smell associated with secondhand cars. There's plenty of different things to make an interior smell though. Most can be cleaned up in one way or another to achieve a "neutral" or no odour. If it smells of something, its normally due to inadequate cleaning.
The "car sanitizer" products I've used typically smell of cheap perfume. Whether they actually clean and remove odours, I don't know, but I tend to end up using them anyway for bad cases. Then some considerable time to lose the "cheap perfume" smell.
It sounds like the dealership you visited isn't very good at prepping cars.
The "car sanitizer" products I've used typically smell of cheap perfume. Whether they actually clean and remove odours, I don't know, but I tend to end up using them anyway for bad cases. Then some considerable time to lose the "cheap perfume" smell.
It sounds like the dealership you visited isn't very good at prepping cars.
I bought a cheap 206 GTi 180 a few years ago as a stop gap car and it reeked of dog. I Though it would go away with a good clean and some odour bombs but it never did. The smell would get on your cloths and follow you round all day. It was horrific. To this day when looking at a used car the first thing I do is open the boot and give it a good sniff!
Been looking at used cars recently and most have a slightly stale smell, especially if they been shut up in the sun for a while. I prefer that over air fresheners trying to mask that to be honest as most have a cheap sick kit sent that is hard to get rid of. The stale smell usually goes after a decent deep clean to get rid of the previous owners dandruff/dead skin etc.
Been looking at used cars recently and most have a slightly stale smell, especially if they been shut up in the sun for a while. I prefer that over air fresheners trying to mask that to be honest as most have a cheap sick kit sent that is hard to get rid of. The stale smell usually goes after a decent deep clean to get rid of the previous owners dandruff/dead skin etc.
croyde said:
And smelt just lovely
It's one of the reasons every few months I have thoughts about buying a brand new car and end up doing a few quotes on CarWow. I am a bit OCD when it comes to my things, and to be honest it would be lovely to have a car that has not been made to smell by the previous owners.No Takeaways, no garden waste runs to the tip, no children, no spilt food or drink, no dogs, noone else's sweat, bogies and dead skin on the steering wheel and controls.
But then I realise I am too OCD and would keep a brand new pair of shoes inside to drive in, and would be upset every time I had to take a passenger.
For me, sitting in a new car is the best smell in the world.
Richard-390a0 said:
It could be worse when my Golf GTI PP was delivered to me it had the unmistakable smell of pensioner from it's one previous elderly owner. A year on & it's still faintly there. I'm just grateful that's the only thing wrong with it & there are no stains on the tartan fabric!
9-nonenal. That’s the substance you are smelling. Source - I’m a biochemist. A car detailer might be able to get rid of it with ozone treatment.
When I was involved in the trade, the worst possible smell to eradicate was wet dog. It never really dispersed and cost us some sales. A thorough clean worked with most others, using a wet vac where needed. However, you need to be careful with these if the weather is cold and damp to avoid condensation and hence a damp smell. In most cases, the best remedy is an adequate clean followed by windows/ boot open on any dry sunny day.
georgeyboy12345 said:
Richard-390a0 said:
It could be worse when my Golf GTI PP was delivered to me it had the unmistakable smell of pensioner from its one previous elderly owner. A year on & it's still faintly there. I'm just grateful that's the only thing wrong with it & there are no stains on the tartan fabric!
9-nonenal. That’s the substance you are smelling. Source - I’m a biochemist. A car detailer might be able to get rid of it with ozone treatment.
paul_c123 said:
There is no distinct smell associated with secondhand cars. There's plenty of different things to make an interior smell though. Most can be cleaned up in one way or another to achieve a "neutral" or no odour. If it smells of something, its normally due to inadequate cleaning.
The "car sanitizer" products I've used typically smell of cheap perfume. Whether they actually clean and remove odours, I don't know, but I tend to end up using them anyway for bad cases. Then some considerable time to lose the "cheap perfume" smell.
It sounds like the dealership you visited isn't very good at prepping cars.
….but there is a distinct smell associated with ‘ middle class’ classics. It consists of leather, damp ( could be Wilton) carpet, and engine oil. On a drive you may add the hot engine smell. On the valeting side, the scent bombs just overwhelm all other smells, which can return later and, of course, some of the scents available at your local garage can be worse still.The "car sanitizer" products I've used typically smell of cheap perfume. Whether they actually clean and remove odours, I don't know, but I tend to end up using them anyway for bad cases. Then some considerable time to lose the "cheap perfume" smell.
It sounds like the dealership you visited isn't very good at prepping cars.
Edited by Lester H on Thursday 7th August 14:26
J4CKO said:
Back in my motor trade days, can remember a Sierra smelling strongly of fish, a posh family part exed it, was mint and high spec but smelt like a fishmongers on a hot day, we couldnt shift it, was cleaned intensively and it came back, must have been in a vent or something, sent to the auction.
Reminded me of this story about Paul Gascoigne by Ally McCoist - was possibly Gordon Durie's old car!Back in my motor trade days, can remember a Sierra smelling strongly of fish, a posh family part exed it, was mint and high spec but smelt like a fishmongers on a hot day, we couldnt shift it, was cleaned intensively and it came back, must have been in a vent or something, sent to the auction.
Which reminds me. We helped a friend out by catering their wedding. The delivery of salmon however spilt juices all over a front seat of my old Cordoba Vario....
However, I sold the car to the friends whose wedding it was, but it stank of fish on a hot day...
Which reminds me. We helped a friend out by catering their wedding. The delivery of salmon however spilt juices all over a front seat of my old Cordoba Vario....
However, I sold the car to the friends whose wedding it was, but it stank of fish on a hot day...
Took a bag of grass cuttings to the tip in the back of my 3 series Touring a few years back.
The bag had been sat on the patio for a while so there had been a certain amount of fermenting gone on but I had one of those plastic trays with a lip on it so thought I was safe.
Arrived at the tip to find the tray had overflowed and substantial quantities of fluid had spilled into the folded down rear seats.
Never got rid of the stink and much, much worse in the summer months.
The bag had been sat on the patio for a while so there had been a certain amount of fermenting gone on but I had one of those plastic trays with a lip on it so thought I was safe.
Arrived at the tip to find the tray had overflowed and substantial quantities of fluid had spilled into the folded down rear seats.
Never got rid of the stink and much, much worse in the summer months.
My old BMW 3 series used to do duty for many dump runs.
I had used it to get rid of bin bags that had been left in a muddy rainy garden for a while then flew abroad for a few weeks.
Came back to find the whole interior covered in massive and thick spider webs. You could barely see the seats.
I had used it to get rid of bin bags that had been left in a muddy rainy garden for a while then flew abroad for a few weeks.
Came back to find the whole interior covered in massive and thick spider webs. You could barely see the seats.
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