[MtBMW73]

I have a 2020 F32 that I bought from a BMW dealer in December. The car was fully detailed inside and out, but they must have used some kind of scent on the inside that I have been unable to get rid of. It's not bad per se, but rather smells too "perfumy" for my taste.

I've tried thoroughly cleaning all surfaces (even though they weren't dirty to begin with) in an attempt to get rid of the scent. I applied Lexol to the dash and Blue Magic leather conditioner to the seats (which I use in my other cars and smells like car leather) but neither of those got rid of the smell. I tried sprinkling baking soda all over the carpeting, left it for a day and vacuumed it up. No difference.

I also tried the Chemical Guys "New car smell" odor eliminator spray (mentioned in a post further down), but that smells nothing like new car, rather more like a cross between weed killer, burning wires, and an inflatable pool toy. I didn't even bother spraying it directly in the car, but instead sprayed some on a rag and left that in the footwell for a day. It was terrible so I pulled it out. I do not recommend that product.

I am thinking of trying one of these portable ozone generators to see if that helps. Has anyone tried one of these?
https://www.amazon.com/LKT-Car-Ozone...dp/B09BTQDFYV/
I know hotels use these when someone smokes in a room, but I imagine to commercial ones are much more expensive.

Also open to any other suggestions or tricks to eliminate a lingering odor.

[Skyhigh]

One thing is for sure - you are not going to succeed by trying to cover one smell with another, as you did.

Have you tried detailing the interior, beyond the carpets? Leather/seats, door-panels, dashboard, etc. - first a thorough clean and then conditioning with a product to your liking? Try to eliminate the source, not to mask the symptom.

For the record - the CG "New car smell" works fine for me (I use it in my older Audi) When used in moderation (!), it smells like "new" fabrics and material and people have indeed asked me "How can your car still smell like new?" But as everything else - it is a matter of taste. But mainly - it will not help you cover another smell, it will only make things worse due to the combination of aromas.

[MtBMW73]

Originally Posted by Skyhigh

One thing is for sure - you are not going to succeed by trying to cover one smell with another, as you did.

Have you tried detailing the interior, beyond the carpets? Leather/seats, door-panels, dashboard, etc. - first a thorough clean and then conditioning with a product to your liking? Try to eliminate the source, not to mask the symptom.

For the record - the CG "New car smell" works fine for me (I use it in my older Audi) When used in moderation (!), it smells like "new" fabrics and material and people have indeed asked me "How can your car still smell like new?" But as everything else - it is a matter of taste. But mainly - it will not help you cover another smell, it will only make things worse due to the combination of aromas.

As I mentioned in my original post: "I've tried thoroughly cleaning all surfaces (even though they weren't dirty to begin with) in an attempt to get rid of the scent."

To elaborate on that statement, that meant cleaning all dash, console and door surfaces, thoroughly cleaning the seats (front, back, headrests) using Blue Magic leather and vinyl cleaner, followed by the leather conditioner.

Obviously simply masking a scent with another one will not remove the undesired smell. The one surface I haven't touched is the headliner, simply because that is a little trickier -- there's nothing to "clean" per se, but the scent may also be imbedded in the headliner, and would need to be somehow neutralized, which is why I was asking about potentially using an ozone generator.

[disintegrator66]

Originally Posted by MtBMW73

As I mentioned in my original post: "I've tried thoroughly cleaning all surfaces (even though they weren't dirty to begin with) in an attempt to get rid of the scent."

To elaborate on that statement, that meant cleaning all dash, console and door surfaces, thoroughly cleaning the seats (front, back, headrests) using Blue Magic leather and vinyl cleaner, followed by the leather conditioner.

Obviously simply masking a scent with another one will not remove the undesired smell. The one surface I haven't touched is the headliner, simply because that is a little trickier -- there's nothing to "clean" per se, but the scent may also be imbedded in the headliner, and would need to be somehow neutralized, which is why I was asking about potentially using an ozone generator.

Kies has a video on use of an ozone generator. Good luck!

[MtBMW73]

Originally Posted by disintegrator66

Kies has a video on use of an ozone generator. Good luck!

Thanks! I have researched and read so much conflicting information on ozone -- some are saying it degrades plastic and rubber and should never be used inside a vehicle, if only for that reason. But then there are videos like this that explain how effective it is in eliminating odor. I plan to keep this car for a very long time, so I don't want to do anything that would compromise the longevity of interior components. I can't imagine 10-15 minutes is enough time to do any significant damage though.

In my situation, I don't think the source of the odor is the HVAC system -- it smells regardless if the car is on or not (and it's not moldy or musty smell). I still have new cabin filter ready to install though, so this video was helpful (although he installed the filter backwards!).

[scubajim]

I had a similar situation a few years ago and I accidentally discovered the dealer had used these small, scented cards that they had stuck in out of site locations. They must have used 4 or 5, that I would randomly come across over many months. I thought I ended it when I found them under the seats, but I learned they had hidden a few more. The smell did disappear before I found the remaining ones.

[ThermoOne]

I've used one on a different car to get rid of smoke smell. Worked great just follow the directions.

[chowser51]

Buy a new cabin air filter. remove the old one. Do not put the new one in yet.
Start your car and set defrost to max. spray some lysol into the intake near the bottom of your windshield (outside). do it for 30 seconds. wait 30 seconds. spray lysol again for 30 seconds.
switch to A/C on high. do not turn on recirc. spray the lysol again for 30 seconds. wait 30 seconds and spray again for 30 seconds.

turn on recirc for a minute, then switch it back to outside air. hopefully it removes any mold in the system. install new cabin air filter.

[MtBMW73]

Originally Posted by chowser51

Buy a new cabin air filter. remove the old one. Do not put the new one in yet.
Start your car and set defrost to max. spray some lysol into the intake near the bottom of your windshield (outside). do it for 30 seconds. wait 30 seconds. spray lysol again for 30 seconds.
switch to A/C on high. do not turn on recirc. spray the lysol again for 30 seconds. wait 30 seconds and spray again for 30 seconds.

turn on recirc for a minute, then switch it back to outside air. hopefully it removes any mold in the system. install new cabin air filter.

Thanks for the tips, but this is not a mold problem. As I explained in my original post, the smell is a perfumy scent, like some kind of air freshener scent that the dealer likely used when they detailed the car. That’s what I’m trying to get rid of. I’d rather my car smell of that than Lysol.

[oceanview]

I had it done at a specialized shop. However my car did not smell "bad", just had it done with a general interior and exterior cleaning service.

As far as I know you should be careful with Ozon as it is harmful for humans (and animals). Just Google it. So I would rather spend a few bucks more and have it done by a qualified shop.