What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
buy (2000 BMW 323it, manual, sport pkg, black with tan leather, 55
kmiles) but it stinks. I'm very hesitant to get it as I'm not sure I
could get completely rid of the smell.
The car is at a dealer. Would it make sense to make an offer
conditional to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's
acceptable to me?
Thanks for all the input!
Ignasi.
Mike T. - 30 Mar 2006 21:05 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Ignasi.
The only way to remove smoking smells from a car is to buy a new one and
never allow anybody to smoke in it. Your used BMW is far from ideal. Keep
looking. -Dave
JohnH - 30 Mar 2006 21:18 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> conditional to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's
> acceptable to me?
It will be professionally "masked" which will wear off in - oh, a day or
so, give or take.
Run from that permanently ruined POS.
Somebody. - 30 Mar 2006 21:25 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Ignasi.
The car you have described is suitable for purchase by a heavy smoker only.
It is not ideal for you, much as you might hope so. You have our
condolences.
-Russ.
Daniel J. Stern - 30 Mar 2006 22:08 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
> buy (2000 BMW 323it, manual, sport pkg, black with tan leather, 55
> kmiles) but it stinks. I'm very hesitant to get it as I'm not sure I
> could get completely rid of the smell.
You're right. You can't. Don't buy it.
> The car is at a dealer. Would it make sense to make an offer conditional
> to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's acceptable to
> me?
No, because all such a cleaning will do is temporarily mask the odour. It
*WILL* come back.
Timothy J. Lee - 30 Mar 2006 23:16 GMT
>The car is at a dealer. Would it make sense to make an offer
>conditional to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's
>acceptable to me?
Chances are, they've already tried cleaning out the smoke smell, and
the way it is now is the best it will get.

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Thomas Wright - 31 Mar 2006 01:01 GMT
>>The car is at a dealer. Would it make sense to make an offer
>>conditional to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's
>>acceptable to me?
>
> Chances are, they've already tried cleaning out the smoke smell, and
> the way it is now is the best it will get.
I have a different opinion: My 1997 528 (purchased used) smelled very
heavily of smoke when I bought it. I tried every trick in the book.
(i.e. febreeze, air fresheners, washing every surface including carpet,
seats and headliner)
Each thing that I tried helped a little bit. But the thing that really
worked was time. After about 6 months of all of the above , and leaving
the windows open as much as I could, the smell finally went away.
So, the answer is: If its a really good deal and you can wait six
months for the smell to receed: go for it.
Dave - 31 Mar 2006 01:28 GMT
> So, the answer is: If its a really good deal and you can wait six months
> for the smell to receed: go for it.
6 months of killer migraine headaches? No thanks.
JohnH - 31 Mar 2006 02:53 GMT
> Each thing that I tried helped a little bit. But the thing that
> really worked was time. After about 6 months of all of the above ,
> and leaving the windows open as much as I could, the smell finally
> went away.
> So, the answer is: If its a really good deal and you can wait six
> months for the smell to receed: go for it.
I think in 6 months you probably just didn't notice it anymore. Ask any
passenger if they still smell it.

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Somebody. - 31 Mar 2006 13:48 GMT
>> Each thing that I tried helped a little bit. But the thing that
>> really worked was time. After about 6 months of all of the above ,
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> I think in 6 months you probably just didn't notice it anymore. Ask any
> passenger if they still smell it.
Or you could spend 6 months trying to find a similar deal that doesn't stink
so badly, and probably be successful.
-Russ.
John S. - 31 Mar 2006 01:52 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
> Ignasi.
The smell has permeated plastic, fabric, porous metal, the air
conditioning ducts, everywhere. Unless you can put up with the odor,
just look for one where the owner took better care of the car.
Shawn Hirn - 31 Mar 2006 02:44 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> conditional to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's
> acceptable to me?
I doubt this is possible, but you never know. Why don't you tell the car
dealer that he has a sale, but only if he can get rid of the smoke smell
to your satisfaction. What's the worst that can happen if you try that
tactic?
Mike T. - 31 Mar 2006 14:22 GMT
> I doubt this is possible, but you never know. Why don't you tell the car
> dealer that he has a sale, but only if he can get rid of the smoke smell
> to your satisfaction. What's the worst that can happen if you try that
> tactic?
The cleaning will last just long enough for the paperwork to sign, and then
he'll be stuck with a permanently stinky car. -Dave
E28 Guy© - 31 Mar 2006 17:51 GMT
> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
> buy (2000 BMW 323it, manual, sport pkg, black with tan leather, 55
> kmiles) but it stinks. I'm very hesitant to get it as I'm not sure I
> could get completely rid of the smell.
Hell, it's been nigh on 35 years, but my first car was a former
'smoker's den'. I remember hitting it with a spray cleaner (409?) at
the time and seeing tobacco-colored drops forming on the windows and
headliner. I got it cleaned up pretty well, but I frankly don't
remember how well. I wasn't nearly as sensitive to smoke then as I am
now. While I never smoked myself, I hung around in bars & stuff. I
think a thorough cleaning and treatment with good leather cleaners -
and some time for it to dissipate - will probably do the job.
> The car is at a dealer. Would it make sense to make an offer
> conditional to them having the car professionally cleaned so that it's
> acceptable to me?
I doubt they'd take a conditional offer, but they may knock off an
amount to pay for *several* good cleanings, including maybe one in
advance (if they haven't already done one - it's possible they haven't,
if it 'looked good' when they got it in) to see if it will work at all.
I'd certainly ask, if you really want this one.
--
C.R. Krieger
(Been there, done that)
Doug - 01 Apr 2006 01:58 GMT
"E28 Guy©" <88.535is@gmail.com> wrote in news:1143823918.146722.47610
@e56g2000cwe.googlegroups.com:
>> What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
>> cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
>> buy (2000 BMW 323it, manual, sport pkg, black with tan leather, 55
>> kmiles) but it stinks. I'm very hesitant to get it as I'm not sure I
>> could get completely rid of the smell.
When I went to buy my Legacy, the dealer had two. One had been a smoker's
car, the other had a pristine ask tray. We took the pristine one, even
though the dealer was willing to knock a couple thousand off the smoker's
car. If you can stand it, I and my wife can't, go for it.
BTW, it may have been a mistake, now we own two green Subarus (Subari?). I
like the cars but I keep getting the keys mixed up.
Doug
C.Read - 05 Apr 2006 14:30 GMT
Surely time would cure it.. every couple of weeks a big shampoo and after a
3 or 4 months it would go.. After all smoke comes out of clothes... you can
get rid of it in houses, they're far more "permiable" to smells.. I think so
long as you're thorough.. you'd get rid of it eventually..
But I do agree with some other statements here... it will take a long time
to get rid of totally.. and you could find a car without this...
The other thing.. that perhaps no one has thought of.. is that.. a smokey
car like this .. will make your clothes smell of it too.. so it will
travel.. bear that in mind!
Best option would be to soak the thing in as much cleaner as possible then
dry it thoroughly, but and leave the cleaner in it for hours to work it's
way through.. use stain removers.. you can get some good expanding foam
ones.. they work nicely.. spray and rub them in really firmly.. then rinse
out generously.. and some serious detergents.. lots of airfreshners.. clean
absolutely everything.. things like the roof padding especially. .and
carpets.. the leather will come up easy..
AGH! - 05 Apr 2006 15:36 GMT
After all this cleaning work and wait for months for the smell to go
advice I cannot help thinking that it will take less effort and time to
find a better non-smokers car to buy. Should be plenty of circa year
2000 examples around.
Somebody. - 05 Apr 2006 18:24 GMT
> After all this cleaning work and wait for months for the smell to go
> advice I cannot help thinking that it will take less effort and time to
> find a better non-smokers car to buy. Should be plenty of circa year
> 2000 examples around.
Exactly right.
Underneat the carpets, behind a barrier of the plasticized layer behind the
carpet itself you'll find bonded foam underpadding. It takes a *long* time
to impregnate this with a smell, and a similarly long time to get rid of it.
Pulling it out to clean is possible, but very complicated and time
consuming... seats, center consoles, various trim bits all come out, then
remove the carpeting, and the cleaning and drying process is difficult and
takes a long time also as the foam is very thick in spots. Dry it
incorrectly and you'll have a brand new smell a few weeks later, that's as
bad as smoke in it's way.
Having to do that job would easly make any costs savings in buying the car
insubstantial.
-Russ.
RT - 08 Apr 2006 21:34 GMT
>What are people's experiences with getting rid of smoking smells in
>cars' interiors? I have found an almost ideal used car that I want to
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>Ignasi.
Only time will make it go away. A good cleaning of most surfaces and
leaving the windows open as much as possible WILL get rid of the
smell. It will take time.