Is there a product that produces the “New Car” smell?

[cantdrv55]

It’s the only car smell I really like. Most car fresheners are either too fruity or piney. My car smells musty from the AC and even though I’ve sprayed the inlet down with Lysol disinfectant per Scotty Kilmer, the smell came back within a few weeks. Not sure what else to do besides hang an air freshener.

[asphaltgambler]

What kind of vehicle? Some older HVAC plenum designs can hold dirt and pollen at the bottom even though the drain is open and pollen filters changed regularly. Sometimes the only way to get rid of it is remove the evaporator/ heater core case, open it up clean out the crap at the bottom and in the fins of the core and evap.

[911Ghia]

Cash

[stevej37]

The small twist off cans work well....for a week or two.

[p911dad]

GM's dealers use an aerosol spray called FrigiFresh, I have a can. It goes in the air intake for the HVAC system while running. It seems to work. Amazon carries it (of course..)

[cantdrv55]

It’s a Toyota Sequoia and it’s so old, it doesn’t have a cabin air filter.

I’ll look for the can freshener. Thx.

[flatbutt]

cd...get some fresh plastic or other polymer and just put that in your car. VOCs should come off of that.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

cd...get some fresh plastic or other polymer and just put that in your car. VOCs should come off of that.

AKA, the free range, grass fed, organic version of that new car smell!

[juanbenae]

Dealerships have it in a can & you can't have any of it.. They also have something that will hide a stain on the carpet for like 4-5 days before they will reappear... you can't have any of that either...

i bought a used Jeep Cherokee Classic, the small boxy one used, a 98 lease return in like 2000 with like 40k miles on it. nice rig that drove well and had a good maintenance history documented.


Like day 7 all these stains appeared on the floor mats and seats out of nowhere. Worse was the that about then it started to smell like curry rich Indian food had been spilled in it, and imagine the seinfeld BO scarlet lettered car... i was stuck with that...

[stevej37]

Look for the blue Christmas tree cans...they smell the best.

[dan88911]

Griot's Car Care
use to sale a Interior Car Scent product.

[2.7RS]

Yeah

The smell of BPA BPS phenols and forever chemicals....

Smart, really smart

take it apart and clean it or buy a new car. Don't sniff any of that shiat

[KNS]

Originally Posted by 2.7RS

Yeah

The smell of BPA BPS phenols and forever chemicals....

Smart, really smart

take it apart and clean it or buy a new car. Don't sniff any of that shiat

The smells that are so familiar with that "New Car Smell" are VOCs or volatile organic compounds. It's the brand new plastic, vinyl, carpet, glue, etc that are gassing off. Not exactly the healthiest substances to be inhaling but everyone accepts it (I like it too but I've only purchased two new cars in my life).

I MUCH prefer the interior smell of an old air cooled VW or Porsche.

[Rusty Heap]

SC1 has a great smell and is an awesome protectant.

https://www.summitracing.com/parts/mxo-78920?seid=srese1&ppckw=pmax-paints-and-finishing&gclid=CjwKCAjw-IWkBhBTEiwA2exyO_pdUUm-CL4J2P71NWdy8dFS1YbmS-aOlH8_1RGUk8o5rCANRdNaCBoCvMEQAvD_BwE

[GH85Carrera]

I do love the smell of my 85 911 when I get in after several days of sitting in the garage with the windows rolled up. It is likely an an acquired taste, um er smell?

For your AC, likely over the years the water drain for the condensation has so debris like pine needles, or just dirt. The real cure is to recover the refrigerant, pull the evaporator, and clean the heck out of the box it sits in, and flush out the drain. And then clean or replace the evaporator, then put it all back together.

My El Camino had that issue 10 years ago or so. It is not a a major ordeal to R&R the evaporator on the Elky. It was pretty gross with many years of crud in there. No spray cleaner was going to get it. And I had tried several different ones.

It has been years, and the water drips out like a river when I park in the garage after driving on a hot humid day.

Good luck, you likely can find some temporary relief with some of the car AC sprays for evaporator boxes.

[MikeSid]

Originally Posted by KNS

...
I MUCH prefer the interior smell of an old air cooled VW or Porsche.

I would buy that scent and wear it like Sex Panther by Odion.

And I'm not talking about the burned oil and unburned fuel smell that happens when you have a hole in your heat exchanger (although I kinda like that smell too sometimes). I'm talking about what I could only describe as a "German vinyl smell". Maybe its the rubber trim/seals on those old cars. I'd love to know what causes it. And if it's off gassing VOCs, it takes a damn long time to off gas because it's still present in 50 year old Porsche/VWs.

[Bill Douglas]

There is one. From Super Cheap Auto. Sorry, an Australian company so a bit of a hassle to get it. I bought it as a joke for GF's new car. "Wow 40,000 kilometers and it still smells brand new".

[unclebilly]

What year is your sequoia?

If it’s the same generation as my 2011 Tundra, you have a cabin air filter (it’s in the lower glove box).

You also don’t want to go taking the dash apart to remove and clean the air box… it ain’t no 80 elky…

This is a photo from when I replaced the air box in my Tundra due to a broken blend door.

[unclebilly]

It is easy to remove the blower fan and see what lurks inside there…

[cantdrv55]

It’s a 2003 Sequoia. First generation, no cabin air filter.