How do you get rid of the new car smell? It gives me a headache! Otherwise, I love my new TCH!

Drive with your windows down for a week or two... the weather was nice when I bought my FEH and I did that a lot, and sadly the new car smell (the overwhelming majority of it, anyway) went away. Don't use any interior cleaners/conditioners (leather conditioner, Armor-All, etc.) as these have their own scents they will release.

I'm allergy prone and sometimes very reactant to strong scents, so while I personally love new car scent I can empathize with your request.

I guess you could buy some fast food and bring it home, but I don't think you want to replace one smell with another.

Leave the vents open when you park the vehicle, even in the garage. This helps the vehicle "breathe" and should be done regardless, per my manual and commonly held wisdom anyway.

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

What are you kidding? That's the BEST part of getting a new car.

There's a study floating around somewhere on the Net, and I don't know the credability of it, but I recall it breaking down the "new car scent" in the various volatile compounds/chemicals etc. that it's composed of. What we think of as "new car scent" is really a lot of rather potent chemicals (glue vapors, paint, new plastic and rubber compounds, etc.) that are bombarding us. It has a nice psychological impact (to help offset the pain in the pocketbook/bank), but if you're allergic it can spell all manner of pain and suffering.

Like my allergy to pretty much everything that is green and grows, though, I'd rather enjoy the cause (in my case, the outdoors/outdoor recreation) and suffer the headaches and sniffles, but if I had the same reaction to new car scent I could be inclined to ask for a cure to that, as well.

(People always know where my tent is when I'm camping...I am the one who starts sniffling and sneezing around 3 AM or so when all the plants release their maximum pollen. )

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

Aaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh! Heat or Smell? Hmmmmm.....I guess I'll take the heat. Thanks for the advice GeekGal. The windows are coming down.

You must be the only person in the world who hates new car smell. I truly pity you. I'll have one of my Catholic friends light a candle for you.

I guess you missed my posts on the adverse affects of allergies... sneezing your fool head off, or having a multi-day headache, tends to stifle some of life's joys at times. He still has a new hybrid, so there's no need for pity... though it IS a shame the new car smell can't be sucked out of his vehicle, bottled, and sold on eBay to everyone who craves it so much. <grin>

- Shannon (Geeky, Wild Texan)

Perhaps running the Plasmacluster system at full blast will help alleviate the new car smell? You know, one thing I noticed about the TCH we test drove is that it didn't have as strong of a new car smell as some other new cars do. Maybe I was imagining though...

I introduced some friends to my HCH this weekend, and they claimed that it still had a new car smell. I bought it in August!! I can't smell it, myself, but I guess it's plausible that it lingers for months to a small extent. I usually keep the windows shut (to cut down on drag) but that still seems extreme to me. A good airing may be in order, despite the 100 degree heat index. Yuck.

Actually, I understand it has . . . there is a spray to give "new car smell." I've been thinking about my smelly old boots . . .

Bob Wilson

Operation Iraqi Oil Freedom:

Automatic, stock, project car.

My other 1500 cc car:

Automatic, stock, backup car.
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