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-   -   Car perfume leaked into AC vent | How to remove the stubborn smell? (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/technical-stuff/238933-car-perfume-leaked-into-ac-vent-how-remove-stubborn-smell.html)

Hello everyone. This is my first thread on Team BHP! :)
I own a Maruti Suzuki SX4 2007 ZXI model. Around 2012, An Ambi Pure car perfume had leaked into the AC vent. Almost looked like this.


From then on the smell persists even to this day. I don't know how to tackle the situation. Family members feel dizzy because of the smell. It becomes uncomfortable to stay in the car. Here are some things I have thought.

1. Should I do a deep interior clean? Will it remove the odor? If yes then from whom? 3m?

2. Should I change the seat covers(they are in perfect condition)


3. Should I remove the seat covers and deep clean the fabric seats below the seat cover?


4. When I turn on the Heater of the car, this perfume's smell comes even more strong. Is there a problem with my heater core? :Shockked:
Note: No such problem when A/C is on, so I think the Heater core has perfume in it.

I will also deep clean the headliner, dashboard, floor.





Should I clean the A/C too?

Really need your help fellow BHPians.
Any other suggestions are happily accepted.

Open all the doors for a day in a safe place and switch on AC with full fan speed and air intake from external source. With this smell should reduce to great extent.

If it still continues, then you may have to think on cleaning AC ducts.

I really don't think the ambipur perfume is so strong that it gives fragrance of almost 10 years.

How can that liquid in that Ambipur bottle leak in to the a/c ? It is below the mount, and the liquid is drawn up thru the fibrous stalk in it.

You could try some odor removal options -like they remove cigarette smells.

One method I have heard to reduce cigarette smoke was to burn a candle in the room. Can be dangerous in the car, though. Burning camphor was another.

1. Take the car to a car wash first and get it cleaned properly inside and out. If possible go to a place where they have pressurized air and ask them to blow the air on the inside floorings/mats/seats/headliner of the car.

2. Next, place the car in an open air area with all the doors, bonnet, boot open. If possible run the A/C with both fresh air as well as in recirculation mode for 10-15 minutes.

3. Do get 3-4 packs Charcoal based air purifier/odor absorber. Those things are easily available online or in most accessory shops. They are tiny and can be hung from the IRVM while the remaining can be placed at other strategic points.

If the above steps do not work, it might be better to visit an A/C car service center. One thing I do find strange is how you managed to spill Ambi pure inside the vents and that the smell is still retaining after a decade ! Stopped using them long back, but even back then those things ran a maximum of 3-4 months.

Law of diminishing returns will apply as you progress through each step.

1. park in Sun. The heat will free the smell and the air inside will hold the smell
2. Once car is sufficiently hot inside. At least a few hours in the sun. Open and air it out. As the car heats up, you will smell it more, that's what you're noticing with heater on.
3. Next step will be to wet wipe everything in the car. Wipe with wet cloth, then wipe dry with a separate (important) cloth
4. Buy small pieces of hookah charcoal from your local paan dabba. actually any charcoal piece will work. very good odour removers
5. Buy camphor. place it near your AC intake. this will rid the perfume smell slightly but your car will smell like camphor. (the elders might like it :P)
6. Now the expensive stuff. (very effective step) Wet vacuum the entire exposed fabric in the car. spray shampoo water agitate with brush, steam it and vacuum it. professionally done from a detailer.
7. Smell still persistent? replace cabin air filter. it will have caught on to some of the smell. but I think in 9 years you would've replaced it a couple of times, if not pls check

Most important is to physically clean your AC vent where the liquid went in from. A toothbrush, some soapy water sprayed and a stick wrapped in cloth can be inserted into the vent and cleaned.

3M germkleen has foam sprayed into the vents, should help but only to a certain extent.

Good luck.

Most benefit from least investment is parking under the sun.

All the best. :D


Edit

The smell has retained since it's in a place that has only cold air blowing. Perfumes and smells are designed to diffuse. And rate of diffusion is highly dependent on Temperature. Directly proportional. Now my best guess is that the perfume has turned into a gel like consistency and deposited itself in the air ducts right below the vents. Blowing cooler air won't help much. Heater will let the smell diffuse faster and help eradicate it.

Does your car not get used a lot?
It looks pristine.
Really well kept :thumbs up
Even cold air for a long time should've removed the smell.

I see marks around your AC vents OP, did you try prying it open?

Prying them open and directing steam into the vents with a pressurised steam cleaner will help. It will also disinfect all surfaces. But be sure to wipe off wet surfaces if possible. Cloth on a stick is best imo

I would love to have some long lingering fragrance in the car! How did it leak into the vent? Maybe I could replicate that leak. Worried about damage to the plastics though.

I have done that sir, but still doesn't work

Sir I am thinking of getting the interior deep cleaned, after that I will get the A/C properly cleaned

Thanks for the answer sir. Yes the car is not used a lot, only 18K KMs. The service center people have tried to pry open it once.
My car Bakes everyday in the sun from 10-12.
Cabin air filter has been changed at least 4 times.
I am deciding to get everything deep cleaned and clean the whole A/C deeply


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Please don't call me sir. I'm way younger than you.

Baking won't suffice, it needs to be able to let it all out too.
Do you notice the smell increasing in intensity when it's baking rl: in the sun?
If so, once it's hot, open the doors and air it out.

Otherwise it will deposit in the fabrics and surfaces again. Charcoal is your best bet to adsorb all of it.

and how could I forget?!
Welcome to TeamBHP!!

The best way to remove the smell:
Take it to ASC. Ask them to open the dashboard, take out the evaporator coil & heater core and clean them thoroughly. The charges for this won't be higher than thise for the evaporator coil replacement. I don't have exact idea but it shall be around Rs. 1000 - 1500.

Once this is done, keep the car open for few hours under the sun to remove the traces of odour from seats and carpet.

Like others have already suggested, you can take multi pronged approach.

1. Keep the car in the sun with windows down and blower running.
2. Run the car with heat on and windows down in a ventilated area for say 30 mins. You may have to do it multiple times.
3. Activated charcoal. You get these on Amazon. Get a couple of pouches and keep them in the car.
4. Steam clean the AC vents. This helps remove bad odor. Might help with good odor as well. Check if anyone provides steam cleaning service in your city.

Ok brother, I have a habit of calling people sir.:coldsweat
No, the intensity of the smell is less, but when the heater in switched on, it smells horrible.
Thinking of getting the A/C evaporator coil cleaned, with the car deeply detailed.
Thanks for your warm welcome. And one more thing, why am I getting such less views and comments on this post?

oh, that's quite odd. Please let us know how it goes.
I can think of two reasons,
Most of the busy threads have been on the home page at some point of time. this hasn't. hence less viewership.

and many members refraining from saying something that has already been said. We take very badly to spam over here. lol:

Hi Piyush, sorry to hear about your ordeal. I suggest you keep the car in the sun, then keep camphor in a cloth bag or wrapped in a cloth (in different places in your car). Leave it in the car overnight; this will take out the odour from the seats and roof. For the a/c vents, you need to go to a 3M centre. Hope this helps.

Have you tried an AC vent foam based cleaner to clean out the vents and if it has a Odour neutraliser it may help,

Something like this : https://www.amazon.in/Xxtra-Armor-Du...xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==

Car perfumes are nothing but chemicals. They are dangerous for the health.

Spilling of perfume means you are inhaling greater amount of it. Pl. keep windows open while driving for few days to reduce intensity of it and afterwards use activated charcoal bag to remove chemical fumes.