Hi, so I recently posted that I just bought a used 2004 4runner. I don't like to smell of the car, not sure what the old owner did. What can I do to completely fix the smell? I tried cheap air fresheners but they are only temporary. Do I have to change the air filter to also fix this problem?
Car smell
- Thread starter strangler
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My dad has a 2003 Camry w/ cloth seats, after awhile, it smelled like armpit haha. He bought the car brand new too. He use to baby it, but I want to say (3) years later, he didn't care anymore, he went finishing w/ the car & didn't keep it top notch. Anywho...since I had cloth seats, I poured baking soda on anything that had carpet & cloth, let it sit in the hot sun for a few hours & then vacuumed it. It took away most of the smell, but I still smelled it again on a hot day, so I repeated the same procedure on a different occasion.
I learned this trick from a magazine, they said if you have cigarette smell on a wool jacket, this is the way to get the smell out.
My close buddy told me to cut an apple in half & place it face up in the car, when it's hot out, and the apple will absorb all the smell.
Air fresheners & febreze only hide the smell temporarily. Just like cologne, you still need to shower.
Give these (2) tricks a try, you have nothing to lose, it's inexpensive & you won't ruin anything further.
I learned this trick from a magazine, they said if you have cigarette smell on a wool jacket, this is the way to get the smell out.
My close buddy told me to cut an apple in half & place it face up in the car, when it's hot out, and the apple will absorb all the smell.
Air fresheners & febreze only hide the smell temporarily. Just like cologne, you still need to shower.
Give these (2) tricks a try, you have nothing to lose, it's inexpensive & you won't ruin anything further.
Mike07SE
New member
One time yeeeaars ago I had a Ford Contour and at the same time I worked for a building contractor. Needless to say the interior (cloth) started to get a little funky plus a smell. Went out and rented a steam cleaner from one of the grocery stores, and me and a buddy of mine each steam cleaned out our cars. Needless to say I was quite surprised at how much it pulled out of the seats and carpet and gave the car a renewed fresh smell.
LexKing
New member
Check the Cabin Air Filter first
I also recently purchased a very clean 2004 4Runner. I noticed a slight dirt smell when the a/c was on. The first thing that I checked was the cabin air filter. That was probably the nastiest filter that I have every seen. It was obvious that the previous owner had never changed it. I hope this helps!
I also recently purchased a very clean 2004 4Runner. I noticed a slight dirt smell when the a/c was on. The first thing that I checked was the cabin air filter. That was probably the nastiest filter that I have every seen. It was obvious that the previous owner had never changed it. I hope this helps!
A10MileHusker
New member
4boer said:According to Seinfeld there is nothing that will get out the smell
Beat me to it! :lmao:
LexKing
New member
The cabin air filter is behind the glove box lid. Here is a link to the maintenance forum that has pictures: http://tinyurl.com/8feb7h
It is an easy process and takes about 5 minutes. I hope it helps!
It is an easy process and takes about 5 minutes. I hope it helps!
