Q for smokers on selling your cars

[Will]

I think a lot of it comes down to a number of factors - ie, how long the car has been in the possesion of a smoker, and how much they smoke - do they open the windows etc regularly.

Also, I'd imagine that depending on the type/value of the car the impact on it's value and saleability would alter.

Eg, if I were buying a 6 month old £50k MB/Range Rover or something, if it smelt remotely of stale smoke, I wouldn't want it.

Whereas I don't think you can be quite so choosey when looking at cars worth a few hundred quid.

Either way - you can normally tell even after several years, whoever mentioned the hot sun has a very good point - this does seem to bring out the odour again.

The extreme example would be a chain smoker's car who has driven with the windows closed etc and owned it for several years - you'll struggle to get the smell out of a car like that.

Will

 

[jeremytaylor]

Surely there's so much bare metal and plastic in an Aygo there's nothing for the smoke to soak into??

I would reject it!

 

[verytalldave]

I bought a house back in about 1980 which was owned by an elderly lady who was a smoker. Not heavy, probably less than 5 or so a day.

It took 7 coats of paint to get the lounge ceiling back to something approaching white. I first used a sealing primer, then a semi-gloss eggshell paint before using many coats of emulsion.
In the end, I had the ceiling removed (it was the old lath and plaster) and replaced it with new plasterboard. Only then did it really come up properly white.

 

[verytalldave]

Surely there's so much bare metal and plastic in an Aygo there's nothing for the smoke to soak into??

I would reject it!

Trouble is the smoke residue clings to all materials whether it be fabric, leather, steel or plastic.

I would reject it as well. In fact, I would never have accepted it in the first place.

 

[Dieselman]

Trouble is the smoke residue clings to all materials whether it be fabric, leather, steel or plastic.

I would reject it as well. In fact, I would never have accepted it in the first place.

100% agree.
I've had one car that was previously driven by a smoker...never again.

 

[Spinal]

I recently bought an old truck for my rally, which vaguely smelt like smoke...

All the carpets have been in a washing machine (and I do mean carpets, not just the mats). All the plastics trims and linings have been sprayed with motorcycle cleaner, bathroom cleaner and then pressure washed, and the roof trim was washed with a carpet cleaner...

All that's left if the front dashboard, which I haven't had time to remove...

I hope I got rid of the smell! I can't stand the smell of smoke, it really gets to me. I've found neutradol to vaguely mask the smell in the past, so I might pop a few sachets into the pollen filter....

M.

 

[manalishi]

Surely there's so much bare metal and plastic in an Aygo there's nothing for the smoke to soak into??

I'd have thought the same - it's not exactly sumptuous! But vintage studio equipment - 100% plastic and metal - bought off Ebay can turn up reeking of smoke, too (musos are more likely to be heavy smokers, maybe?).

I'll be finding out what "No Quibbles Exchange" means in a recession...

 

[SilverSaloon]

i remember repairing a telephone socket in my wife's grandparents house who are chain smokers. (not 5 mins go by when they have not got a fag in hand!)

the amount of horrible greasy stuff on my hands after fiddling with the socket and wires was horrible

i agree - unless you start replacing stuff, you'll never get rid of the smell.

if all else fails though, try some of that de-oderising stuff - fabreeze etc

 

[verytalldave]

This sounds like a wind-up...........but its not.

To remove most odours from an enclosed area, place a large onion with the skin removed, cut into thick slices and put into a bucket half full of water and leave in the area for as long as possible.
The onion will absorb the smells into itself and the water.
Repeat if necessary.
This works for a room decorated using gloss paint as well.

 

[3 phase]

Impossible to get all traces of tobacco odour out, it goes through the headlining and all other soft fabrics, then it gets into all the rubber seals and edges of trims, around switches and binnacles in fact all over the place. The worst is when someone smokes in a car with air con running, that's normally it for the life of the unit it will never go away.

 

[JumboBeef]

the amount of horrible greasy stuff on my hands after fiddling with the socket and wires was horrible

...and that same horrible stuff is inside all smokers......

 

[NewMB]

The background here is that I just bought a Toyota Aygo - an Approved Used one (replacing my Civic as a daily driver). I road tested a new one, liked it enough to buy a 57 plate that was in the same franchise at AN Other branch. 20,000m but that's OK as there's plenty of warranty left and it's a Toyota. The salesman reassures me that the prep/valet is so good, it'll be like new.

Salesman calls to tell me it's ready to collect - he's had a small ding on the bonnet sorted - fine by me.

When I pick the car up, it looks great. Exterior looks like new except for a tiny scuff. Open the door... and the reek is instant - and unmissable. Penny drops - this is somewhere I hadn't figured that the higher mileage would be a problem. And this reek is after it's supposed to have been valeted - and presumably more than once in the 3 months it's been up for sale!

Had all 4 doors open for 9 hours on Monday during the sun, got in it yesterday and the reek is still there and no weaker. Put the fan on and it's even worse when it's blowing at me. Googling shows that it's one of the hardest smells to get rid of (rather than just cover up with some other scent).

Toyota says I can bring it in for a valet (again?!), but I've declined - seems I'll be exploring the finer points of Toyota's 30 day No Quibble Exchange thing...

You can get rid of most of it, but not through a "valet". It has to be done by a Professional Detailing company like the one I used to do my car(s) exterior.

They can clean the interior roof, seats and carpets in a way that you would never think could be done. This would also include the plastics. Costs around £300-500.

Maybe worth it?

Never try to hide the smell with another strong smell like some perfume....

 

[Spinal]

Never try to hide the smell with another strong smell like some perfume....

Petrol & a match tends to hide the smell quite well

 

[NewMB]

Petrol & a match tends to hide the smell quite well

Boom!

 

[MrMotul]

So, remember that the most important thing to check (for non smokers) is not the service booklet, but the CIGARETTE LIGHTER!!! there is no substitute for an unused one :bannana:

 

[popuptoaster]

So, remember that the most important thing to check (for non smokers) is not the service booklet, but the CIGARETTE LIGHTER!!! there is no substitute for an unused one :bannana:

they are also about ten quid plus maybe 20 for a new ashtray.

 

[A210AMG]

I would simply drive it to the garage and reject it. What ever you do and how ever much you spend on valets YOU will smell it. Stale smoke is worse than the actual smell. Awful stuff.

Did you see it before you bought it??

 

[manalishi]

Did you see it before you bought it??

The crux of the matter - no; I believed them when they said it would be prepped as new - just like the demo car I'd just test driven. Their workshop manager would go over it with a fine tooth comb. So I put the deposit down at the dealership, they got the car over from the other dealer in the franchise, fixed the minor blemishes, called me and I paid the balance.

Then I went to pick up the car, and noticed the smell straight away.

An expensive lesson, and my negotiating position is now relatively weak. The only way to get the best out of the situation is to dangle some more money in front of them. Which is what I did this morning.

Will hopefully be resolved this afternoon...

 

[kwakdonut]

Please keep us all updated!

 

[verytalldave]

The crux of the matter - no; I believed them when they said it would be prepped as new - just like the demo car I'd just test driven. Their workshop manager would go over it with a fine tooth comb. So I put the deposit down at the dealership, they got the car over from the other dealer in the franchise, fixed the minor blemishes, called me and I paid the balance.

Then I went to pick up the car, and noticed the smell straight away.

An expensive lesson, and my negotiating position is now relatively weak. The only way to get the best out of the situation is to dangle some more money in front of them. Which is what I did this morning.

Will hopefully be resolved this afternoon...

Thats the whole point. It isnt "AS NEW".
Whether or not it was a genuine oversight on the part of the dealer (I doubt it), its not as new.
You wouldnt expect to go and pick up your nice new car with smelling of anything - let alone stale cigarette smoke.
I would reject it. Demand my money back and if they say no, put it in the hands of a solicitor. I wouldnt muck about. They are clearly in the wrong and they know it.