What is the best method for eliminating the smoke smell in a used vehicle? Can you ever eliminate it or just cover it up?

Tough to ever 100% completely remove it... I've found one company that I've had good success with unless it's just absolutely inundated with smoke/cigar and at that point it's tough. Been using them for several years

http://www.biosweep.com

They're far better than a standard ozone machine or one of these masking companies like odor doctors etc

If you're in DFW or Houston I can give you a good contact for the owners of those franchises.

Do you know if their process is affordable? I'm willing to give them a shot if it isn't $500. Thanks!

Not sure on their retail side but probably half that or less.

TitanAGGIE09 said:

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Not sure on their retail side but probably half that or less.

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Great. Shoot me a contact and I will call them. Thanks!

PM sent

https://www.amazon.com/Ozium-Air-Sanitizer-Original-3-5/dp/B000CSWCAG

If you vehicle has an inside filter change it first.
Steam clean the carpet/seats and clean all surface areas inside. Then turn the ac on high and spray a full can on the floor board by the recirculating vent. Let the ac run at least 5 minutes with all doors shut. Then let the vehicular sit at least 12 hours with all windows up and doors closed.

Just pick up the habit and it won't bother you anymore.

change cabin air filter and get a few of these. put them in the vehicle two at a time. it might take a couple weeks, but they work.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YGTZZH/ref=dp_cerb_3

Is there a cabin filter ?

What kind of car?

1agswitchin4lanes said:

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Is there a cabin filter ?

What kind of car?

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Need to check. It is a 2015 Mazda CX-5.

12th Man Ag said:

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1agswitchin4lanes said:

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Is there a cabin filter ?

What kind of car?

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Need to check. It is a 2015 Mazda CX-5.

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What I've done in the past is use a cup of Ammonia in the car (obviously dont drive it), and left it in there for a few days, and the smoke smell is absorbed fairly quick.

A change to a Activated carbon cabin filter and that will help too.

I cleaned up a Tacoma. Took an interior shampoo, and About a can of Lysol in the cowl intake with the system running. Then used two Meguiar's refreshers about two weeks apart. They are like little bug bombs. Set them off, shut the doors and leave the HVAC running.

A little daily driving helped as well. Took about a month from start to finisnh. Not the quickest, but only cost about $20 bucks.

Edit: I think you have to get the most of the smoke scent layer out and replace it with something else.

When I test drove my current car, it smelled like an ash tray. I told them I would take it if they could get the smell out. The dealer told me, "We would never make any money if we couldn't get smoke smell out of used cars. Come back tomorrow."

They set off a bomb in the car overnight that requires the a/c to run the whole time.

When I got back in the car, it smelled like I was inside of a detergent bottle. After a few days, that strong smell dued and the car did not smell like smoke at all.

One of the best things which I have found is a small Ozone machine. It can not been ran while anyone is in the vehicle and the vehicle must be allowed to air out afterwards, but It has been successful at removing the smell of smoke from a vehicle. To give an example of how well it has worked on other odors, one of my employees had picked up a large tray of green beans and while driving the juice spilled in the back seat of his truck. He placed the Ozone machine in his truck and it was able to pull out the green bean odor. I have posed below an amazon link for the one that I own.

Amazon

TXCIGAR said:

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One of the best things which I have found is a small Ozone machine. It can not been ran while anyone is in the vehicle and the vehicle must be allowed to air out afterwards, but It has been successful at removing the smell of smoke from a vehicle. To give an example of how well it has worked on other odors, one of my employees had picked up a large tray of green beans and while driving the juice spilled in the back seat of his truck. He placed the Ozone machine in his truck and it was able to pull out the green bean odor. I have posed below an amazon link for the one that I own.

Amazon

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I have the 9000mg version of that unit. Works great for getting smells out of houses, cars, and hunting clothes.

It can cause plastics in cars to turn brittle and chalky so you do need to be careful with it. I run them in 10-20min increments usually cycling with the car running and the AC on

Still working on this in the 2006 Land Cruiser I bought 6 months ago, its much much better now but still noticeable especially if car has sat with windows up in the hot sun.

After cleaning ALL surfaces I used a couple Ozium Smoke eliminator gel refresheners, "smell zapper" spray in the a/c vents, and dryer sheets (was recommended to me, spread them out liberally). Other than that just leaving it with all open windows in the garage, it does disperse over time.

CX5 cabin air filter should be behind the glove box. Press in on the sides of the glove box toward the back and the box should unhook and swing freely down out of the way. You should be a plastic cover there. Pop it off and pull out your cabin air filter. No tools needed.

Chemically speaking, the only really effective anti-scent approaches are ozone, peroxides and cyclodextrins. I'd hit it with a good quality scent eliminator (something better than febreeze) and then I'd run ozone.

I will occasionally have a cigar en route to a fishing destination, usually with my windows down, but the truck can still get a little stale. I run the Scent Crusher Go 12V ozone generator that I use in deer season and it really knocks out the stench.

It may take more work if you had a serious smoker, but I'd keep at it with cyclodextrins and ozone and I bet you could get her beat in a few days/weeks.

Got the cabin air filter replaced today. Going with some the ozonium gel and charcoal bags under seats. Also going to call the guy above to see how much the biosweep option costs. In them meantime, I spent the $70 for the ozone machine and will run that nextweek.

Hopefully with all those angles, it will get most of it out.