Old truck smell

[Ozuye10]

Have any of you successfully gotten rid of that old truck smell? I’ve shampooed everything, ran ozone machine, changed air filter, spray all sorts bacteria killing smell good into the vents. Still smells like I’ve been working on engine parts inside the cabin mixed with some must. Vinyl floors and seats. It’s a 2004 too so it’s not even that old. Frustrating..

 

[DILLARD000]

When I occasionally get in someone elses new vehicle & it has that "New Car Smell",
can't help but smile & appreciate that I did NOT just go in debt or spend $30k~$60k on a new vehicle !!!
I prefer to own+drive a vehicle with that "Old Truck Smell", it smells like MONEY in my pocket !!!

 

[ekrampitzjr]

The old vinyl is a lot of the odor. That's why it has the engine-parts smell. Then if the truck uses just a little oil or has a slight oil leak, the interior will pick up some odor from that.

Believe it or not, I kinda like that smell if it isn't overpowering.

 

[James Morse]

Available at parts store "SMOTS" vehicle deodorizer - Slightly Mild Old Truck Smell.

Edit: You might try Febreeze Unstoppables spray. Works on dog smell, don't know how it would work on OTS.

 

[Blmpkn]

Get the smallest electric smoker you can, and make a brisket in the cab with the windows up one day.

She'll smell good after that.

 

[superj]

i think a pervious owner or passenger peed their pants in my truck. when i open it up after it has sat in the sun, it smells like pee, horribly. i always look for new seats at the junk yard but they are all so torn up that it would be a huge down grade to swap to them.

 

[Blmpkn]

i think a pervious owner or passenger peed their pants in my truck. when i open it up after it has sat in the sun, it smells like pee, horribly. i always look for new seats at the junk yard but they are all so torn up that it would be a huge down grade to swap to them.

The ranger my buddy has right now, he had to cut out half the back carpet because even after shampooing it 3 times the truck still reeked like barf lol.

Got it for 300$ with some issues and 200 something thousand on it.. fixed it up and it's over 350k now.

 

[Snoranger]

You could spill a can of clam chowdah into the dashboard, roll your windows up, and allow it to bake in the summer sun. I hear that changes the smell permanently.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

My 92 smelled strongly of mouse and old truck when I got it. Took awhile to remove the odors, I started with a bit of cleaning, then a box of fridge and freezer baking soda left in there, then regular treatments of Fabreeze Unstoppables and leaving the windows cracked (I have window ventshades) and after a couple months it finally got to where it wasn’t bad at all

 

[Ozuye10]

I put some damp rid and baking soda in it. I’ve heard charcoal bricks work to absorb smells. I’m treating the vinyl seats once I get the repair materials. The passenger seat was in great shape, driver was pretty well f’d

 

[Uncle Gump]

There is also batting under the vinyl flooring. If that gets any kind of water intrusion... it will start to smell also.

It doesn't really dry well under the vinyl due to it's inability to breath like carpet.

 

[Ozuye10]

There is also batting under the vinyl flooring. If that gets any kind of water intrusion... it will start to smell also.

It doesn't really dry well under the vinyl due to it's inability to breath like carpet.

I’m planning on removing the vinyl flooring soaking it in cleaner. I’m going to do sound deadening so I’m taking it apart anyway.

 

[Ranger850]

Not sure what "the old truck smell" smells like, but I enjoy the slight aroma of grease/oil/dust.

It feels like the truck has a history or personality even. It tells me that the truck don't mind if you fiddle around under the hood or behind the dash a little.

In my experience, the smell either goes away or I get used to it, as it gets driven more often.

 

[RonD]

Pull out the seat(s)
All seats have "Memory foam", lol, they absorb every smell

Close the truck up, see if smell is gone
Spray down the seat, wash and let it dry, its summer time
Repeat as needed

 

[Lefty]

My floor was vinyl, but the fabric seats were badly stained. I washed them six times using a sponge laden with rubbing alcohol, and brushed with a stiff bristle brush. I washed the headliner with rubbing alcohol too. I wiped down all the other surfaces and cleaned the hood liner in the engine bay. It had been soaked with fluids so I removed it, dusted it with baking soda, let it sit for a day, vacuumed it, then sprayed it with high temperature flat black engine paint. I'm good now.