When I picked up my 540iA, I happened to have the fortune of picking up a car that smells like it's brand new. The leather has that distinctly BMW smell, the air conditioner blows fresh and smells faintly like new car, even though the car is 10 years old. :eek: Anyhow, I wanted to clean my interior, but I didn't want to clean out that nice smell. Are there any conditioning products you guys recommend for the leather/interior that won't clean out the factory smell along with the dirt? Thanks!

i think the Zaino leather cleaner & conditioner duo has the best smell when compared to lexol (gross smell), the bmw leather cleaner & conditioner, and leatherique. but, a 'good' smell is just an opinion.

but if you really dont want to add a smell to the car, i'd just use diluted woolite (10:1 ratio) and a light leather conditioner applied with all the doors open. buff the seats out really well afterwards before closing the doors again.

are you sure that the previous owner didnt have their detailer spray some New Car Scent in it?

lexol cleaner has almost no odor at all, the conditioner has a smell to it but it dosent stay long, ziano is probably comparable and if it is odor free than bonus. my car also has that smell you are talking about... but I have cleaned it more than any saine person would, I have removed the all seats, I have used lexol and leatherette each twice on all the leather, new floor mats, multipal carpet cleaner's, I hung one of those damp rid things in it after I had a bit of a mushroom attack while it was not running for a while, I sprayed the cabin air filter with armoni cologn(free samples are good for that lol) and who knows what else, and the smell still comes back. a lot of bmw's (owned by people with some hygene) I have come in contact with have that distinct aroma, I don't think it is possable to get rid of it unless you leave a burrito under the seat or somthing along those lines. you could find a e28 at the junk yard that still smells like a bmw, same with old cadillacs and mercs, Its wierd but also cool.

So this is a little OT, but how CAN I get that new BMW smell in my car again? I was in my friends 7 this weekend and I miss that smell so much!

Pinnacle Leather Conditioner (from AutoGeek...'natch). I use it on the pre-owned Bimmers I detail. The smell is fantastic, but not overpowering.

Totoland

So this is a little OT, but how CAN I get that new BMW smell in my car again? I was in my friends 7 this weekend and I miss that smell so much!

stop smoking blunts and having dirty sex in the car ;) I think there are 2 diffrent types of leather the nice type might be more prone to it and the other

blunts
that smells a hell of a lot nicer than new car smell... just that the parents dont like it :stickoutt

Here is an idea that has worked for me on other types of cars where there was a nasty type of musty smell, also for [blunt smell removal] or they wanted what you do – that smell back from the day they bought it. Great…people want a smell like new plastic, new carpet and new leather combined with the various glue smells….
Soak a couple of cotton balls in cologne you like or I like the smell from various Pinnacle and Meguiar’s products and switch your air intake for the cabin from outdoor to indoor re-circulation. Place the cotton balls that are soaked in front of the indoor re-circulation vent. It is not a perfect type of fix but it is quick and has worked for me and I have taught my clients how to do it. I hope this helps.
Al

I've had three people tell me in the last month, "I love the smell of this BMW leather." Or being that it's a 2003, friends say, "This car smells like new leather..."

I switched to this product over a month ago, love the smell and you might too:

http://www.turtlewax.com/img/products/pop_2_1_3_4_1.jpg

I use that stuff too somtimes its a little on the greasy side for me but still tolarable, nothing like armor all, straight oil slick but it will make things shiney, but the shine will go down in a couple days and it looks nice. smells good though.

I remember reading a thread about this same topic few months ago. And if I remember correctly, the guys came to the conclusion that the source of the "BMW smell" is the leather seats.

My '02 Cab still smells new! It seems like every time someone gets in my car they mention it. It's true, it smells like new. What do I use? Zaino leather cleaner and conditioner.

I've had three people tell me in the last month, "I love the smell of this BMW leather." Or being that it's a 2003, friends say, "This car smells like new leather..."

I switched to this product over a month ago, love the smell and you might too:

http://www.turtlewax.com/img/products/pop_2_1_3_4_1.jpg

glossy from my expirience.

That F21 is great for making exterior trim black again (when it has become white from wax or oxidization).

It lasts about 4 weeks on my car and keeps the outer trim a very dark black.

That F21 is great for making exterior trim black again (when it has become white from wax or oxidization).

It lasts about 4 weeks on my car and keeps the outer trim a very dark black.

Does it remove dried on polish do you know?

Does it remove dried on polish do you know?

Try some peanut butter (not the chunky variety) or olive oil.

I usually use microfiber cloth and some elbow grease...seems to get most of the old wax off the moldings...then something like the F21 to make them dark and new looking.

I have heard about peanut butter...but I haven't tried it yet.

Peanut butter works great, but all you really need is the grease from the peanut butter, and dont use crunchy.

I also like to eat some of the peanut butter while I'm using it, not necessary but recommended for better results.

As for new car smell, I always thought dry cleaning the carpets and leather conditioner got that nice smell back. Especially dry cleaning the carpets.

Hmm... well... I got in my car this morning, and was shocked. It smelt brand new. I couldn't understand it. Better than after any amount of interior detailing.

How did I do it? Easy, follow these easy steps:

1) Buy some Mother's Showtime Instant Detailer.

2) Put it in the trunk.

3) Drive, in a spirited fashion, for 1 hour around twisting mountain roads. Be sure to drive hard into the corners, in a way that may inadvertently cause the twist top cap on the Mothers to come loose and slosh its *entire* contents around your trunk carpet.

4) Leave the car overnight.

5) Enjoy

:buttrock

PS: This was my first attempt at this process. I made a couple of mistakes. Ensure the trunk does not contain a brand new leather jacket and your wifes handbag.

:mad

Wait, you can use diluted Woolite (10:1) as leather conditioner? Can anyone confirm this?