[luckyedboy66]

Hi all, im new to the forum. I just bought an 07 G6 3.5L sedan (see my avatar). I have a couple of questions about cleaning up my car. first, my plastic engine cover has some weird white stains on it (see pic below). I tried dish soap and a brush, but it didnt help at all. Secondly, the previous owner was a smoker and the interior is rancid. im planing in washing and vacuuming it thoroughly, but i know smoke hangs around for a while. Anyone have any suggestions for drawing out the rest of the stench? thanks!

 

[geewhiz]

The stains could be anything,

the smoke smell, YUCK!! my wife smokes but not in my car! The car I bought was used and had a touch of smoke smell in it, I ran the heater, with the air venting to the a/c vents too, full blast as often as I could (could stand it) while pulling in fresh air and that helped. I also threw in the glove box a pack of wregglys juicy fruit gum to help with the smell. Now the smell seems to be gone. I'm not kidding about the gum.

 

[Devriesd]

Clean engine covers

my plastic engine cover has some weird white stains on it (see pic below). I tried dish soap and a brush, but it didnt help at all.

yes the white stuff could be anything, but its most likely road salt that has splashed around evaporating multiple times due to condensation, eventually getting bigger and bigger only leaving the stain. You probably will see evidence of this on the underside of your hood. Some all purpose cleaner should take that right off, (the dish soap might not have been strong enough.) I know people have even put Armor-All on the engine, battery, and Air Intake covers to make them look nice and black again.

 

[TheGuyz]

The white stuff unknown.

Smoke smell....... my favorite recipe is take a sprayer and put 1 cup viniger and rest water, shake and spay all faberic in car, then take a cup and place 1/2 full vinegar and put in cup holder and leave in car for 3-5 days. 1st day car smells liek vinegar but in 3-5 days no smell remove cup vinegar spray seat fabreeze, done no smoke

Also remember to vacum and clean all ashtrays and wash down all plastci with soap/water or favortite celaner.

If smell still around after 5 days, repeat.

I had a car who previosu owner smoke 2 packs a day and at least 1 pack a day in car and vinegar fixed that smell up

 

[luckyedboy66]

yes the white stuff could be anything, but its most likely road salt that has splashed around evaporating multiple times due to condensation, eventually getting bigger and bigger only leaving the stain. You probably will see evidence of this on the underside of your hood. Some all purpose cleaner should take that right off, (the dish soap might not have been strong enough.) I know people have even put Armor-All on the engine, battery, and Air Intake covers to make them look nice and black again.

i thought about it being salt, but according to carfax, its a southern owned car, but it was a rental for 25K miles, so it could have seen salt. thanks for the suggestion, ill give it a try. if nothing else, im going to get some temp resistant pant and repaint it.

The white stuff unknown.

Smoke smell....... my favorite recipe is take a sprayer and put 1 cup viniger and rest water, shake and spay all faberic in car, then take a cup and place 1/2 full vinegar and put in cup holder and leave in car for 3-5 days. 1st day car smells liek vinegar but in 3-5 days no smell remove cup vinegar spray seat fabreeze, done no smoke

Also remember to vacum and clean all ashtrays and wash down all plastci with soap/water or favortite celaner.

If smell still around after 5 days, repeat.

I had a car who previosu owner smoke 2 packs a day and at least 1 pack a day in car and vinegar fixed that smell up

Thanks for the suggestion! ive never heard of that before but i might give it a try if a good cleaning doesnt work. Im planning on deep cleaning the entire car this weekend. I stopped and picked up some auto fabreeze today, and it smells a little bit better.

 

[Daniel]

It Looks Like when i have salt also It will rust the inside fast if you don't get it off.

As for the smoking i think everyone has good ideas i know of something called like Ozone i hear a lot of people talking about.

Yeah i don't let anyone smoke in my car and my friends all get pissed LOL i don't care though, my 4 year old son doesn't need to breath in second hand smoke in his car seat.

 

[rdc4201979]

actually that white stain is from your radiator over flow, if you like to drive like your in the daytona like i do then thats where your white stains are coming from

 

[NEWBIEg6OWNER]

white stuff

i also had that one my cover when i decided to paint it but i didnt show up till i used the degreaser. my have something to do with that but i just did a wet sand and rinsed and it was gone

 

[Edubb]

actually that white stain is from your radiator over flow, if you like to drive like your in the daytona like i do then thats where your white stains are coming from

Does that mean overflow is leaking? My 16 accord sport is doing the same?