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Sudden Perfume Smell

dequardo

Autocross Newbie
Location
America’s Dairyland
Car(s)
‘21 GLI Autobahn GLI
 

dosjockey

Go Kart Champion
Location
South
Since there have been thousands of words from the OP I suggest it’s time for at least some piece of paperwork posted to ensure this isn’t a catfish-like scenario.?⏳

Hey, man. I'm just responding to comments and quotes... And I've got to correct about half of them in a thorough manner for people who can't seem to read.

I'd rather not type the same thing over and over again, but that seems to be what's required.
 

dequardo

Autocross Newbie
Location
America’s Dairyland
Car(s)
‘21 GLI Autobahn GLI
You missed or ignored my point.
 

dosjockey

Go Kart Champion
Location
South
Well, the dealer and I are fine. Spent quite a bit of time bullshitting with them, and making sure VW wasn't giving them a hard time or anything, talked about potentially trading it in if it happened again, and so on. I believe they've changed dramatically over time, and that their reputation is now undeserved. Given the fact that the reputation exists and VW was passing bad information, my suspicion was wrongly directed there. They just got thrown under a bus after VW care misinterpreted their report. They tried to correct, but VW had already assumed the wrong thing and passed it to me.

Apparently, once something is on that book, it's largely permanent. Pretty good to know in relation to potential modifications, actually.

They've got a suspicion something was cooking off from the factory, but as long as it's gone I don't care, and it is indeed gone. When I say gone, I mean absolutely no trace whatsoever. That's pretty amazing.

What the VW rep did was wrong. The issue was stupid; just a smell, but that doesn't change the fact that she did the absolute wrong thing. You must understand that just because an issue isn't particularly severe, that doesn't mean people can't make severe mistakes in the process of handling it. She gave me inaccurate information, and had everyone thinking there was some massive warranty issue, when all I wanted was a smell investigated before finding out how much I'd need to pay to get rid of it.
 

ElectricEye

Autocross Newbie
Location
Central NJ
Who told you to call the dealer? Most people would never even consider the dealer for a random smell in their car. That's what everyone here is so confused about. A smell in your car that's not caused by the engine or fluids has nothing to do with VW or the dealership at all in any way so it makes zero sense to make the dealer responsible for finding it. Part out the car and start from scratch with a toyota. Change your cabin air filter and move on with your life, theres more important things to worry about
Especially not the type of smell the OP is indicating.
If the car smelt like something was burning, leaking etc., something decidedly automotive - then yes - I could see the dealer looking for its source in an effort to correct it.
But the type of scent the OP describes...
Well, something like that could arise from a prank. Someone dropping some air freshener or something down a vent.
I'm not saying that's actually the cause, what I'm saying is that I don't see how it's the dealers or VW's responsibility to sort it out.
 

dosjockey

Go Kart Champion
Location
South
Who told you to call the dealer? Most people would never even consider the dealer for a random smell in their car. That's what everyone here is so confused about. A smell in your car that's not caused by the engine or fluids has nothing to do with VW or the dealership at all in any way so it makes zero sense to make the dealer responsible for finding it. Part out the car and start from scratch with a toyota. Change your cabin air filter and move on with your life, theres more important things to worry about

I went to the dealer because it's hard for me to get out, and because I'm all busted up physically. I can't be tracing things all over a car; it'll put me in the hospital again.

I was already in town; my one trip for the next few days, and about two minutes away from the VW dealership. It was either tow it back or just deal with it for a couple of minutes so someone could help me look.

Never expected anyone to do anything for free, and never told them anything of the like...
I'm not sure how many more times I'll have to type that...

This keyboard is good for 50 million keystrokes, though.

If you think it's improper to go to a damned mechanic, READY TO PAY, when I need help with a car, I don't know what to tell you.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Let's just all hope that the smell doesn't turn from sweet to sour; rotting fruit is what I'm thinking at this point. Maybe something got into the ductwork and didn't quite make it to the cabin filter, and has been ripening while lodged.

Like a fruit salad? How the hell would fruit get past the small openings where the air comes in?
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Hey, man. I'm just responding to comments and quotes... And I've got to correct about half of them in a thorough manner for people who can't seem to read.

I'd rather not type the same thing over and over again, but that seems to be what's required.

Why? Obviously no one is reading what you posted before.
 

jimlloyd40

Autocross Champion
Location
Phoenix
Car(s)
2018 SE DSG
Well, the dealer and I are fine. Spent quite a bit of time bullshitting with them, and making sure VW wasn't giving them a hard time or anything, talked about potentially trading it in if it happened again, and so on. I believe they've changed dramatically over time, and that their reputation is now undeserved. Given the fact that the reputation exists and VW was passing bad information, my suspicion was wrongly directed there. They just got thrown under a bus after VW care misinterpreted their report. They tried to correct, but VW had already assumed the wrong thing and passed it to me.

Apparently, once something is on that book, it's largely permanent. Pretty good to know in relation to potential modifications, actually.

They've got a suspicion something was cooking off from the factory, but as long as it's gone I don't care, and it is indeed gone. When I say gone, I mean absolutely no trace whatsoever. That's pretty amazing.

What the VW rep did was wrong. The issue was stupid; just a smell, but that doesn't change the fact that she did the absolute wrong thing. You must understand that just because an issue isn't particularly severe, that doesn't mean people can't make severe mistakes in the process of handling it. She gave me inaccurate information, and had everyone thinking there was some massive warranty issue, when all I wanted was a smell investigated before finding out how much I'd need to pay to get rid of it.

So what the hell was the smell?
 

dosjockey

Go Kart Champion
Location
South
Why? Obviously no one is reading what you posted before.

I'm recovering from injuries, and I've nothing better to do. It's just entertainment that I can handle even if I'm doing really bad.

Also, I like the sounding board, even if sometimes it's just a brick wall. Even the most inane questions or accusations can get the mind turning in a different direction. :)
 

dosjockey

Go Kart Champion
Location
South
So what the hell was the smell?

Our best hypothesis is something that was left there at the factory and just fell loose somewhere hot, or a clump of dried detailing material from the selling dealership that encountered the same misfortune.

Whatever it was, it must have been able to degrade or otherwise burn off without actually burning or leaving any residue.

Nothing I could have sucked into the engine bay when driving would have entirely dissipated without a trace. Everything it actually smelled like would have either burned or remained present.

It must have turned entirely into a gas, as there isn't a slightest trace of an odor even left in the cabin air filter. That would also explain it's immediate appearance, extreme potency, and sudden disappearance.

Beyond that... Like a Bigfoot documentary... We may never know.

I suppose I could send the cabin air filter to a lab for analysis. Just because the smell is gone doesn't mean it couldn't have left an identifiable trace.
 
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