Crayons.

[rcwells]

Who knows what this is about?

[az3579]

Interior smell.

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[BCS_ZHP]

Crayon smell - the sound deadening material in your trunk and under your rear seat has gone BD, it emits the crayon smell. Time to remove or replace it (dynamat) not mandatory but it's the only way to rid the smell.

[theothersawyer]

That's what it is? Everyone gets into my car and says,"it smells like a BMW!"

[Sockethead]

The stuff over the rear shock towers is the worst offender. I discovered that on my 2001 325. I pulled that off as soon as I got the ZHP. It hardly smells at all even on the hottest days

[L0veZHP]

What's the point of owning a BMW if it doesn't smell like crayons?

[rcwells]

What's the point of owning a BMW if it doesn't smell like crayons?

Haha, but seriously, it's got to go. Another to-do.

[WOLFN8TR]

It reminds me of my childhood, LoL.

[NickZHP]

Wow everyone always tells me my car smells like crayons... now I know why lol. When I replaced my fuel pump I noticed all that material under the back seat was practically gone and deteriorated. I guess I should replace it.

[AggieBlake]

Oh man, I'm glad to learn this! I've been driving around with crumpled newspapers and baking soda in my trunk trying to get rid of that smell. It's not an offensive smell. I just assumed the PO must have hauled something that spilled. Thanks for the info!

[az3579]

I've gotten used to it, and actually kind of like it. It gives the car a characteristic smell.

My E30 had a unique smell as well, one that I have found in numerous BMWs of that vintage.

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[danewilson77]

I wish they could have designed the deadening material to smell like Play-Doh when it went bad.

No we're talking!

:happyspidey

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[L0veZHP]

i like my crayon smell. + its not really that bad in my car i think

[Fenrir]

I got used to the smell with my VW so every time I sit in a V dub or BMW, I feel weird if it isn't there.

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[09mageec]

I personally love this smell. They say that certain smells will instantly cause your brain to recollect to a previous point in time, without the distance in time having an effect.
For me, it reminds me of sitting shot-gun with my grandfather in all his old BMW's, which in turn, stemmed my love for them as a youngster.

It's also clearly something a BMW has to earn from age, and a smell that everyone relates to as "The BMW Smell".

Embrace your Crayon smells, all!!:headbang

[RITmusic2k]

My ZHP still smells like leather (thankfully), but both my Saabs had this and I do get nostalgic for it every once in awhile :) I say, bask in it!

[AggieBlake]

I'm curious what's causing the smell. It's MUCH more intense in the trunk than in the cabin, where I can barely smell it. Is it a part of the sound-deadening material? Or perhaps something they used to prevent corrosion?

Regardless, it's not a big deal since I'm not often in the trunk. But if I had to carry a body back there, it sure would mask the smell... :)

[Sockethead]

It's the material over the rear shock mounts that gives off the heaviest odor. That's why it smells so bad in the trunk. Like I said in an earlier post, I took that out years ago when I first got the car, after experiencing that in my 2001 325 and it hardly smells at all. The car smells more like leather now. Take that stuff out and you'll eliminate 80% of the smell ;)

[rcwells]

It's the material over the rear shock mounts that gives off the heaviest odor. That's why it smells so bad in the trunk. Like I said in an earlier post, I took that out years ago when I first got the car, after experiencing that in my 2001 325 and it hardly smells at all. The car smells more like leather now. Take that stuff out and you'll eliminate 80% of the smell ;)

This will happen eventually.....

[AggieBlake]

Dang. I should have cut it all out when I changed the RSM a coupe months ago. I tried to be super careful and remove the minimum amount of material possible. I probably left about 50% of it. Time to remove the trunk lining again :(

[Sockethead]

yep just rip it all out next time you're in there. I didn't notice any increase in cabin noise or anything else when it was gone

[egiles14]

My wife and her sister absolutely love the crayon smell. Back in 2011 when I purchased an '01 325i (ironically owned by rcwells at one time), my wife said..."This car smells like crayons!" I had never heard anyone use that term before, and since all my previous E46's were purchased new and never owned for more than 2 years they never had a chance to really age and develop the smell.

[BMWCurves]

I'm used to it and just assumed since all E46s smelled like crayons since the only ones I've been in have been several years old. I figured it was some chemical they used during the leather treatment process or something. My ZHP smelled like the classic crayons but it's mostly gone now that I replaced the front seats with E46 M3 seats. Whatever conditioner was used on them is potent, but not unpleasant.

Oddly enough, my father's 17 year old E39 still smells of leather rather than crayons.