What is that smell????????????

I recently bought a certified 2001 Jetta GLS VR6 w/5speed. 36,000 miles. Absolutely love it. When I took delivery the car had a slight odor that I can best describe as Crayola crayon. The dealer said it was one of the cleaning products used to detail the interior and it would gradually fade out. Needless to say, it hasn't, and in fact it's getting worse and worse, to the point of almost unbearable. Several times people have asked what smells like crayon after I arrive some where. How embarassing. The car has been to the dealer 3 times, but they say there is nothing wrong. Now they're telling me that it's a normal smell, and every Volkswagen on the road smells that way. HELP ME! Has anyone heard of a problem like this? I'm thinking about sellling it if I can't get rid of the smell. :confused: :mad: : :shakehead

Replace your pollen filter, and spray some stuff in the blower fan while you have it apart, I forgot what the stuff is called but it makes your car smell better!

It'll be your air conditioning smelling,the spray is a A/C disenfectant which you spray over the a/c pipes and also in your vents-the smell only appears if you haven't used your a/c in a long time.

I was searching for a different Jetta topic and I saw your post, and I felt obligated to joic and give you my .02

It tempting to believe this comes from the air circulation / filter system, but I believe its something else called Cosmoline. Here's a quote from another VW forum:

"The smell is a substance called "Cosmoline" and it use throughout the car to prevent rust. If you pull up a little carpet and touch a sticky substance you've touched cosmoline. The cosmoline is sprayed after paint but before interior install. Europe got the stuff way before the states, which I think started with the Mk4's."

Its a pretty large thread if you want to read more:
http://www.sportcompactracing.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=42220&page=1&pp=15

Apparently a lot of Jettas have this, but there are some that don't. My smell isn't exactly like crayons, more of a musty old dog poo smell, but it DOES get worse if I lift up my mats and stick my face down there.

So don't waste a bunch of money on new filters or sprays, your smell is COSMOLINE.

-dave