Eliminating Unwanted Odors in Vehicles

This bulletin is being revised to add model years and refine the instructions. Please discard Corporate Bulletin Number 00-00-89-027D (Section 00 -- General Information).

General Motors offers a product that may control or eliminate odors in the interior and luggage compartment areas of GM vehicles. GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator is a non-toxic, biodegradable odor remover. This odorless product has been shown to greatly reduce or remove objectionable smells of mold and mildew resulting from vehicle water leaks (as well as customer created odors, i.e. smoke). You may use GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator on fabrics, vinyl, leather, carpet and sound deadening materials. It may also be induced into HVAC modules and instrument panel ducts (for the control of non-bacterial related odors).

Important: This product leaves no residual scent and should not be sold as or considered an air freshener. Product action may result in the permanent elimination of an odor and may be preferable to customers with allergies who are sensitive to perfumes.

GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator may be sprayed on in a ready-to-use formula or used in steam cleaners as an additive with carpet shampoo. This water-based, odorless product is safe for all vehicle interiors. Do not wet or soak any interior surface that plain water would cause to deteriorate, as this product will have the same effect. Also avoid letting this product come into contact with vinegar or any acidic substance. Acid-based products will hamper the effectiveness of, or render GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator inert.

Note: Complete eight page treatment sheets are enclosed within each case of GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator. These treatment instructions range from simple vehicle odor elimination to full step by step procedures for odor removal from water leaks. If lost, contact 800-977-4145 to get a replacement set faxed or e-mailed to your dealership.

Instructions and cautions are printed on the bottle, but additional help is available. If you encounter a difficult to eliminate or reoccurring odor, you may call 1-800-955-8591 (in Canada, 1-800-977-4145) to obtain additional information and usage suggestions.

Important: This product may effectively remove odors when directly contacting the odor source. It should be used in conjunction with diagnostic procedures (in cases such as a water leak) to first eliminate the root cause of the odor, and then the residual odor to permanently correct the vehicle condition.

Vehicle Waterleak Odor Elimination

STEP ONE:

Confirm that all water leaks have been repaired. Determine what areas of the vehicle were water soaked or wet. Components with visible mold/mildew staining should be replaced. Isolate the odor source inside the vehicle. Often an odor can be isolated to an area or component of the vehicle interior by careful evaluation. Odor evaluation may need to be performed by multiple persons. Another method of isolating an odor source is to remove and segregate interior trim and components. Plastic sheeting or drop cloths can be used to confine seats, headliners, etc. to assist in evaluation and diagnoses. If appropriate the vehicle and interior trim should be evaluated separately to determine if the odor stays with the vehicle or the interior components. Odors that stay with the vehicle may be isolated to insulating and sound deadening materials (i.e. water leak at the windshield or standing water in the front foot well area caused mold/mildew to form on the bulkhead or kick panel sound deadening pads. If the interior is removed the floor pan and primed/painted surfaces should be treated with bleach/soap solution, rinsed with clean water and dried. Interior surfaces should then be treated with GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator product before reinstalling carpet or reassembling.

The GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator product is an effective odor elimination product when used properly. It must come into direct contact with the odor source. It should be used in conjunction with diagnostic procedures to first eliminate the root cause of the odor. Some procedures for use after odor root cause correction are:

STEP TWO:

STEP THREE:

The third step to neutralizing the vehicle is a light to medium treatment of all carpeting and upholstered seats with the GM Vehicle Care Odor Eliminator formula and a wide fan spray setting (at full strength) (i.e.: carpeting on the driver's side requires 4-5 triggers pulls for coverage). The headliner and trunk should be sprayed next. Lightly brushing the formula into the carpeting and upholstery is a recommended step for deep odor problems. The dash and all hard surfaces should be sprayed with dish soap/water mixture. Let stand for 1-2 minutes then wipe off the surface.

STEP FOUR: (vehicle ventilation system treatment)

The ventilation system is generally the last step in the treatment of the vehicle.

Please follow this diagnosis process thoroughly and complete each step. If the condition exhibited is resolved without completing every step, the remaining steps do not need to be performed. If these steps do not resolve the condition, please contact GM TAC for further diagnostic assistance.

Additional Suggestions to Increase Customer Satisfaction

Here are some additional ideas to benefit your dealership and to generate greater customer enthusiasm for this product.