Car perfume wrinkled silver coating on AC vent
Parked the car outside in the sun(inside temp over 130F) for over 5-6 hours and the drift perfume(soaked in perfume - slow release) drained on the vent and wrinkled it up. Any suggestions on fixing/removing the wrinkles?
mate that's fucked. Oils from the perfume dissolved the plastic. No botox will fix that.
It looks more like it's messed with the paint not the plastic itself.
Air fresheners destroy cars, all brands.
What about the ones you spray into carpets
In a Tesla? Would likely resemble something like the Chernobyl meltdown. If you’re lucky, it won’t melt through the battery.
Not great, not terrible
3.6 Roentgen
But sir, the meters only go to 3.6
You didn’t see graphite. YOU DIDNT!
Beautiful response. 👏🎩
lol @ Chernobyl meltdown.
I’ve never heard this before, so even hanging the little trees is bad for your car?
I think it’s bad for them to be touching any part of the car. I hung one on the stalk and it messed up the steering wheel plastic housing :/
Came here to say the same!
It is bad for your health, so why not clean the car instead?
and your lungs.
Also the ones you put on your vents?
Yup definitely. The oils in all air-fresheners can permeate most surface treatments like paint and vinyl, they carry with them the solvents (usually some form of alcohol) used to suspend the fragrances. Same is true for many body lotions/creams - see bubbled seats/headrests.
What you see here is the result of those solvents dissolving the bonding between the surface layer and substrate, bubbling it, then evaporating. They can also eat or soften many polycarbonates/plastics - often used in materials like vent louvres.
I dunno what you do, but you definitely do it!
And they stink!
Not just cars everything they touch.
Your cheapest solution is to scrape those wrinkles off and use vinyl wrap. It’s time for carbon fiber wrap :)
This is probably the cheapest and easiest method
Cheapest solution is to reinstall a new air freshener in its place.
User error, you’re supposed to use the metal visor clip that magnetically attaches to the drift air freshener.
I agree. This user will not make that error again lol
or place one all the way across the dash and call it "derelicte"
Drift even said do not put this directly on the car. That's why it gives you that magnetic clip.
Obviously did not read the instructions :D
not sure what you expected placing an oil soaked piece of wood on a piece of plastic trim?
Painted plastic trim right?
Paint can be weird with what it can react to but generally more reactive than plastic.
To freshen the car without having the car melt away?
It would happen to any piece of plastic film in any car though. It's just chemistry at that point.
It's like how if you drive over oil on the roads normally it's fine due to how little there is and the fact most of it gets flung off but if you leave your tire in a puddle of motor oil in 100° weather in direct sunlight the rubber will start to disintegrate.
No they’re not using the product as intended or designed. It comes with a visor clip for a reason, so the oil doesn’t contact any car surfaces.
Surprisingly, destroys Lego too.
There are many ways to do that without pressing volatiles directly against plastic trim. This is not that hard.
All liquid air fresheners or oily ones will destroy plastic trim. Had one leak and destroy the area around my head unit on a previous vehicle. Tried to call out the company but it turns out it says it will do exactly this in the fine print on the package.
Yup. Had this happen in college and learned to never use that garbage in the car. Best to just keep the car clean and if you need a refresher than just run some cleaner through the dash or seats that smell nice.
You’re supposed to put the drift on the mirrors that drop down on the inside. Protects from that
This is also not how you’re supposed to use this product, it comes with a metal plate that you should attach to your visor
Just curious: drift has very specific instructions to avoid this, including where to place the freshener. Why didn’t you follow them?
Ooops, that won't happen again.
Blame Ryan Shaw
Bruh... that's not how you use that and I have the same one.
I thought those were supposed to go on the car visor?
Interior plastics are lousy against chemicals/oils.
You're better off scraping the wrinkles out and putting a wrap on top. There's no bringing that back to how it was. Also, you're supposed to use the magnetic clip it comes with to put on your visor
You could just put the air freshener back in place and pretend you never lifted it in the first place...
That was my first idea to begin with. Glad to find a likeminded individual🤗
damn i put mine on the visor
I think that product is meant to stick up on a metal clip you clip on the visor.
And that’s why you don’t put it there. They provided a clip for a reason.
It’s oiled wood. Thats supposed to be on the visor. Alternatively, you can use their metal clip and put it in the back air vents.
I would probably used the supplied magnetic holder for the drift. Or use an air freshener specifically designed for HVAC vent such as this https://scentwedge.com/collections/scentwedge-kits
Bar of soap in packaging put in glove box, thank me later
Thanks. That’s a great idea! Would also come in handy when I’m running late and need a shower. :D
And why did you do that?
Chemical reaction
Similar experience, different material (seats) with Drift years ago.
I avoid anything with oil near any part of the car now. I know how much that feeling sucks :(
Don't use the visor method either, it will drip in the heat and cause damage to your seats.
Damn. Well these are small damages that teach us valuable lessons about taking care of things. You and I both are not doing that again :D
Just imagine what it can do to your lungs....
Yes, OP, definitely do not affix this wood air freshener directly to your lungs.
It's basically soaked in solvents and VOCs. Not a good mix for any painted surface!
It being 200 degrees everywhere right now, it's hell on car interiors no matter what brand you drive. Ughhh
I saw the same kind of thing happen from a bag of fresh cinnamon powder left on a shelf liner wrap in my parent's kitchen. The wrap turned wrinkly/bubbly in that area.
I'm not aware of any actual fix other than a replacement or hiding it.
Exact same thing happened on my 18 M3. You can either try and source a part from ebay/from tesla but it will run maybe $200 used. I'd check with Tesla for a new piece. Otherwise you can do what I did and remove the part, sand and prime the aluminum section, and respray with something similar like this https://www.homedepot.com/p/Rust-Oleum-Painter-s-Touch-2X-11-oz-Gloss-Aluminum-General-Purpose-Spray-Paint-334058/307244847
That part can’t be that expensive. Its pops off and it is easy to replace
Air fresheners air notorious for destroying all car interiors
Wait, that's the exact same setup I have! Luckily I noticed it and took it out before it could do further damage. It was a gift from a friend and it conveniently fits into the air vent too.
Perfumes are literally solvent....
Drifts are awesome, but the scented oils definitely leach a lot. Two of them damaged this desk's finish.
Is this a real post? It’s literally in the same spot….
Don’t listen to the others— embrace the suck and wrinkle the rest of the trim to match.
Remember: neat, clean, and like you were never there.
shit... i literally just got a spigen clip for febreeze clip ons...
think i should return it? I can just spray ozium on the carpets one a month if i need, i guess
Ozium does not do this.
Suggest you position and then reposition that fragrance block along the entire length of that piece to get the bubbling effect everywhere. Then it’ll look you installed a special customization as opposed to perfume induced polymer measles.
Synthetic scents and perfumes are generally highly volatile and toxic chemicals that require wearing a hazmat suit when handling them in concentrated form. They have a loophole in regulations and can be added to almost anything. Volatile chemicals are often very active when in contact with many polymers like your car. What are you doing in your car such that it stinks?
It sucks but hear me out. That part is already ruined so why not keeping using it in the same spot? The damage is already done. Maybe put a transparent film underneath on the wooden interior to make sure nothing drips out when it’s hot and causes further damage.
Hand sanitisers dissolve steering wheels to.
Upvoted all references to the damn clip. Yeesh
I use one thats thin which goes into the vent and i just add some essential oil in it and it hasn’t caused any issues. Do you know what perfume they use? Now you got me worried lol
The hepa is so good why do you need perfume
Oh shit thank god I never got drift, I guess I’m going with those scented trees
Doesn’t it come with a visor clip? This is your fault.
Worst car fragrance company. Weak scents poor customer service
Must be a cheap car. 😂
Can get a replacement off of ebay for less than $150, easy part to swap out yourself.
even happens to a Ferrari
It really looks like the car is trying to form a word that it desperately needs to tell you, like "TESLA" or "SAVE ME"
Contact drift. This happened to me in my Jeep. It got hot one day and dropped onto my seat. Got it fixed and contacted drift. They reimbursed me. I had the wood one. I used the stone ones after that.
Now that I have a Tesla, I don’t use them. Too afraid this will Occur.