Funny smell thru airvents

[ifly]

I have a 2 week old 06 salsa red vert. Noticed a smell I thought to be a new smell right off the bat. It is there with heat or A/C. Again I fugured it was just a new smell but since it is still there we nervously laughed yesterday that maybe we were breathing in something bad!!!
Mind you I have the top down most of time but there have been a few days I couldn't. Speaking of the top, so hard to latch down, dealer said to expect that for a bit but the light won;t go off so i had to take it in and they are ordering a new handle pkg. Blue coolant light has been on the last few cold mornings but goes off. Is this normal? thanks for any help or comments!

[FineExampl]

blue coolant light is 100% normal and has been with Beetles since the beginning i believe.

the smelly vents....you just gotta get past that. one way is to open the windows and let the heat run full power for like 30 minutes or so. nothing much to worry about as much as i can tell. it happens with many new cars.

[AmyJane]

The blue coolant light is normal. That will stay on until the engine is at normal running temp. Try to go easy on the engine until that light goes off. I think you're supposed to stay under 3000 rpms. As for the smell...it could be anything. What does it smell like? When you brought it in were you smelling it then? If its a strong scent I would ask the dealer to check it out.
COngrats on the new vert and welcome to the org!

[from Margaritaville...]

That odor coming through the vents is the putrid stench of the fart cans mounted on the rear of those rice-burners that are envying you as they pass. Just wait 'til you break that baby in, then show 'em where it's really at...

[dr427]

My 2000 GLS had that burning plastic smell even the day I sold it (76,000 miles), and my 2006 has the same (3,000 miles). Of course this is only when the heat is on. Even if only a little it still activates the plastic burning feature.

[Whitacre]

Yea i noticed that with my TDI as well. Its on as soon as you try to heat up the car, or basically move the dial from all the way to the left (cold) to even a tiny bit to the right. It goes away, but im sure it has something to do with the car being new. I love the whole new car smells though, and you'll miss them in a few years, so basically, enjoy it while it lasts!

[ifly]

I tried the suggestion and ran the heat on high for a bit while i was waiting for my daughter at dance. It seemed to go away after a bit. We'll see today, it is cold in Dallas and i will be out and about. thanks for all the input and also letting me know about the coolant light!!

[gilligan]

My 99 with 86,000 also has a anew car smell comming from the heater when I run it, strange.

[shellbug]

Originally Posted by ifly

I tried the suggestion and ran the heat on high for a bit while i was waiting for my daughter at dance. It seemed to go away after a bit. We'll see today, it is cold in Dallas and i will be out and about. thanks for all the input and also letting me know about the coolant light!!

That blue light startled me too on Monday but I looked it up in the owners manual and it said it does that.
~Shelly
Day 4 of ownership

[Oyveychris]

Originally Posted by gilligan

My 99 with 86,000 also has a anew car smell comming from the heater when I run it, strange.

Gilligan, are you sure you weren't smelling the after effects of taco bell?

[Dorado]

When it's warm and you're using A/C, just make it a habit to turn off the A/C and run the fan without Recirc for a couple of minutes right before you shut down. Or for the last 10-15 seconds, run some hot dry air through the system (turning off A/C, and dialing down the temp with recirc off). Also try not to put the temp dial too cold. That will dry out the system and prevent moisture and bacteria buildup. I'm not sure why, but these European A/C's are like that fromt he get go.

[WNAB911]

Did the dealer leave a body in the trunk???

[JohnnyJet]

Mine smells like leatherette.

[ifly]

now that we've had only warm weather i notice that when i have the a/c on full cold, no smell, as soon as i turn the temp towards warm, the smell starts. i believe it is the crayon smell i have now read about. i didn't think it smelled like crayons but my kids did.

[Muse]

Does it smell like Crayons?

edit: whoops, someone already mentioned the Crayon smell hehe.

[Netty310]

I have an 02 Jetta (40,000) and it also smells funny and it comes from the a/c vents. This usually happens when my car has been in the sun for awhile. It doesn't bother me too much except when I gave my co-worker a ride home one day...she said..."eww what's that smell?" haha then I said.."Oh its cause u drive a Dodge (that was in the shop that week)" I also told her my car farted. I love driving a VW...can't wait til its a NB

[mezonesxbox]

Could be coolant, well mine always has that smell that reminds you "Ahhh... I have a VW!" Its a rare factory, VW only smell. Seriously, its a funny smell but i love it!!(maybe...)

[shellbug]

That window washer fluid sure stinks!! Reminds me of hand sanitizer.

[LanyBug]

Dood! My Salsa Red vert has that smell, too! I've had mine for one month now, and I only smell it sometimes. To me, it smells like grilled cheese? Other people have said their car smells like crayons? Either way, it's not an unpleasant smell but not a smell you'd think a new car would make.

Mine has the blue light, too, and it usually goes off by the time I'm .25 miles down the road. Have fun with your vert. They're awesome.

[ViningsGal]

Has anyone ever talked to a VW tech about the smell? I have a 1 month old 2006 NBC and even at the slightest turn of the dial from cold will bring on the smell.