OK this one has me stumped for now,

The other day I got into my 09 Challenger and it smelled of Lacquer thinner. Very strong smell ( I do have a sensitive nose )

The car the last 9 years always had a very neutral smell

No body work, only thing I did was change the battery a few weeks back.

Checked the battery vent, hooked up OK
Nothing rotting away under the seats
No strange things in the car trunk or even for a ride in ages


After Internet search some say the anti freeze can smell weird.
To me its not an anti freeze smell, smelled the bottle under the hood and it does smell like anti freeze NOT lacquer thinner

Checked the heater box under the dash, no drips or smell there?

Have run out of ideas on what to check?

Any ideas?

Any Ideas

Who changed the battery? Did somebody spray something?
Lubricant, penetrant, battery protector/cleaner, etc.

Got a friend who's a practical joker?
Or could anyone else have been in the car and had to clean something up?

I've smelled things in a car before - never leave a used diff in the trunk! - but not lacquer thinner; the "bodyshop aroma" sounds like what you have, but you've already excluded that.

If the car's been sitting for awhile, my guess is it's interior plastics off-gassing; get one of those Renuzit air fresheners and stick it in the car.

I changed the battery

No one else has been near the car

And the car has off-gassed long ago

Sometimes a heater core leak can smell strange when it heats up and vapors get in the car. I know it's a late model car, but anythings possible at this point.

Or something spilled under the seat and/or in the trunk.

That's a real stumper Tom.

Perhaps an AC leak?, or perhaps some dealer touch up paint bottle leaking in the glove box/console?...

I think Dayclona is on track, nail polish or remover spilled?

Ding Ding we got a winner

I looked at the touch up paint again, Already looked at it a few times before, but this time went to remove it for the glove box

It was stuck, looked fine on top but was leaking and had glued itself into the v at the bottom of the glove box

peeled it out , carb cleaned it up and smell is gone

Something so simple

Thanks for the help, was driving me crazy looking for the cause of that smell

You may want to keep the touch-up paint in the house. I used to keep mine in my unheated garage, and after a couple of years of winter freeze cycles, it was no longer fit to use.

My interior smells like carb cleaner. How to get rid of that odor? LOL