# My car is melting! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [October 9, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705 "2007-10-09T13:32:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Splatnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Splatnik](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Splatnik)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 1:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/1 "2007-10-09T13:32:55Z")
This morning I removed a tree shaped, Jasmin scented air freshener from my car and found a rather unpleasant surprise. The freshener was hanging from my shifter(2005 Honda Element)and was in direct contact with the plastic cowling that covers the center console; as I had just yesterday removed the the plastic bag from a freshener tree. Well, to my horro I discovered that the finish (paint, I assume)on the part of the cowling that was in contact with my Jasmin friend had peeled away as if someone put paint stripper in the area. Are you kidding me! If this stuff can peel paint, what’s it doing to our lungs. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/2 "2007-10-09T13:45:58Z")
I’d call that a lesson learned. If you want to freshen the air, open a window. ---
**Author:** ![Splatnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Splatnik](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Splatnik)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/3 "2007-10-09T14:49:39Z")
What makes you think the air outside the car smells any better than the air inside? ---
**Author:** ![Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/joseph_e_meehan/32/21_2.png) [@Joseph\_E\_Meehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Joseph_E_Meehan)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/4 "2007-10-09T16:08:26Z")
I doubt if it is doing anything to your lungs. However it appears it did damage the finish. ---
**Author:** ![riggyrow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@riggyrow](https://community.cartalk.com/u/riggyrow)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/5 "2007-10-09T16:32:56Z")
Hate to add insult to injury, but…it says right on the package or on the freshener itself to “avoid contact with any surfaces.” ---
**Author:** ![SteveF](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/stevef/32/2_2.png) [@SteveF](https://community.cartalk.com/u/SteveF)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/6 "2007-10-09T17:18:08Z")
That’s why they dangle from those silly strings. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/30_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/7 "2007-10-09T17:18:18Z")
“what’s it doing to our lungs”(?) As an asthmatic, I can tell you that these things produce some pretty severe symptoms for me. Just a couple of whiffs and I am coughing and wheezing. And, while this is striclty a personal opinion, I just don’t think that these things even smell good. ---
**Author:** ![Splatnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5ac83/32.png) [@Splatnik](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Splatnik)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/8 "2007-10-09T18:08:42Z")
Boy, you guys a tougher than my ex wife. ---
**Author:** ![dwood520](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c4cdca/32.png) [@dwood520](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dwood520)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/9 "2007-10-09T21:36:22Z")
If it’s any comfort, I’ve had smells come out of me that have also peeled the paint! ---
**Author:** ![Beadsandbeads](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c57346/32.png) [@Beadsandbeads](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Beadsandbeads)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/10 "2007-10-10T02:41:50Z")
Paint dissolving is not a valid toxicology test. That is what little furry animals are for. There are plenty of things that will damage paint, but are not terribly dangerous. ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/my-car-is-melting/5705/11 "2007-10-10T04:55:52Z")
Solvents aren’t very good for paint. Put drops of coconut oil in the vents. Probably no good either but it has that new car odor.