Would anyone know of a product that will remove tobacco/tar buildup on the dashboard/door panels? I am currently using Simple Green. It works well with dirt buildup but not the other.

Cheers,
Brian

I would test it first,using dilluted sollutions on your nice interior,but I use ammonia/water on houses after renters foul the insides with nicotine,and who knows what else,think that's what I used on my car a few weeks ago also,either that or Fantastic cleaner from the grocery store.
Am going today to go and buy some upholstery cleaner to scrub my seats clean of the same,can't smell the mildew smell after dousing the carpets with enzymes from the pet store,just the cigarette odor.

I found that Simple Green did a good job of removing the stench and filth from the inside of my Fiero that I (unfortunately) bought from a chain smoker. I tore the entire interior out just to clean everything. A hell of a job, but what a difference!

However, the Simple Green also removed all the white lettering from the controls on the dash, etc.

So be careful.

Well, I am one of those smoker people, so I have a bit of experience with this. :-)
I have had good luck with 409 spray cleaner. Dont ask me why, cause I havn't a clue, but it chews thru tobacco tar like it was nothing. I usually follow it with some windex to remove the residue it leaves.

Mike

"basin, Tube & tile" cleaner will pull all that up and is plastic safe. It'll also kill anything growing on the surfaces.

Spray some carpet cleaner on the fabrics and work it with a soft brush, that usually works good.

I'm going to have to try that Basin, Tub, and Tile cleaner stuff that Ogre keeps talking about. For the carpet and seat fabric, I've had great luck using Scotchgard Upholstery and Carpet Cleaner. In the Wal-mart auto section, I found a small upholstery cleaning brush that was real cheap. Spray on the foamy Scotchgard, let it soak for a few seconds, brush it in real good, and wipe it off with a clean rag. After it dries, it protects against future spills to. Water just beads up and don't soak in.

Previous owner of my car smoked. I didn't have much trouble getting built up tar/nicotine off the dash, used simple green. Upholstery was steam cleaned the 2nd day I owned it and that made it smell better too. The problem was inside the ducts and heater because he must have smoke with the windows shut and a/c going (GROSS). Glade makes a great product that comes in a spray, stick-up, and rug deoderizer. Its called "neutralizer" and has a very pleasent smell. Used all 3 in my car!! Nobodys worse about smoke stench than a ex-smoker, like myself!

Used to think that there was no hope at all for a car that'd been smoked in,until I learned that smoke build-up is only on the surface,and can be cleaned.This will be worse on surfaces close to the ashtray,and wherever moisture will condense,creating a higher concentration.Just poured a gallon of high strength enzymes onto each floor,think it actually worked.This is after soaking with Fantastik cleaner,scrubbing,and vacuming.Just got some 409 cleaner and tried that as well;have to wipe off quickly,will leave a hazy film otherwise,worked excellent though.

My 87 SE belonged to a heavy smoker too. What is it with Fieros and chain smokers? I cleaned it up somewhat, not a major deep cleaning like some of you guys are apparently doing. Eventually, after a couple of months, the smell slowly faded away.

batboy, I think the problem with smokers in Fieros is that there is such a limited space for the smoke to dissipate, especially if one lives in a cooler climate and the windows aren't open much.

When I bought my Fiero from a future lung cancer candidate, it was sooooooooo bad inside. I honestly thought that the interior was supposed to be a tan-grey color. It wasn't until I started to wipe things down that I realized that all the "tan" part of the color was cigarette tar.

The head liner was so disgusting that I even took it out to clean it better. I don't know whether you've ever tried that, but it was a delicate, time consuming job because the head liner is quite fragile, more so if the car has a sun-roof, as mine does.

The tar on the hard plastic parts on the dash was so thick it was more like.....well,tar. Dark yellow tar. I removed the whole dash assembly so that I could clean out everything properly, including the inside of all the heating and defogger air ducts.

In my Fiero's case, it wasn't just a matter of eliminating the friggen stench. It was a major operation to make the inside look presentable, and to no longer resemble the inside of a cancer victim's lung.

Well,there is a balance,somehow;you see,I wouldn't have gotten my first car,and have become hooked on Fieros like I did if it hadn't been for the death of the cars previous owner,by lung cancer.That car was mint,except for that stale interior.

lowCG, I hope your Fiero's previous owner wasn't still in the car when you bought it!

I have to agree about the 409. It is without out a doubt the best cleaner. Make sure you use the purple 409, it works good for everything. Also someone told me, or I read it somewhere, to follow it up with wd-40, on a rag, to wipe down the plastic surfaces. Reason being, they are petroleum based and it rejuvinates them better than armorall type products.

Hey! it was cheap!
Never did get rid of that smell.
HaHaHAAh!
No,it was being driven around by some relative,who traded me for my Cavalier,and a $1000.