The story read as incredible, but new cars do release some volatile components from the materials after manufacturing. You can speed it up under heat and ventilation. Put the car out in the Sun every day with all the windows open. This will also age the internal cabin materials but your immediate need outweighs that fact anyway. If the dash is not the problem, cover it with thin cardboard, so it will not age but still allow the Sun's heat to enter the cabin.

If the seats and floor are covered with cloth, you can use a mixture of water and Oxy-Clean in a spray bottle to oxidize any organic components without damaging or staining the cloth. Spray the solution around every morning before the exposure to the Sun. I have little experience with your problem, but these two recommendations should clear out all organic residues, and can prevent body sweat to stay on and stink in the future.

I would not want you to sell off that Volt because it smells bad. It is a special vehicle, and it should be treated well to become your daily vehicle.

 

There are other horror stories online like this so I know I'm not alone

Since your playing doctor, you should read up on Psychogenic

Ozone is naturally occurring and has a very short life cycle, about 30 minutes. The is no scientific possibility your car, clothes or apartment have any measurable change.

To be blunt, this is all in your head and reading from others tails is just making your psychogenic stress worse.

 

I'm aware of the short half-life... so I know this doesn't make sense (But keep in mind I had a generator running in a small, enclosed place for hours). I knew people would say it's in my head... I truly don't believe that is the case (of course, would anyone?)... the initial poisoning was definitely not in my head (textbook symptoms, and that is before I googled for those symptoms), and perhaps it's made me more sensitive while my lungs are healing?

Other people have had crazy issues, where ozone reacted with materials and caused long-term problems. This source even claims:

...there is good scientific evidence documenting such adverse reactions. Studies in 1992, 1994, and 1996 all proved that when ozone reacts with chemicals it often produces irritating and even harmful by-products. Even when ozone breaks down long chain hydrocarbons the results may not be favorable. Odor reduction may be achieved in such situations with the consequence of increasing other volatile organic chemicals such as aldehydes and formic acid.

But my friends experienced it too when they sat in my car. You could say I influenced them, but one didn't even know the story. And it wasn't a bad smell, it was just that air felt "bad" to them, so I assume from some sort of odorless gas being released in there. Also, don't forget that people vary wildly in susceptibility. I read one story of a guy who was incapacitated on an airline flight from some material that didn't bother anyone else. It can happen, it doesn't mean it's in your head...

 

Agreed. The guy dying is gross, and more so because he was discovered by the smell.


I would guess this is in your head, but I cant say I blame you....It is gross.

 

Ozone has minimal affects even if you were in there during operation, at worst slight lung irritation.

Ozone depletes rapidly, its all in your head, emotions affect sense.

 

CT State Dept of Health disagrees with you.

 

Locate a psychic who can look at your situation and create separations between you and your troubles.

 

I agree with Henry. It sounds psychogenic to me also.

 

This makes me think of a girl I was crazy about in high school. She used a specific smelling shampoo. Whenever I smell that, even 20+ years later, it makes me think of her instantly.

 

Maybe its a ghost.

 

A buddy of mine bought a car from a towing company that a guy had died in, was a stinking mess. He got 4 tin cake pans and put about 1 inch of ammonia in them and put them on the interior floors and shut the car up for a week. He then opened the windows up for about a day or 2 and the car was usable again. However when it got wet or very humid out a very slight oder could still be detected, not enough to kick you out of the car but slightly noticeable.

 

See a respiratory doctor ASAP. To me, it sounds like asthma, but you really need to see a doc and get a diagnosis. There are other things that it could be that require different treatment.

It's possible that exposure to high levels of ozone have caused you to have asthma or is triggering a previously undiagnosed asthma. I have asthma from a similar process, but a different chemical. Once you have been sensitized, you may be reacting to low levels of other substances.

Be very cautious about using strong cleaning materials unless a respiratory doctor tells you that it's OK for you to do so. Many household cleaners are just awful for people with asthma. They can also be very persistent (affect you for a long time after they are applied). In fact, it's possible that your symptoms are the result of strong cleaning materials that you used at the same time. Many ordinary commercial household cleaners, personal care products and detergents contain very nasty chemicals, some of which are proven to cause asthma. If your problem is asthma, do your cleaning with water, baking soda and vinegar. Doctor Bronners unflavored castile soap (sold as baby shampoo) works for me also.

If it is asthma caused by a short term chemical exposure, whether ozone or cleaning materials, if you're very good about avoiding your triggers and take the proper meds the asthma may go away.

http://www2.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2014-08/documents/ozone_generator.pdf

If it turns out that you have asthma, find a respiratory doctor especially expert in irritant triggered asthma.

If it turns out to be asthma, I've unfortunately had to learn a lot. Feel free to ask me any questions. But, do see a doctor for a diagnosis. There are tests that can determine if it asthma and there are medications that help a lot.

 

Thanks you for a nice, informative response. I happen to have a friend who is a pulmonary therapist and I had him check me out earlier this week. He couldn't detect any wheezing or other "bad breathing" sounds. But my lungs have healed a lot since 2 weeks ago... early on they were very painful. Now they hurt when I'm in my car or other sources of exposure. Based on what he heard, he didn't think I needed to see a doctor unless things weren't resolving. I think they are resolving, but that pace is slowed when I have more exposure... thus my dilemma. I did talk to Poison Control as well, they warned me that doctors could treat symptoms, but that most docs wouldn't be very knowledgeable about ozone exposure. I'm considering some sort of occupational medicine doctor...

 

Use a water mist generator.

When ozone is produced it will decay rapidly, because ozone is an instable compound with a relatively short half-life. The half-life of ozone in water is a lot shorter than in air. As you'd expect, air temperature also plays a role. The hotter the air the faster ozone goes away.

 

Weird story here... A guy passed away in my small apartment building... Any ideas? Anyone know of special super-cleaning techniques that detailers might have? Wondering if I can just replace the driver seat assy, but I worry it somehow spread beyond that...

If you have comprehensive insurance, file a claim with your insurance agent. Make it THEIR problem - that's what you pay insurance for.

 

I've definitely considered this, but not sure they would believe me (just like most people posting here) unless they can smell or measure something wrong. I assume the burden of proof is on me... that's why I wish I could find someone to scan the car with some sort of air quality / VOC detector, but I haven't been able to find such a service.

All the people saying it's in my head... let's trade Volt titles, I'll even throw in some extra money.

 

Rule out PTSD. You might want to add counseling to the list of suggestions. The death of the guy in your building may have brought up the loss of someone else from earlier in your life...

 

Try adding some good air filtration equipment (non-ozone generating) to the space. The Blue Air brand with the carbon filter will also remove bacteria and VOCs from the environment. I use these at home, and while pricey they work very, very good. They are also made in the USA.
https://www.blueair.com/us

If you continue to have issues then you should see a doctor. I would also be open to the possibility that you are hyper aware of odors which is understandable given what occurred.

 

Astronauts that return to their spacecraft after space walks all report that "ozone smell" on their suits and equipment. That's because they are exposed to atomic oxygen in low-earth orbit while outside the spacecraft. NASA and all of its partners are pretty good at protecting their astronauts from toxic substances, and I'll bet that they have a way of neutralizing that smell. I know that it sounds like a long shot, but I would send an email to the Public Affairs Officer (PAO) at the Johnson Space Center, and ask them if they have a solution.

 

By the way, I have stayed at hotels that used ozonators to neutralize cigarette odors. I don't like either smell, so I feel your pain. I'll bet hotel people have some experience with this problem.

 

Activated charcoal clears ozone which was a problem on laser printers. The solution was a charcoal filter on the cooling air outlet, used on HP 2686 Laser printers. These filters will also absorb most chemicals used for this in gas masks. Believe charcoal can be purchased from fish aquarium shops as used to clean the water in fish tanks. Need to make a box up filled with it so air can flow through and a 12 volt fan to blow it run it of 12v socket, select fan below 8amps so not overload the socket. Just an idea. Ozone is not a clever idea to clear smells as very corrosive, rots certain rubber products that you do not want a hole in. Also if you can smell it it's above maximum levels for health.

 

Lookup Jolie Kerr. She's an expert on cleaning and getting smells out. She runs a blog and a podcast called "Ask a Clean Person". I'm sure she would LOVE to help you out. Seriously. She oddly enjoys the oddest cleaning challenges.

 

In this part of the country, termites like to eat wooden houses so termite exterminators have a lucrative business. They tent the house and pump a poisonous sulfur chemical into the tented house. typically the fumigant is left in for 2-3 days. Then the tent is removed and fans are used to disperse any of the toxic chemical vapor. I think some homeowners are more sensitive to the presence of the chemicals and report an adverse reaction. Don't know if the chemical affects them organically or psychologically. We had this done to our home last year, and didn't notice any strange smell when we returned home.

Ozone (O3) is not stable and either reacts or decompose to O2. It is sometimes used as a substitute for chlorine (bleach) because they both respond chemically in the same way.

If you have a lingering health issue from ozone, then one should go see a doctor. But to contemplate selling a vehicle because it may be contaminated seems far fetched to me.

 

I highly doubt any consumer level ozone generator could achieve this. An industrial one, maybe it could damage the lining of your nose and cause you to be confusing smells.

You seem to be thinking somehow ozone has wafted into your car with you? Can't see it at all.

Cut a pile of wet grass, spread it on a tray, and leave it in the car for a day or two, would be my advice. Get srid of most smells IMHO, and anything remaining smells nice and natural (as long as you don't leave it too long it rots!! )

 

Just so I'm clear... I'm not saying ozone itself is still causing me problems. But from here:

...ozone is highly volatile and does not stay around in buildings. We also agree that ozone, precisely because of that extra oxygen molecule, is highly volatile and can oxidize other molecules. It is precisely that volatility that can result in overdosing a building or car or other enclosed space and its contents, apparently oxidizing materials and causing related problems.

...The smell that remains is probably from oxidized materials, possibly carpeting, padding, foam cushions or something else. That outgassing odor tends to continue for a long time. The solution is usually to identify exactly what is giving off the odor and dispose of it.

I believe that somehow, some oxidized material is still causing a problem in some clothes and in my car. Its effects on me are quite dramatic and unlike anything I've experienced before (sort of like inhaling too much gasoline vapor... slightly light-headed, really "out of it" feeling / difficulty thinking/focusing, but usually with lung pain too.... on days I'm most affected, I can barely eat).

I appreciate all the serious replies.

 

just curious, have you tried sitting in any other Volts (similar age/year). Possible you've developed a hyper sensitivity to some material in the Volt. Similar to how there are some rare individuals that have a severe reaction to allergy testing that makes it worse that the original allergy...

Though this is a stretch, as you probably would have noticed other things that are bothering you as well else where...

 

The OP isn't nuts. It happened to me once a long time ago too. I put one of those little ozone makers in my car (an '86 Olds) intending to leave it in there for just a few minutes (as the instructions that came with the device suggested). A couple of hours later I remembered it being in there. Oops. It made me sick (headache and nausea) for the first few days when driving which I had to do with all windows down and luckily my commute at the time was short. The residual "smell" left in the car didn't dissipate completely for several months and I left the windows open forever thereafter and left fans running all night blowing through the car for at least a couple of weeks afterwards.

 

Thanks for this, no one likes to be called crazy (even if this whole situation is making me feel pretty crazy). This is the kind of story I was hoping to hear, though I was hoping you found a magic bullet to fix it other than time and air. There's lots of good ideas on this thread about odors, but I'm not sure most would apply in this situation (covering it up won't prevent a bad reaction to it, need to somehow neutralize it at the source).

 

There are activated charcoal furnace filters that may help. Some car cabin filters also have activated charcoal.

http://www.amazon.com/Filtrete-Alle...I5V88/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446229410&sr=8-1&keywords=charcoal+furnace+filter

When I was a mechanic, we used cut-up potatoes to get rid of bad smells in cars. I had a problem with my wife's car once. She went to the grocery store and accidentally left some ground beef in the trunk. For a week. In Texas. In summer. I used potatoes and baking soda to absorb the smell. Took a few treatments, but, eventually it got back to smelling like carpet instead of a dead rat.

Getting the car detailed may help as well. Or it may make it worse if they use something that disagrees with your respiratory system. Some high-end car washes have a mist treatment that may help.

My late wife had COPD (along with other problems) and could not handle any kind of spray (like Windex) or cleaners or even the first time the furnace was lit for winter. I used bio-cleaners that had no smell. She had to leave the house if I used bleach in clothes even though the laundry has an exhaust fan and is in a totally different part of the house. Some dishwasher detergents have bleach as well.

This is probably not psychological. Sensitivity is real for some people.

edit: there are also low-VOC paints that contain an absorbing agent. Might help in the house.

 

Ok there are a few unanswered questions I'd like to ask.

1. A guy passed away in my small apartment building
How old was he?
What did he die of?

2. Landlord was not very fast about dealing with this (dead guy odor) and I started researching ways of dealing with the disturbing odor.
How did the landlord finally deal with the dead guy's odor?
If you smelled the dead guy might you be smelling what the landlord used to deal with the dead guys odor?

Does your Volt have cloth or leather seats?
Have you used any cleaners in the Volt?

How old are you?
When was the last time you had a physical exam and blood test?

I love a good mystery.

 

1) late 50's, suicide (don't know how). I knew him a bit, it's sad.
2) It's been 26 days since we first noticed the smell. Landlord did nothing (except put out some coffee grounds in the hallway) until a few days ago, when he emptied the apartment of the guy's belongings. He also claimed to have cleaned up a bit (I wasn't around that day, been living with friends for almost 2 weeks now, but I didn't smell cleaning agents when I was there the next day)... the health dept disagrees and is currently issuing a warrant for his arrest for failure to clean up like they ordered. So I'm pretty sure I have not been affected by anything the landlord did (cuz he didn't do anything). With a warrant on his head, I'm guessing he'll bring in a proper clean-up crew very soon.
3) Cloth seats. I had the car detailed a week ago (steamed seats, shampoo carpets), seemed to help a little but not enough, and shampoo smell is also irritating to my recovering lungs. No cleaners before that, maybe some Armor All once a year.
4) I'm late 30's... I just happened to have a full physical the day before I started using the generator. I'm healthy according to the doc.