[RedM3/4]

Clean the carpets with some high quality carpet cleaner like Bissell liquid or hire a Stanley steamer type service to do it.
Get a new cabin filter, obviously, but put it in after you get the ducts cleaned.
Go to this link. I've used the product, 98% effective. I got the fogger as well.
with the A/C on and car running,
Spray mist of the odoreater liquid both into/all around the cabin filter intake,
then, go in the car, turn on recirculate and spray at the under dash intakes (find them before you start).
lightly mist the headliner, KNOWING, that if you get it too wet, it is going to come unglued.
Clean the dash/vinyl/pillars, etc with Meguiars cleaner/conditioner, the leather with Lexol or similar.

http://www.forceoutproducts.com/

Do this and it will pretty much be gone. Until your teenage son decides to drive around with his friends in his mom's camry whilst they smoke cigars, that is....
You could rent an ozone machine as well but it can be hard on some vinyls.

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[mcgrath85]

PM if you want more details, but folllow this link and scroll to the bottom: http://newairepurifiers.com/products

My Uncle owns this company. I can get you an M3forum deal if you are interested. I have this in my M and Jeep and there is no smell. Studies even prove that it reduces road rage, which is something I need with the idiots in Austin.

[JES1680]

My wifes E60 was owned by a smoker. Here's what I did and it worked great.
Replace cabin filter
Clean all surfaces seats, glass, carpet, headliner.
Put small conatainers with baking soda under the front seats.
Spray Fabreeze through the fresh air intake (remove filter first) and run ac and heater.
Took a Sat and did this while doing the initial cleaning. Repated the Fabreeze a few times the next week. Smell is gone. Only reoccurs on the occasional very hot day. I replace the baking soda containers every few months keeps all smells at bay.

[DetailersDomain]

I would agree with everyone here ozone machine and then a good steam cleaning, maybe even swap out your floor mats and clean up the leather.

[///M3-QTR]

Get some Zaino Z10 Leather in bottle, you will have the " new " car smell back !

http://www.zainostore.com/Merchant2/...oduct_Count=16

[Nautik]

Thanks for all the awesome replies everyone! I'm seeing a bunch of great ideas. I think a lot of you are right in that I should try and get it out (or something that is acceptable enough so that my wife will be willing to ride in the car!) before I go with the Ozone.

Part if my problem, unfortunately, is I think the interior is kind of rare fabric and leather combination. The center portions of the seats are actually some kind of charcoal gray fabric and I imagine they probably absorbed quite a bit of smell. The rest of the seat is a black leather. The center of the door paneling is also done in this charcoal gray fabric. I was just going to have it all replaced but then I realized it is kind of a rare package so I think I would like to keep it.

But I think some of these ideas might work on the fabric too so I will give that a shot first.

Thanks again for all the help!

[RedM3/4]

With many cloth seats, if you get them too wet, the material will pucker up, for a long time or possibly permanently.
I think you could fog them as i advised in earlier post, lightly so they don't get drenched, or febreeze them, again, lightly. Same concept, except the product I use has no scent versus febreeze - adding a new scent over the old.
Just don't get them too wet.

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[M3 Driver]

would charcoal absorb some of the odor?

[GR///M3]

i smoke in my car but the car does not smell like a smoker's been in it.
i think the previous owner smoked in the car with the climate control set to recirculate....that leaves deposits in the ducts.....

how i would do it is like others have said. go to a GOOD detailer and have your carpets washed (TWICE). then get yourself a few bottles of zymol leather cleaner and one bottle of zymol leather conditioner (if you want) and be liberal with the cleaner on all the leather.

for the remaining plastic and glass of the car, use a 50/50 mix of water and windex. wipe down every surface, from the top of the dash down to the pedals. get in between the vent vanes and clean each one with a q-tip if you have to.

i keep my interior really clean, and when i smoke in the car both windows are always open....

in hard to reach spots on the carpet, grab a sticky roller and pull off one or 2 stickies and press the sticky side into the spots vacuums can't get to.

get the charcoal activated cabin filter.

do the vinegar thing.

also do the baking soda thing.

it's gonna take some time to get it all out, but it will be gone if you clean your interior this way a few times.

just an idea, but you can sprinkle some baking soda dust inside the cabin air intake (on the cabin side of the filter) and run your air to get some baking soda in there too....

[RedM3/4]

With all due respect, smokers are INCAPABLE of smelling smoke the way non-smokers can. This isn't specific to smokers/smoking by the way, it is the way the senses work. EG, folks who work by metal presses learn to be able to hear voices in almost deafening sound, and in fact w/o hearing protection their hearing gets damaged. but someone who isn't used to this can't hear voices for the super loud background noise. Garlic eaters can't smell garlic, folks with cats or musty smell in their houses don't notice it, on and on.
Smoking with windows open does help-my father in law does this, but it is effortless for me to tell his cars are smoked in.
Your other advice is good as well.
Regards,
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