I got the MB mats for my 1994 E320 wagon. They fit perfectly. They look great. My wife made me take them out immediately. Why? They have a very strong "rubber" smell that gives her headaches. What can I do?

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Chip Johnson

That reminds me of the gym I belong to. They had new rubber mats installed perhaps a year or two ago.

Yup, that smell is terrible and to this date permeates.
Exacerbated by the sweaty guys working out. YUK

Call the dealer to make the issue known in case they do not air out in reasonable time. Some plastics do air out.
Like those foam bed pillows ...memory foam ones.
It takes about 3 days to air out before you can use 'em. That is what one maker recommends.
By the way, those pillows are not so great ! I am back to the old pillow....
less aches........

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1979 300D 220 K miles
1995 C280 109 K miles
1992 Cadillac Eldorado Touring Coupe 57K miles SOLD
********************
1979 240D 140Kmiles (bought for parents) *SOLD.
SAN FRANCISCO/(*San Diego)
1989 300SE 148 K miles *SOLD

You could try " spilling "
some of your wive's favourite parfume on the mats.
I know what you mean. It's the same rubbery smell you get when you walk into any tire shop.
Had my M-B winter mats for 2 years, and still notice the smell when I install them.
I don't know if spraying them with silicone ( Armor-All ) would seal them enough to reduce/eliminate the smell.

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2007 C 230 Sport.

The smell should be less noticeable in a week or so. You might try scrubbing the mats with a good all purpose cleaner and a brush. This might help remove some of the smell. Don't spray them with silicone etc. I decided to spray some new rubber mats I got this summer with 303 protectant. They looked great but when I wore sneakers, the mats were so slick it was almost dangerous getting into the car.

We have these rubber mats in all of our vehicles and like them so well we keep them in year round. They don't seem to move as much as the cheaply made OEM carpet mats.

Just so you know I have read other post - maybe different forum - of people complaining of the same thing

My gym just installed new rubber flooring all around. I'm getting the same problem: I hate the smell and it bothers me, giving me sinus headaches.

I sure hope it's a temporary thing! I belong to a pretty big gym-- Sport & Health.

__________________

Current:
2014 VW Tiguan SEL 4Motion 43,000 miles.

2016 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (wife's).

Past:
2006 Jetta TDI 135,970 miles. Sold Nov. '13.
1995 E-320 Special Edition. 220,200 miles. Sold Sept. '07.
1987 190-E 16 valve. 153,000 miles. Sold Feb. '06.
1980 300-D 225,000 miles. Donated to the National Kidney Foundation.
1980 240-D manual, 297,500 miles. Totaled by inattentive driver.

you might try spray washing them in straight alcohol[rubbing]. surely over time they'll get less smelly but you're in your small cabin so it is more intense. i'd give the alcohol a try if there is any release agent left on the rubber the alcohol would cut it with out damaging the rubber. i'd think once the rubber is surface dry the smell will start to diminish.

sounds strange but what about febrese?

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Thanks Much!
Craig

1972 350sl Red/Blk 117k
1988 420sel charcoal/Blk 140k
1987 420sel gold/tan 128k
See My Cars at:http://mysite.verizon.net/res0aytj/index.html

Pound it to fit then Paint it to match!

There is only First Place and Varying degrees of last!

Old age and deceit will overcome Youth and Enthusiasm every time!

Putting the square peg in the round hole is not hard... IF you do it fast enough!

Old enough to know better but stupid enough to do it anyway!

Wow. I've thought about buying some for my wagon but not now. If you have the resources - try heating them up in a large oven at low temp to speed up the curing process.

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dtf
1994 E320 Wagon (Died @ 308,669 miles)
1995 E300 Diesel (228,000)
1999 E300 Turbodiesel ( died @ 255,000)
2006 Toyota Tundra SR5 AC 4X4 (115,000 miles) rusted frame - sold to chop shop
2011 Audi A4 Avant (165,000 miles) Seized engine - donated to Salvation Army
BMW 330 xi 6 speed manual (175,034 miles)
2014 E350 4Matic Wagon 128,000 miles
2018 Dodge Ram 21,000 miles

...about a month ago for my 1995 E420. The smell for the first 2 weeks was pretty intense. It's noticeable now, but nowhere near as strong as before.

I'd recommend just letting them air out in your garage for a month, and then try again, and hope your wife's nose isn't too sensitive.

Troy
1995 E420 87k