Styling Mould !

[Markjh68]

Mould isssue

i have had the 500l tracking since early December 2013 1.2 Trekking Dualogic

Mould inside of the car is ridiculous i have cleaned this off once and it reappears after a day or so plenty more photos but you get my drift,no windows have been left open etc

 

[porta]

Apple cider vinegar, and put some dehumidifier gel etc in
I’m guessing, as it seems so widespread, that it’s had water, from cleaning, left in without fully drying including leaving all doors open, or there’s just a hell of a lot of moisture in car…have you checked footwells and spare wheel well to check no standing water

 

[Ralf S.]

Yes, check it for leaks. It's obviously a bit damp inside...

If it's dry/not leaking anywhere you could just have a bit of mould appeared and now the local conditions are making the mould want to become mushrooms, such as it's parked in the shade all day or next to a river etc.

If you zap the mould, that will stop it coming back so quickly. The seats need a good vacuuming to get all the spores out of the cloth and then ideally a wet-wash vax etc. to kill off any residuals, shift the mould marks and leave it all clean... but obviously you need the car somewhere where you can leave the doors/windows open while it dries. A lot of the car fabric/carpet cleaner sprays should have a mould suppressant, even if they don't say so... so if you don't have a Vax etc. just use regular car fabric/carpet cleaner with a sponge.

On hard surfaces you can use something like screen-wash, which contains propyl-alcohol, or any proprietary mould killer, as long as it doesn't contain bleach.. (typical household/bathroom mould removers may be bleachy) just to make sure any spores don't get back onto the seats.


Ralf S.

 

[Markjh68]

When I first got it it was dry as a bone (it was delivered on 4/12/22) no issues etc I’ve ran it passed my mate who runs a Fiat franchise down south and he says possible flood damage previously and it was cleaned up now the signs are showing but theyre no visible signs of flooding…apart from the mould

 

[Bonefish Blues]

At some point it has got mouldy, which has spawned spores which are throughout the interior. As said, two issues - 1st remove/kill the mould & spores* and 2. Dry it sufficiently that there is no recurrence.

*I'm wondering if it hasn't impregnated the AC system, too, so you're religiously cleaning & drying and then spewing out new spores when you drive it?

 

[Ralf S.]

When I first got it it was dry as a bone (it was delivered on 4/12/22) no issues etc I’ve ran it passed my mate who runs a Fiat franchise down south and he says possible flood damage previously and it was cleaned up now the signs are showing but theyre no visible signs of flooding…apart from the mould

Usually you can see flood ingress if you look under the seats. or around the footwells (there will be some kind of tide-mark) and though it's possible, it's statistically unlikely... but anyways as long as it's dry now, you just need to valet the interior. Maybe a local valet place can do the "Vax" part on the upholstery for not much cash, if you don't have facilities yourself.


Ralf S.

 

[portland_bill]

This is typical of a car that has been flooded.
You've had it less than a month, it is a health hazard. If mine, I'd be giving it back for a full refund.

This is why most flooded cars will be written off by insurance companies, due to the health risk.

 

[varesecrazy]

Or parked in a yard with smashed door and windows for a period..



Ive bought cars just 'buttoned up' for months.. and the surface mould is evident..
but soon goes once warm and dry with air circulating in daily use

Yours coming back so badly and quickly is bad news.

 

[porta]

Or parked in a yard with smashed door and windows for a period..



Ive bought cars just 'buttoned up' for months.. and the surface mould is evident..
but soon goes once warm and dry with air circulating in daily use

Yours coming back so badly and quickly is bad news.

We had a spate of cinquecento with mould identified on PDI, they were all sent for steam-cleaning of all fabrics, trims and plastics. They all came good but never smelt like ‘new car’. There was no explanation from Fiat but they were all paid for by them. Doesn’t beat Fletcher motors though wehn we found about seven or eight avengers in a ‘copse’ of trees in the Peugeot compound, all unregistered, all with moss, mould, shrubs growing inside