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Mystery Mold (pics)

adirussell

Active member
Joined
1 Feb 2016
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31
Ok not really Porsche related but an interesting one all the same. My brother has a B5 RS4, which he hardly ever uses, it just sits under a tree at home. Anyway he used it a few weeks back when it was raining quite heavily and he said that the inside of the car did get a little damp due to his clothes being wet etc.

The next time he saw the car a week later this is what greeted him!! He cleaned it straight away but its started coming back. Had anyone ever come across mold this bad or have any idea what could have caused it?
 

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Your brother has a nasty fungal infection.
 
Awful problem to have. :eek:

Have seen this problem before (unfortunately with black mould), but maybe not to the same extent as shown in the photographs. Almost makes me think that the leather has NOT been cleaned with a proper leather cleaner and this has really accelerated the whole mould growth process by either removing the protective coating on the leather and/or providing a ready source of food.

Mould loves to feed on organic matter (in this case, leather) in conditions where moisture is present and there is warmth to help things along.

Please note that mould spores, depending on type, can be hazardous to health if breathed in, so best to wear a mask when cleaning up the mess.

1. Ventilate car in direct sunlight
2. Use a stiff brush (nail brush or old tooth brush) to loosen mould, and then vacuum up with a Hoover.
3. Mix distilled white vinegar with tap water (maybe a ratio of 4 vinegar to 1 tap water, or even neat vinegar).
4. Spray mixture over all areas affected by the mould, and then wipe in with a cloth. Leave to soak for about 30 minutes to kill off any spores.
5. Allow to dry out naturally or suck up any remaining vinegar/water with a wet/dry vacuum cleaner.
6. Repeat process until all mould is eradicated.
7. Assess car to understand how moisture is getting in (especially under carpets and around door/window seals). Fix if necessary. If nothing is obvious, a desiccant sack on the dash is useful for absorbing normal moisture in the atmosphere.

Hope this helps.
 
Looks like mildew and you need a specialist cleaning product to kill it. Wiping it off etc doesn't get rid of it.

When you've done all that check for any residual damp under carpets etc. Does the car get condensation on the inside of the glass? If so you've got moisture getting in. Sort this problem then dry out with a heater and put silicone bags in the footwell to soak up moisture when its not used.

The Mrs left a bottle of water in the cup holder once and even with just the drinking cap open the amount of moisture it created when left overnight was incredible :eek:
 
How about one of those 'bomb' things with fungiside you set off inside the car...?
 
'Kinhell that is rank ! Defo moisture getting in

imo door cards , seats and carpets to be removed and thoroughly cleaned. Whilst interior out investigate moisture ingress. Could be rain, coolant, washer bottle fluid , water from car wash !?

I had a similar issue on my 92 vw golf mk1 cabrio. After replacing numerous door seals, windows rubbers finally traced the leak ....

Rubber seal perished beneath blower for heater matrix sat in bulk head ( engine side ), p8ssing in rain water through perished rubber.

One tube of bathroom sealant around the bottom of blower later - all good no more leak !

Ensure drain holes in bulk head clear of debris also.

wish him luck and no doubt you could assist holding hose pipe during investigation process.
 
Just shows why you should wash your hands after visiting the loo and no farting in your Audi !

:floor:
 
I would just throw money at that. Get it sorted by professionals. I'd then sell the car. Yuk.
 

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