Author Topic: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?  (Read 1361 times)

tomreys

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Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« on: June 09, 2019, 10:15:33 PM »
Found a car which I'm thinking possibly about getting,however.. the car has been left standing for 2years outside without using it , its now a 6.5 year old car, very low miles,huge spec on the car, very little money and mechanically looked really good compared to others, great drive , engine was running sweet. However the car has been seriously neglected, stinks like crazy inside from mould, everything seems very crusty and lots of gunk everywhere from just sitting outside unused for 2years , I think even some windows were stuck and didn't opened due to the gunk stuck inside everywhere.

Has anyone had a car like this in past? Is it even possible to properly get rid of any mould infestation like this from a car? Upholstery/seats I guess could probably be washed/cleaned,however I'm kinda worrying about all the other places it can grow- behind all the panels of the car and on the electronics/wiring etc- All the good stuff you can't access... I do think the car at the current condition is a health hazard to sit in and drive for long periods, there weren't very much visible mould however you could just feel the gunk/mould is everywhere in the car.

Would be great if anyone had had similar problem/experience and could share how it worked out for you.

peteo48

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #1 on: June 10, 2019, 09:42:46 AM »
I've no direct experience but, if the car was otherwise OK, there are people who specialise in deep cleaning cars. Check out a guy who trades under the name Autoshine in Blackpool on Youtube. He has cleaned some truly horrendously neglected vehicles infested by all sorts.

sparky Paul

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #2 on: June 10, 2019, 09:57:31 AM »
Everything you can see is just cosmetic, and can usually be cleaned, although headlinings can be a problem if stained.

If a car has been stood, you need to have a good look underneath.

If it's been under cover, it will probably be fine. If it's been parked outside on tarmac or concrete, it will probably be okay too. It it's ever been stood on gravel, grass or soil, you need to have a very careful look underneath. The constant damp can make a mess of brake pipes and suspension components in a surprisingly short time.

Leaky garages can be a disaster too.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2019, 10:04:08 AM by sparky Paul »

richardfrost

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #3 on: June 10, 2019, 11:37:53 AM »
Also, the air conditioning will probably need major work if it has not been run for two years. Once clean on the inside, permanent use of the air con should out any remaining damp.

tomreys

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #4 on: June 10, 2019, 01:09:02 PM »
Is there anything else I should be looking at when getting such a car?
had almost 0 rust anywhere, and everything else checked out..
Will def test the AC on it.

Jimster

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2019, 10:59:33 PM »
You're likely going to need a set of discs and pads all round if it's been sat that long so check to see what condition they're in. The discs are unlikely to scrub clean if they're heavily corroded.

An aircon bomb may help to get rid of any lingering musty smell too.

Jocko

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #6 on: June 12, 2019, 06:12:41 AM »
I would be concerned that the car had been affected by flooding. Hundreds of cars have been soaked by floodwater over the past few years.. Have you checked the insurance history?

tomreys

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Re: Mould in a car I'm thinking getting- How big of a problem?
« Reply #7 on: June 12, 2019, 05:17:32 PM »
Ended up getting the car, the car wasn't actually as bad as I had it described.. 1day of deep cleaning and looks as new.
Couldn't even see any visible mould, just the smell of it at first. Now after spraying everything with vinegar just to be safe and deep cleaning everything you couldn't tell..

Next will be taking of all the wheels and going over all the brake pads/discs and greasing everything up, however some 50 miles done with it already and there didn't seem anything off with them.

6year old Car ,55k miles, top EX spec , for 2250 squids in the end, haggled down from 3800 ..






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