Saturated

Shopping the other day. While in the store a brutal thunderstorm appeared out of nowhere. The top was up, but the back window was down. I figured I'd be OK unless the rain was horizontal from North to South. Guess what? After the storm it was as if the car had been submerged. The only problem was that water in the steering wheel caused the horn to keep going off. I had to disconnect it for a couple of days, but the car runs fine otherwise. I'm starting to smell some mildew. Any cure for that?

Reply to
Frank Berger
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What I would do is first put some fans in the car for 8-12 hours (until the carpet and upholstery doesn't feel wet anymore).

Then buy a couple gallons of silica cat litter (make sure it's pure silica and _not_ the clay stuff) and spread that out on the floor, seats, under the seats, etc. Keep the top and windows up for a day or two to allow the silica to absorb water from the air in the car and help dry it out. Scoop/vacuum up the silica. You can bake the silica at a low temperature to dry it out, and then it can be reused.

Repeat the silica treatment until the car no longer seems humid inside.

Do not eat!

Reply to
Grant Edwards

What he said.

Also, I would clean up any exposed electrical system connectors as well as possible and put some electrical contact grease in them, especially the wires going to the fuel pump since it took a really good soaking through the open window.

It may be worth removing the seats and taking them inside to help dry out and to expose the carpet to help it dry and maybe to treat it.

There is some type of anti-mildew treatment to put on the seats and carpet, but I forget what it is called. A carpet place should be able to help you. I have never used it but have heard good things about it, whatever it is called.

"Carefully" running a space heater inside the car to help dry it out is another option that has helped dry out a few wet convertibles that I have dealt with in the past.

Are the seats leather or cloth? I would treat the steering wheel with a leather treatment, and if you have leather seats, then I would treat those too, though the seat backs are vinyl.

Good luck!

Pat

Reply to
pws

A road-trip to somewhere very dry for a few days might also be an option. The Mojave is nice this time of year. :)

Reply to
Grant Edwards

Clothes pin on the nose?

Sorry, couldn't resist...

-- Larry 8') / 2

Reply to
pltrgyst

Clipped from Grant;

Do not eat!

Oh man, that's why I love this newsgroup! lol, Crazy thing is that he probably lifted that phrase directly from some part of the bag!

Chris

99BBB
Reply to
Chris D'Agnolo

remove the floor mats, lower the top, and let it dry in direct sun light. the bottoms of the floor mats are rubber so if you leave them in there the water under them will never dry and mold will most certainly form. give the order some time to dissipate (days/weeks) but if it is persistent then try any of the large number of mildew fabric cleaners on the market. if it is really bad then check out a product called chemical guys offensive order eliminator plus bacteria killer.

Reply to
Christopher Muto

Thanks for the advice.

Reply to
Frank Berger

I've got an electric dehumidifier. It cost me about $150 (this one, cheaper here:

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and requires a lineto a power outlet. This is a handy home appliance if you live in Lutz,Florida, the damp but lovely town right next to the town called "LandO'Lakes." I've put it in my Miata overnight on a couple of occasionswhen I neglected to put the top up, and after a day or so it wasabsolutely bone dry like I had parked it in Tucson with the windowsopen.

Through the Florida monsoon season, to deal with the mustiness that accumulates in the car, I switch this between under a car seat and the trunk:

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It's a plastic box about the size of a trade paperback filled with bits of silica, tinted with cobalt chloride which turns blue when dry, pink when damp. There's a little window in it so you can see what color the silica bits are. On the back is an electric plug that folds out. When it has absorbed enough water that the silica is pink (this takes three or four days during the rainy season), you plug it into a wall socket for a few hours, and the 20 watt heater inside drives off the water so the silica turns blue. Since I started using this thing, my car interior doesn't smell like an old pair of sneakers all through May and June and tools in the trunk don't rust.

Doesn't do anything about those g-d mosquitos. though. Tropical Florida, sheesh! I miss snow.

yrs WDK

Reply to
johnny p.

Tucson has a hi-humidity monson season too. Just so you know, next time you're parking there. ;)

miker

Reply to
miker

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