Have I killed my car

shakeydude

Hi All,

I left my car in the trusty hads of my parents while I headed away for a Round the world trip:p : . They said that they would keep it running but they have not driven it in 7 months, it is full mould and the battery is dead.

Will it be able to come back to full health (it is a 2002 opel)???

and is the mould because of a faulty seal (the car was left outside for the 7 months) and it will be a problem when I return

I will be using it again in Feb and thought a full service would bring it back to life but I am not too sure now!!!!

I feel like suc an idiot now

Owen

If it's full of mould, you'll need to do an internal strip down. Fault find and locate the seal (Bearing in mind, it could be a seal inside a door, not just the obvious ones around the door). Take out seats, shampoo them (Be careful if the seats have internal airbags, or occupancy detection mats), take out the carpet and shampoo that, borrow a dehumidifier, and leave it plugged in inside the bare car for a weekend, emptying periodically.

With the Battery, you could try conditioning it with an Optimate charger (40 squid), or replace it. Change the Oil and Filter too!

It's no harm now too, to examine the rubber lines under the bonnet for perishment. I know you've only been away from it for 7 months, but check for cracks, check for any sediment in the coolant too.

Heinrich

I would charge up the battery or jump it from another car and start the engine. As for the mould, simply clean it with some bleach.

BrianD3

Mould can grow in a car even if the seals are perfect. It depends on how the car is stored, how damp it was when it was stored etc. You will often find mould all over the steering wheel rim if the last person to drive the car had dirty hands

Fulton Crown

Parents generally do not carry out long tasks - such as minding a car - very well.
They tend to think that bollix is down in Oz an he expects uz to ,,, well u know the rest - moral of the story is ..if you want to swan around OZ for a year -- sell your ****in car an don't expect your parents to look after it !!

maidhc

ned78 wrote:

If it's full of mould, you'll need to do an internal strip down. Fault find and locate the seal (Bearing in mind, it could be a seal inside a door, not just the obvious ones around the door). Take out seats, shampoo them (Be careful if the seats have internal airbags, or occupancy detection mats), take out the carpet and shampoo that, borrow a dehumidifier, and leave it plugged in inside the bare car for a weekend, emptying periodically.

I'd go with something less drastic, like giving the car a good valeting.

I know of one garage that stops mould in slow moving cars by putting salt under the rear seat.

Volvoboy

Fulton Crown wrote:

Parents generally do not carry out long tasks - such as minding a car - very well.
They tend to think that bollix is down in Oz an he expects uz to ,,, well u know the rest - moral of the story is ..if you want to swan around OZ for a year -- sell your ****in car an don't expect your parents to look after it !!

I dont think thats what the op wants to hear, Two posts eh? you've alot of learning to do son.

OP as mentioned change battery, oil, oil filter, sparks, i'd invest in a good valet for the car.


-VB-

dingding

Don't forget some of the opels have pyrotechnic seat belt pre-tensioners under the front seat. Be careful you don't trigger them.

Might start with a good charge and or you may need to change the battery. A good cleaning should sort out the rest.

Any pictures to see how bad the mould is, might be better able to advise.

BrianD3

Also, check your tyres carefully. After 7 months sitting in the one spot they might need replacing. Your brakes might need some attention too. 7 months probably (hopefully) isn't long enough for the petrol in your tank to degrade into petrol varnish.

It's good that your car is a 02 though - I find that when an older car doesn't move for a while it deteriorates more quickly than a newer car would.

Fulton Crown

Volvoboy wrote:

I dont think thats what the op wants to hear, Two posts eh? you've alot of learning to do son.

OP as mentioned change battery, oil, oil filter, sparks, i'd invest in a good valet for the car.


-VB-

Listen Dogbreath I,m experienced on this site and only trying to give a bit of clear advice,

smashey

Fulton Crown wrote:

Listen Dogbreath I,m experienced on this site and only trying to give a bit of clear advice,

Trolltastic.

Reported.

Volvoboy

Fulton Crown wrote:

Listen Dogbreath I,m experienced on this site and only trying to give a bit of clear advice

No, you gave a clear answer to a question that no one asked, if the op started a thread ''Should i sell my car as i'm traveling to OZ for a few months and dont want my car lying around falling into disrepair'', your post would be valid, but the op wanted to know what repairs will they need to get thier car into a roadworthy condition.


Don't insult me, i presume your not five, and i just checked my bith cert and i'm not either.



-VB-

unkel

Fulton Crown wrote:

Listen Dogbreath I,m experienced on this site and only trying to give a bit of clear advice,

Fulton Crown banned for a week for personal abuse

old boy

opels are notorius for water leaks, also if you had it valated some time before it became idle then it would become mouldy.