Bodywork suffering from LockDown

fergus · Jul 12th, 2021, 08:55

S90 but not model-specific.
With altered workplace arrangements over 2020-2021 my annual mileage has plummeted from 40,000+ to about 4,000. Maybe not that. I can go for days (weeks) at a time without using the car. (Thanks to this forum I have addressed the issue of a declining battery charge leading to a lack of functionality e.g. Start/Stop, foot-operated boot opening: I bought a AWD charger.)
The car lives outside. Over the months the kind of damp gunky/ muddy/ mouldy dark accretions more usually associated with garden structures (sheds, furniture) have accumulated. Sites include
- bottom of rear screen
- boot lid gutters (accessible when lid raised)
- southmost point of bootlid gutters where contoured light protectors (rubber? plastic?) are sited (**)
- bottom of front screen esp gutters when bonnet raised
- w/s wiper pivots
- bonnet hinges (**)
I took a toothbrush to these the other day, providing great improvement. But the sites marked (**) are especially horrible and need extra work because the gunk extends beyond the reach of the toothbrush filaments.
As for the contoured light protectors usually out of sight behind the closed bootlid: I could almost lift these to access what is below them but am nervy of doing so. Will I crack / bend them beyond recovery; do they unpop / pop back?
As for the bonnet hinges and surrounds: these have been horrible on all S80s/ S60s as far back as I remember. They gather leaves, twigs and general detritus and stay wet and become mouldy. There seems to be an open channel that descends deep into the wings and yet has no obvious egress. (On S60s I have seen pooled dirty water sloshing around like a harbour quay.) Does anybody have a great method for cleaning / drying / maintaining these horrible vulnerable points of weather degradation?
Thank you!

Mad Malc · Jul 12th, 2021, 16:07

All of the areas you mention get a 'clean' every time I wash the car. If you do not let things build up they are much easer to keep clean.
All a bit OCD I know but it makes me happy.

fergus · Jul 15th, 2021, 12:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Malc

All of the areas you mention get a 'clean' every time I wash the car. If you do not let things build up they are much easer to keep clean.
All a bit OCD I know but it makes me happy.

I don't think it's OCD at all. I wish I had taken trouble right from the start of ownership. It was reasonably clean then. When you say "clean" do you mean effortful scrub/wipe or is it OK to deluge with water - is there anywhere for it to run off? (See photos 1 and 2.)
As for the boot gutters - which I understand to be another of your OCD regions: is it possible to remove the moulded form-fitting gaiters shown (photo 3, I don't mean the round washer), clean below them, and replace? I'd hate to snap a popper and be left with a poorly fitting item.
Thank you!

Mad Malc · Jul 15th, 2021, 16:07

They don't look too bad. I just wipe all those areas with my drying cloth to keep up to them.
I would use a vac to get the leaves out of the crevices first.
For the boot area I get a thin cloth and poke it down the gaps. If you wrap a damp duster over a 'credit card' you can clean between narrow gaps quite effectively.
Your kindness to my mental state is appreciated.

Jul 12th, 2021, 08:55	#1
fergus fergus Last Online: Jan 25th, 2024 16:18 Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Perth	Bodywork suffering from LockDown S90 but not model-specific. With altered workplace arrangements over 2020-2021 my annual mileage has plummeted from 40,000+ to about 4,000. Maybe not that. I can go for days (weeks) at a time without using the car. (Thanks to this forum I have addressed the issue of a declining battery charge leading to a lack of functionality e.g. Start/Stop, foot-operated boot opening: I bought a AWD charger.) The car lives outside. Over the months the kind of damp gunky/ muddy/ mouldy dark accretions more usually associated with garden structures (sheds, furniture) have accumulated. Sites include - bottom of rear screen - boot lid gutters (accessible when lid raised) - southmost point of bootlid gutters where contoured light protectors (rubber? plastic?) are sited () - bottom of front screen esp gutters when bonnet raised - w/s wiper pivots - bonnet hinges () I took a toothbrush to these the other day, providing great improvement. But the sites marked (**) are especially horrible and need extra work because the gunk extends beyond the reach of the toothbrush filaments. As for the contoured light protectors usually out of sight behind the closed bootlid: I could almost lift these to access what is below them but am nervy of doing so. Will I crack / bend them beyond recovery; do they unpop / pop back? As for the bonnet hinges and surrounds: these have been horrible on all S80s/ S60s as far back as I remember. They gather leaves, twigs and general detritus and stay wet and become mouldy. There seems to be an open channel that descends deep into the wings and yet has no obvious egress. (On S60s I have seen pooled dirty water sloshing around like a harbour quay.) Does anybody have a great method for cleaning / drying / maintaining these horrible vulnerable points of weather degradation? Thank you!

Jul 12th, 2021, 16:07	#2
Mad Malc Member Last Online: May 9th, 2024 09:14 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Filey	All of the areas you mention get a 'clean' every time I wash the car. If you do not let things build up they are much easer to keep clean. All a bit OCD I know but it makes me happy.

Jul 15th, 2021, 16:07	#4
Mad Malc Member Last Online: May 9th, 2024 09:14 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Filey	They don't look too bad. I just wipe all those areas with my drying cloth to keep up to them. I would use a vac to get the leaves out of the crevices first. For the boot area I get a thin cloth and poke it down the gaps. If you wrap a damp duster over a 'credit card' you can clean between narrow gaps quite effectively. Your kindness to my mental state is appreciated.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)