As per my other thread, i picked up an 08 reg Fabia II recently. The headliner (ceiling) seems to be stained with mould or something similar, apart from a square around the cabin lights at the front. Has anyone else noticed this? It seems dry as a bone, even in wet weather... so i'm wondering if the previous owner was doing something resulting in high condensation levels up there.

 

I've tried carpet troubleshooter, vinegar and valetpro enzyme cleaner and nothing seems to shift it, so does anybody know a) where i could source a replacement headliner from, b ) how easy it is to fit, and c) is it likely to return over time?

 

Also, what's in the square around the cabin lights that would stop mould from growing there?

Edited 23 October, 201312 yr by Plasmastorm

.... so i'm wondering if the previous owner was doing something resulting in high condensation levels up there.

Eeeeuuuuuwwheheheewwww, sell it, sell it, sell it.

Haha! God i hadn't even thought of that. Luckily i'm not squeamish about things like that... but may have to give the seats a deep clean at the weekend just in case

Hi all another newbie,

I have exactly the same mark on my fabia 2 . Picked it up yesterday on an 07.

I even have the same clean square by the cabin lights. Any help with a solution or possible

Cause would be appreciated .

As some of the Fabia's do suffer with extreme internal condersation, I would imagine it has something to do with that, mould doesn't grow on glass as easily - unless it is really dirty, so my second guess would be the headlining - as reported here because it retains moisture also.

 

Bit of a clean up job that, good luck and let us know how you get on.

 

Whilst you are at it, get some of those moisture absorbing bags, quite useful this time of year.

 

My Fabia is terrible for moisture, I do leave it for long periods without use, not weeks but a few days at a time and when the temperature drops outside the inside mists up in no time. I have checked the whole car for water ingress and there is none whatsoever, all carpets bone dry, seats dry, spare wheel well dry. Just one of those things that I have learned to live with. But apart from that I do love the little car.

Buy a big bag of silica based cat litter, put it in socks until they are bursting and tie a knot in the top 

 

leave them in footwells when driving with recirc on and place on dash and parcel shelf of an evening replace when they feel damp, dont leave on seats, they will suck the moisture out of fabric leaving it brittle

Thanks for quick reply, those moisture bags sound a good idea. Need to check carpets and rear door sills at some point.

Cracking first little car otherwise.

So it's not just me then?

 

Nice one guys, I've got a couple of those passive de-humidifier boxes and stuck them in the seatback pockets of the driver and passenger seats... I never really have anyone in the back so shouldn't really notice them. Will see how much they absorb over time! I drive it pretty much every day, so hopefully it'll be getting a good airing out too.

 

Re-looking at the test areas, the carpet troubleshooter spray actually seems to have made a just-about-noticable dent in the mould... maybe a few applications will help. The only real issue is not being able to scrub it with anything as the headliner material falls apart... I used a sponge to gently rub it in and that changed the texture so anything more vigorous would rip it to shreds i reckon. Maybe i should just spray and leave it?

 

I can't find a new headliner anywhere online, might have to ring my local Skoda place and see what they can do.

I would suspect the car has been involved with flood damage.

 

Its Mildew, the best mildew cleaner I've used is this spray. Once mildew has stained material, its usually impossible to remove the stain.

 

Mildew is a serious health hazard.