Fabia rain water seal

[Artman]

Hi, this is my first post. Does anyone know about maintenance of the rain water seals for the power windows. I have moss growing on the seals which seems to have harden them and they're starting to break up. Can they be easily replaced. Has anyone done it themselves. 

The only other problems I've had in four and a half years is a broken sun visor bracket and a replacement fuel flap, which cost £90.00 to fit at a dealer. 

[john999boy]

Try jet washing the moss off and maybe the seals aren’t as bad as you think.

[HeavyMetalRich]

Yeah it's usually just the moss that breaks up and comes off.

 

To clean it off, if the pressure washing doesn't work, get it wet, then using a small brush that isn't too stiff and some of your preferred cleaning fluid or car wash shampoo, just give it a scrub and rinse. It should come off a lot more easily than you would believe. Plus your car looks a lot better without the green!😁

[Artman]

Thanks guys, 

Some good advice there. I will give it ago over the weekend and report back on the results. 👍

[Portman]

From experience I find it is best to make sure the moss is well wetted, for some time, before you try to remove it.  This will help ensure the moss is softened and then it more readily releases its grip on the seals.  It also helps avoid damaging the seals (especially when they are some years old).

 

You can either spray water on the moss around 12 hours or so before tackling the job, or even better I find it ideal to wait until nature (rain) has given it a thorough soaking (again for at least 12 hours or so).

[nta16]

I'd just try brushing with an old toothbrush, if you want whilst spraying with a water mister bottle (that's many sorts of emptied and cleaned spray bottles) or whilst it's raining for wash, flush cleaning.

 

For the rubber seals you could apply many sorts of cleans/restorers such as AutoGlym Rubber Care Gel or silicon oil or any such like suitable for rubber.

 

Try alternating the direction the car is parked to get a more even spread of moss.

 

Seems to me moss is more prevalent in the last few years.

 

[Artman]

I do have a water spray bottle. I'll probably give the rubbers a spray and leave over night to soak before before further spraying and toothbrushing with car shampoo in the morning. A good idea to treat the rubber as well. The moss doesn't know what's coming. 😁

Thanks guys. I will report the results. 

[nta16]

1 hour ago, Artman said:

I'll probably give the rubbers a spray and leave over night to soak before before further spraying and toothbrushing with car shampoo in the morning.

How bad is this moss, is it rather dried on green stuff (moss?) rather than the usual wet/damp/moist moss (I'm no gardener).

 

Always let the chemicals do the hard work for you, I'd not bother with spraying and soaking overnight, if that was needed I'd just wait for a night where it's going to rain  and clean the next day, and I'd not bother with car shampoo, water is good as a lubricant and cleaner, I'd just spray and brush - but diluted car shampoo would be fine but you'd only need a pipette of shampoo to a cup of water.

 

TBH I leave the rain and summer to do all the work, I'm not much for cleaning cars nowadays, prefer cleaning neighbours cars to ours.

 

Forgot to put the photo of silicon oil to promote discussion about paint.  😁

 

Good luck let us know how you get on, perhaps a before and after photo.

 

[Artman]

Hi Guys,

I did the deed today. After it stopped raining I went out with the spray bottle and sprayed all the seals. Then washed the car. I used the edge of a plastic scraper to gently scoop the worst of the moss from the seals and used the toothbrush to remove the fine stuff. I squirted more water to flush out the debris. I then opened and closed all the windows and cleaned the dirt smeared on them.

Job done.

[nta16]

Wow what a difference, well done.

 

I was trying to work out if the photos were of the same window, blimey you'd got a garden growing there.

 

Edited 19 September, 2021 by nta16

[john999boy]

I told you that you were worrying too much! 😉

[nta16]

Yeah but jet washing, by the time you've dragged out and connected up the power tool (to electric and water in tis case and drained the machined for frost protection) you could have used simple hand tools and have the job finished, tools away, finished a mug of tea and biccies and had a quick nap.  You boys with your toys.  🤣

 

[john999boy]

5 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Yeah but jet washing, by the time you've dragged out and connected up the power tool (to electric and water in tis case and drained the machined for frost protection) you could have used simple hand tools and have the job finished, tools away, finished a mug of tea and biccies and had a quick nap.  You boys with your toys.  🤣

On the other hand, I'd have just done it when I washed the car and certainly wouldn't have thought about any (extra to normal) draining of the jetwash! 🚗

Maybe the micro climate is different in Northampton though? 🥶

[nta16]

Yes my mistake.  😀

 

I was thinking of the one and only time I used a jet washer to clean the wheels of a car, I didn't think it made a very good job of it so fully drained it as I'd only used it twice in about 10 years of ownership and it was stored in a unheated shed, can't for the life of me remember now why I bought it in the first place, I think I might have used it twice since then.

 

Difference in generations I expect, I'd never think of using a jet washer to clean a car, perhaps initially for off-roading I expect but I keep to tarmac & concrete.  Other than cleaning under the wheel arches and underside of the car I don't even use a hose anymore.

 

Bit like I don't see the point of using a power tool to put a few screws in or remove a few nuts or bolts, a young neighbour was surprised to see me use a hand-drill to put a couple of pilot holes in some wood. I'm all for using tools and chemicals to make the work easier but often it can be wasting time and resources, batteries or main electric as I'll still eat the same amount even if I used power tools.  😄 

 

As Northampton is so far inland we have very temperate weather normally but living at the top of a hill it can get cold and windy.

 

I let the rain and air resistance clear the moss of our cars other than the very occasional cleaning with waterless wash 'n' wax, the days of two-day car cleaning are well behind me, almost decades back.

[Artman]

Yes, same window but may be a different position. I must admit I was surprised how much moss there was there. The thorough soaking and careful work with the scraper did the trick and didn't take long. All looks good as new. 🤩

[nta16]

You done a good job.

 

I've just realised, perhaps the window was down in the first photo as the texture of door capping looks different and/or you gave that a wipe over too.

 

Rain can be useful for cleaning, but more than once the rain would start just before I'd be finishing (synthetic) chamois'ing off the car and my neighbours would get the mistaken idea that I must enjoy cleaning the car.  As all the cars we've owned have almost always been permanently outside, even if they're not used much or far they soon get dirty.

 

When I was lent a garage one time to store a car for a month I washed and polished it before putting it away and two weeks later when I went to give it a quick run I caught by surprise when I lifted the garage door to see the car was still clean and shiny, magically things theses garages.

 

Edited 19 September, 2021 by nta16