Hi  

 

I'm looking to replace the strip above the window frame (above the door card) on the exterior of the glass which has been perished due to green fungi. And is causing condensation in the interior of the front and rear windows.  I am unsure of the product name and whether it is possible to fit myself without needing to remove the whole window.  Any original Skoda part numbers will be greatly appreciated.

 

Thankyou

Try CarProg2

Are you sure that it has started to degrade, cleaner air seems to have lead to more green algae "growing" on these window seals/dampers than used to be the case, I garage both our cars so don't have that problem, but my daughter's SEATs have both had this greening up going on, when I looked after her car while she was working in KL, I just cleaned that area up with a small stiff brush and maybe sometimes with a strong cleaner - it sounds like that part in your car needs the inner U channel cleaning as well to encourage it to seal against the glass on the inside of the car.

I finally got around to cleaning that seal only the other day on my wife's car's front windows and lubricated the door frame seals as the electric window mech was moaning about having to work harder.

 

I'm not sure those seals would be the cause of condensation in the car, more likely are things like towels in the car that can hold moisture or damp or wet towels from taking the dog out or other things that cause wet or damp items to be left in the car. or just the condensation of the car.  I've just removed two Pingi dehumidifier bags that we use when it's not summer as the car is always outside.

 

Along with using a few old tooth brushes on that seal to clean it (dry then with GT85) the following video shows cleaning and lubricating, I prefer to use GT85 as it has PTFE rather than silicone, some don't like to get silicone on to paint but if you spray the silicone on to a cloth away from the car you shouldn't get any overspray or airborne spray on to the car (all too much farting about for my limited car patience). -

 

 

Whatever the cause I've noticed the last x-number of years the winters are milder and damper and there's more algae and moss about where we live than previously and we live at the top of a hill where it's usually reasonably windy.

 

3 hours ago, rum4mo said:

Are you sure that it has started to degrade, cleaner air seems to have lead to more green algae "growing" on these window seals/dampers than used to be the case, I garage both our cars so don't have that problem, but my daughter's SEATs have both had this greening up going on, when I looked after her car while she was working in KL, I just cleaned that area up with a small stiff brush and maybe sometimes with a strong cleaner - it sounds like that part in your car needs the inner U channel cleaning as well to encourage it to seal against the glass on the inside of the car.

 

The seal has started to become hard with cracks. So it is evidently perished and needs replacing, otherwise there is a risk of water leaking into the door frames. 

2 hours ago, nta16 said:

I finally got around to cleaning that seal only the other day on my wife's car's front windows and lubricated the door frame seals as the electric window mech was moaning about having to work harder.

 

I'm not sure those seals would be the cause of condensation in the car, more likely are things like towels in the car that can hold moisture or damp or wet towels from taking the dog out or other things that cause wet or damp items to be left in the car. or just the condensation of the car.  I've just removed two Pingi dehumidifier bags that we use when it's not summer as the car is always outside.

 

Along with using a few old tooth brushes on that seal to clean it (dry then with GT85) the following video shows cleaning and lubricating, I prefer to use GT85 as it has PTFE rather than silicone, some don't like to get silicone on to paint but if you spray the silicone on to a cloth away from the car you shouldn't get any overspray or airborne spray on to the car (all too much farting about for my limited car patience). -

 

 

Whatever the cause I've noticed the last x-number of years the winters are milder and damper and there's more algae and moss about where we live than previously and we live at the top of a hill where it's usually reasonably windy.

 

The Seals have perished beyond any repair, they've become hard with cracks.   The condensation only effects the side windows. and nothing inside the car is causing this issue.  All I need is links to get them replaced. Not sure if they're weather strips or window seals. Cannot find the exact pats online?

It is strange but it seems like some "could be" common parts or parts used across the 4 main VW Group marques, do not have the same quality/durability, Skoda and SEAT seem to suffer from window and door seals not "living" as long as you might hope or expect, while VW and Audi similar parts seem to last longer, might be just down to different suppliers or different country of manufacture.

 

By the way, these window/door frame guides/seals do not and are not designed to stop water getting down into the door frame - there are drain holes on the lower end of the door frames to allow water to escape and  waterproof membranes to protect the speakers and door cards etc.

 

These parts should be able to be bought from any Skoda dealership parts department, they might need ordering in for you though.

From looking at your photos I would suggest you give cleaning the seals a try. Unless you can provide pics that show the cracking of the seal? I'm not suggesting they're not, I just can't see it from your pics.

 

From what I can see, the cracking is actually just the algae dried out and cracked. Try wetting it and the cracks should disappear eventually. Let them have a good soaking and then it should clean off with the above mentioned procedure.

Zooming in on the photo the cracks appear to be in the algae - whether this is reflected in real life using a magnifying glass or brush cleaning I can't know.

 

My wife's car looks not a lot better than yours after I cleaned it - but I don't care as I cleaned it for function rather than appearance, when (if) I can be arsed I might try clearing the seals more thoroughly at a later time before next autumn and winter.

 

13 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Zooming in on the photo the cracks appear to be in the algae - whether this is reflected in real life using a magnifying glass or brush cleaning I can't know.

 

My wife's car looks not a lot better than yours after I cleaned it - but I don't care as I cleaned it for function rather than appearance, when (if) I can be arsed I might try clearing the seals more thoroughly at a later time before next autumn and winter.

 

This is the only part of the car I have neglected (42,000 miles 2016 model) and does need a good exterior wash. Mechanically it has been well looked with a full major service every 12 months, And has a main dealer cambelt change and front discs and brake pads and cleaned rear brake pads.  I will also need to replace the front shocks since they're leaking and occasionally creak when driving over poorly maintained roads to work. 

 

 I gave all windows seals in this warm weather a good soapy brush with a toothbrush and sponge and as suggested a spray with GT85.    Which will allow me to determine in time whether or not this has solved the issue.  

 

Sorry I didn't mean to suggest you were neglecting your car rather that I don't care to give my wife's car any more of my attention than really necessary (to my thinking).

 

Until last year I was using various "classic" (over-priced and over-valued old) cars as daily use for 30+ years so very used to the full and more regular and frequent servicing and maintenance so find what Dealerships call full servicing to be a bit scant.

 

A word of warning the replacement dampers that the Dealership fitted to my wife's car would have failed an MoT at an independent garage for "leaking" at less than 12 months old but after arranging for their under warranty replacement at the Dealership it was found unnecessary as they were only "misting" and the car passed the Mot at the Dealership without even an Advisory for the "misting" dampers.  A neighbour's 20+ year old Toyota Yaris is still on factory dampers and so is a mate's Supra.

 

The car still has a creak after the new dampers were fitted it seems a common issue even when owners have replaced lots of parts chasing it.

 

For full service has, your car had the air filter, spark plugs, coolant, gearbox oil, brake fluid changed as I'm used to 30+ years of using "classic" (over-priced and over-valued old) cars as daily transport I'm used to a lot more servicing and more frequent and regular than the modern Dealerships and things like annual lubrication of hinges, cables and such, I even do some of it on the VWSkoda Fabia (when I can be bothered).