Windows left open in rain, 1998 volvo v70 AWD

[mr.thetank]

I`ve got a problem. With all the heat lately I have been leaving my windows cracked open most of the time but shut them every night. Well I forgot to shut the windows on the V70 last night and luck would have it, it poured! Now the windows were only open about an inch but still got the seats and the door panels wet. The problem is that there are streaks and water marks where the water ran down the door and spots on the dash. The seats look fine. The car has a dark grey leather interior and dark grey vinyl. The streaks are on the door panels and on the edges of the dash and are light grey almost milky in color. I am just thinking that the water may have washed off some of the build up of protectant ect or left deposits as it dried. :confused:



The car was purchased last Aug from a used car dealer and they did the usual slather the interior with shiney goop and silicone the outside to make it pretty. I did do a quick wash of the inside when I got it but have not really done much to the interior as it is my wife`s daily driver.



I haven`t had a chance to really look at the car as it was still a little damp when she drove off to work this morning. I was thinking of washing the interior with lexol cleaner to see if that clears it up.



One other thing that I have noticed is that two of the window switches, suppose to be grey in color are now or this morning after getting all wet, are a milky white color where the water was sitting on them. They have some sort of rubber coating on them to give them a soft feel. still feels the same but now they are discolored like the door panels and the dash.



If water sits on the vinyl will it discolor it? :nixweiss



If anyone knows what to do let me know. I am going to try and wash the interior down tonight

[corvettez]

The lexol might bring it back to color, try it and see. I have the same interior and have had water spots on the doors as well in the past. 303 has worked good to re-condition the panels and bring back the color to being uniform with the surrounding areas. Try the 303 if you can, work it into the effected areas until the original color\luster returns. Nice collection too btw.

[jkochis]

There are a couple of things I would also be concerned about....



1) The switches - be careful about getting them wet, they are prone to failure due to corrosion on the contacts. It`s not too big of a deal to remove them and clean them up, but still, avoid getting them wet if possible.



2) Your door panels - the bigger worry. Volvo`s use of "environmentally friendly" glue causes the vinyl to start to bubble over time. Not all of them, but a lot. I dont imagine that water can be at all helpful to that situation. If you`re going to wash it down, dont go crazy. They can only be bought as a set these days too, which means big bucks to replace.



Good luck.

[imported_seres]

Try washing it really well with a good all purpose cleaner -- it sounds to me like the water & left over protectants mixed to make that milky color.



Good luck!!! I hope it turns out OK! :xyxthumbs

[imported_seres]

Originally posted by RH

2) Your door panels - the bigger worry. ............ They can only be bought as a set these days too, which means big bucks to replace.



Good luck.



:scared Eeek! I didn`t know that!! Well, there`s always Ebay, and Auto Disassembly in Atlanta for used ones!

[corvettez]

Hopefully the glue issue would not be an issue with a 98.

[mr.thetank]

Well when I got home after work yesterday I took a look at it all and it is back to normal. My wife said that the switches returned to the normal color in about 10 minutes of so and the other marks as well. I guess all it had to do is dry out. I never did get to wash the inside, I was compounding some scratches out of my BMW. I still see a couple of water marks but I am sure that those are where they have washed off the crap that the dealer put on it.

Water on the switch mechanism doesn`t worry me. I have rebuilt a handfull of switches on my 745 Turbo. The corrosion is easy to fix.

Now about Volvo`s glue, I have yet to have a problem with that yet on either one. Now that headliner on the 745 is another story. Lots of thumb tacks right now.