Mouldy Light Fittings?

[craggle]

Hi All

Silly question perhaps but does anyone else have the leading edge of their rear lights going green?

It's the front edge that wraps around the side of the car and I noticed it today while cleaning. You can't get a sponge in there and I had a quick glance at taking the light fitting out the car but that isn't easy. According to the manual you need to remove my mudflaps, a panel from inside the wheel arch, all the trim from the back of the car then 3 nuts and one screw hold the light fitting in place!

I'm happy to remove the light fitting given time but can't believe everyone does this each time they clean the car so has anyone else got this issue and what have you done about it, Not sure If I should just direct a pressure washer in there and blast away!

Craig.

[tarquin]

Can you get an old tooth brush in there? Ot a stiff paint brush, or a bottle cleaning brush

David

[craggle]

The gap seems really tight between the body and the light, Hang on a minute and I'll try to get a photo......

Craig.

[craggle]

OK, Lets try these pictures.

You can see the greeness along the very front edge and the bottom edge, the gap seems too tight to get anything in there and I did try a cloth but you can't seem to get it back on itself to touch the plastic lens no matter how much you try to cram in there.

Think I'll just have to resort to removing the light fittings, cleaning everything then putting it back together and keep on top of the cleaning. Maybe the previous owner kept it under a tree or something but the rest of the car looks spotless enough.

Oh, I did top up the washer fluid today and pulled out the dipstick type thing in there and it was slimy and smelly so I can see the bumper coming off soon to remove and flush out the washer bottle!

Craig.

[tarquin]

Sorry Craig I am struggling to see the "Greenies" but I suspect you mean the rubber is impregnated with it which would mean removing the light clusters and scrubbing.

For the front it does mean removing the 2 screws in the wheel arches, four screws under the front and pull out the four pin "bungs along the the top of the front grill. Also both sides are held in position withe the side panels with plastic claws. There is a procedure on the CD

David

[DFish]

Yeap a brush and an all purpose cleaner whilst the car still has shampoo on it.

Fish

[craggle]

Cheers guys, It is easier to see on the car than in the pictures but definite green there. :)

If there is a rubber or foam seal around the edge of the light fittings then as you say, probably impregnated in that so I'l set too over the weekend and take the back end apart but I'll try a brush first and see if anything gets in there. I'll let you know how I get on.

Just looked at the CD and the front bumper removal looks surprisingly easy, Maybe I'll get some of those LED strips and do the DRL add on at the same time. :)

Thanks

Craig.

[craggle]

Sorry, 2 posts again! :)

[craggle]

Maybe this picture will highlight the problem. :)

I did notice on eBay earlier there is someone selling new LHD rear light fittings. Thought it might look rather snazzy with clear lights on both sides then fit a red lightbulb for the rear foglight?

Craig.

[tarquin]

Have you got a link please

David

[surfcitylocal]

Great job on the pic Craig. I'm digging the narration.

That's not something we see much in So Cal. Is it possible to use a solvent (mild) on a Q-tip to reach in there?

[sweet-dentist]

Yep...I have the same.. Holland is a country that is very "moist".. in the least to say..

So... I go to a carcleaners place..

And with a high-pressure hot water with wax spray I try to keep this clean. It's green in the small and tight "crack" next to the plastic and bodywork..

Hard work.. and hard to reach... but it helps (a little)...

Peter

[tarquin]

Craig

The DRL strips i gave the link for fit perfectly, you need to cut them down from 30 to 21 LED's

David

[craggle]

Hi all

Here's a link David to the right hand light fitting from a left hand drive vehicle. He has more so feel free to buy if you want one. :)

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TOYOTA-IQ-REAR-LIGHT-GENUINE-PART-/110782634537?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item19cb28da29#ht_500wt_1044

I'll get those same LED strips you bought too from the link you provided on the other thread, have you fitted them yet?

Cheers Peter, glad I'm not the only one that has seen this issue then. I will try my pressure washer in there with brushes and anything else I can force in there before taking the car apart and see if that helps.

Sounds like what I really need to do is move to Southern California! :)

Craig.

[tarquin]

Ok Craig

Can see the greenies now. Might get the replacement cluster if I can be ar**d to take the rear off. Have temp put the DRL strip in place and it is difficult to do properly without removing the front bumper. I am still not sure if i like them in place of my original DRL's in the grills. Think it would look silly if i kept both so not sure. Also not sure what to do with the extra DRL i have on the new repeater cluster on the mirrors, Wether to connect as DRL or side lights. I think a pull is unlikely as they are the same as the original in every way. Decisions Descisions

David

[DFish]

Do you park under/near any tree's? This is where is normally comes from. Might also be worth checking your window seals, as it can also build up there.

Fish

[tarquin]

As Dan said , is it not sap? A friend of mine suffers badely from it with their beetle and now that is going green in tha same places as yours. One tree over hanging their drive is causing it

David

[craggle]

Hi Dan and David

I don't park under any trees or hedges myself but then I've only owned the car about 6 weeks now, maybe the previous owner did have a big bush to park under Ohhh errrr. :)

I have checked the rest of the car, around the boot opening, under the bonnet, and around door and window seals and it all looks spotlessly clear but then the garage valet services can be very good these days. Maybe I'll google streetmap the previous owners address from the V5c and see if I can see any trees in the area. :)

Cheers

Craig.

[craggle]

Amazing what you can find on the internet.

Just using the previous owners address on the V5c I have managed to find the advert and pictures from the last time their house was sold and found it on Google maps including street view! Scary isn't it?

Anyway, Yes, Lovely little quaint cottage tucked away in a miniature forest so that explains the mouldy lights!

I think I'll do the job properly, remove the lights and clean everything up behind and around the light fittings then refit and do my best to keep it clean and make sure I don't park near any trees again. :)

Craig.

[DFish]

I would say in that case Craig that the complete car could do with a deep clean, as in the following list.

1, wash

2, de-tar and de-iron

3, wash and clay the car

4, final wash (yesI know lots of washing, thank god it's so small)

5, decent polish/wax primer

6, being a Silver beast a sealant would really make it stand out. If you have a garage leave the sealant on for 24 hours if possible

7, depending on time a coat of some good wax

This if you dont have a garage would take around a day to do, but the car would then be well protected for the next 4-5 months

Fish

[tarquin]

4-5 months after all that hard work i would expect it to last at least 10yrs. lol

David

[craggle]

So far all I've done is washed it a few times.

Come the summer I do intend to do a lot more work on it and give it a good polish. I'll have to read up on de-taring and claying but it would be well worth it, there are thousands of little black dots on the side of her.

As you say though, Good job it's a small car, Polishing my old Range Rover took up a whole weekend! :)

Cheers

Craig.

[craggle]

Plan to get the wheels off in the summer too and spray the brake discs silver and clean the inside of the wheels. Will probably paint the callipers too but can't decide whether to do them silver again or be a bit different and go red.

So much to do, so little time. :)

Craig.

[surfcitylocal]

I would say in that case Craig that the complete car could do with a deep clean, as in the following list.

1, wash

2, de-tar and de-iron

3, wash and clay the car

4, final wash (yesI know lots of washing, thank god it's so small)

5, decent polish/wax primer

6, being a Silver beast a sealant would really make it stand out. If you have a garage leave the sealant on for 24 hours if possible

7, depending on time a coat of some good wax

This if you dont have a garage would take around a day to do, but the car would then be well protected for the next 4-5 months

Fish

A little OCD are we? LOL

[craggle]

No progress on getting the light fittings out the car but I did have a spare minute today so popped along to Halfords and got myself a Turtle Wax clay kit.

Well, I thought the car was clean but decided to have a play so gave the bonnet another wash, dried it then followed the instructions and rubbed the putty like clay over the surface using the supplied spray as a lubricant. As soon as you start you can feel the roughness on the surface and after just a few wipes it gets a lot smoother. Once I was happy that it was clean and I saw how much dirt came off the surface and was now on the clay I dried the bonnet and applied a coat of Turtle wax polish.

Polished that off and what a clean and smooth bonnet my car now has! In fact it looks a different colour now, more silver somehow so bring on the spring and let me do the rest of the car!

Can't believe I've been cleaning cars so long and never tried clay. :)

Craig.