Bubonic plague

[Danny]

This really is a mystery to me.

After not having used the car for a week or so during the Christmas holidays, I was rather surprised to find that the interior of my car had caught a disease of some kind. See picture. This has come up all of a sudden and I really can't think of what might have caused it. It wasn't present before, it is only present at the spot you can see on the picture, not anywhere else, the temperatures have been rather mild during the entire winter until now and (as far as I know) there is no moisture or water leakage in the interior of the car. Anyone experienced something similar or knows what might have caused this?

 

[Contigo]

Seen something similar on the Dashboards before but never on the centre console sides. How weird? Got to be the glue failing and the leather lifting which is usually caused by direct sunlight/heat. But not something as you say one would expect in Winter!

 

[miket]

Not nice to look at, I've had the steering wheel airbag do a similar thing (I suspect like most people) that I found was because under the leather the airbag plastic was very smooth, had not been "keyed" so the glue had somethinng to bond to, again my symptoms came in the height of summer but can only think it's the same problem!!!

 

[RW3200]

Looks like a glue reaction.
Have you tried applying a little heat and re-pressing the leather? (Being careful not to stretch the leather).

Ru

 

[russellp]

The carpet seems to be showing the same symptoms. Same adhesive perhaps?

 

[Andyk]

I know the airbags do that which as the above has said is the glue...

 

[RW3200]

Just to be on the safe side, it may be worth checking the air con is working effectively. I vaguely recall that some leaking systems have shown up behind the dash. Highly unlikely to have caused this but moisture has a way of sneaking into places it shouldn't be. As I said, to be on the safe side.

Ru

 

[highlander]

Just to be on the safe side, it may be worth checking the air con is working effectively. I vaguely recall that some leaking systems have shown up behind the dash. Highly unlikely to have caused this but moisture has a way of sneaking into places it shouldn't be. As I said, to be on the safe side.

Ru

^^^sounds most likely to me^^^

 

[CraigWaterman11]

Actually, I just repaired this in my Spyder. Please check your heater core. Mine actually wasn't as bad as yours but it was still bad. The antifreeze basically is leaking behind it, and the vapor steam heated the glue and the condensation is collecting in that area. Again please check to see if the heater core is leaking. It goes down into the carpet as well. It eventually set my air bag light off. When I changed my heater core out. I had the blue vinyl top changed to all leather. I also re-leathered both sides of my console and the arm rest. I could only find a company out of California to sell me the correct leather. Because they would only sell me an entire hide I re-leathered all those other parts. But my leg area like yours looks identical or it did.. Actually if your leather is Crema Ferrari I still have 1/3 of a hide left.

 

[CraigWaterman11]

I almost forgot I did a temporary heater core re-route diagram on Maserati Life a few years ago so I could drive the car until I wanted to tackle the heater core job. I don't really remember if I posted it here on this forum but let me know and I will repost it on this forum for you. What that will do is give you the ability to drive the car until you get the heater core fixed. I drove it for about a year and half I think before I fixed all of it. It just re-routes the heater hoses together and completely takes the core out of the loop. It's an easy job, and worth doing if you plan to drive it at all. Don't drive that car until you know for sure it's not the core doing it. If it's that bad it will get into the fuse box on the floor board (at least for the 4200). The coolant constantly runs through the heater core even with the heat controls turned off. I don't have photos of mine I wish I would have taken some but I do of where the heater core sits, and air bag module. That is of course if the 3200 is like a 2002 4200.

 

[Fran]

How do you identify if your heater core is leaking little? Is there an easy way to see the core without opening the entire dashboard?

You will have definitely wet carpets, falling antifreeze level if serious but what if it is just a small drop now and then?

FM

 

[CraigWaterman11]

You will smell the coolant in the system when you initially turn the heater on. Switch it to low fan when you initially turn it on. You will smell that sweet coolant smell. Additionally it will leave a mist on the windshield. If it's vaporizing the coolant also know the glue in the top part of the dash by the window vent is also going to start to detach just like in the leg wells. I thought I took photos of all of this but I cannot find them. Here is one showing the A/C evap. core. The heater core box has been removed but it sits just on top of that air bag module in the photo.

​

 

[Danny]

Craig, thanks a lot for your responses! I already had a suspcion that my heater core was leaking (I kinda knew) but I would never have guessed that it could impact the leather of the footwell...

 

[CraigWaterman11]

Danny I really wish I had taken pictures brother. I always take photos and I really can't believe I didn't take any for this because I'm big on it.

I don't know if the 3200 uses the same heater core as the 4200, but if it does use the 92-98 Saab 9000 heater core (9000 not the 900). $30 shipped and it's a direct replacement.......sorry I don't like to be the bearer of bad news. Glad I could help.

 

[allandwf]

Moral for future owners, don't ignore things. Hopefully an easy fix for you.

 

[Contigo]

What a ******* disaster!

 

[Fran]

Thanks. Definitely no coolant smell and no bubbling on the dash of my car. I just sometimes experience a lot of mist but it must be the weather and the condensation on the air con evaporator on short journeys.

F

 

[allandwf]

Mist could just be the filter or drains blocked.

 

[CraigWaterman11]

Have you been watching your coolant level to see if it leaking at all? The only reason I don't think it's the A/C is because it seems obvious, you haven't been running it, and it's the winter time. The coolant on the other hand......well I've stated this above. Only way to be certain is to check it.

 

[Fran]

Thanks,

New pollen filter, the drain is clean and dry, no change in coolant levels in the last 4 years, not a drop of liquid on the floor...

I always use the air con to demist the windscreen. Actually the problem is more evident with mild temperatures/rain and only when turning of the engine. No problem in dry/cold days.

I had the same problem with my new VW and I do not think I have any leak...I am just obsessed since this is a very annoying and expensive problem if you get it.

The combination of high level of humidity a short journey and the humidity that accumulates in this condition in the pollen filter and air con evaporator must cause my problem. In the case of the MAS I think it gets even worse since the engine produce a lot of heat that warms up the dash and make more water deposits to become vapour.

Still I am surprised that there is no way to remove some grills and at least partially inspect the matrix...

F