Two questions, both about the micra.

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Tue 3 Dec 2002 00:24
Two questions, both about the micra. - mercedes-owner
Hello, i have a 1992 old shape micra, and i was wondering if anybody could tell me why underneath the rubbers there is a green 'swamp sludge' gunk. It looks horrible and i would like to know what it is before i clean it out. The other question is this.. does the new micra (frogeye) have a timing belt, or a timing chain. Many Thanks for your replies.
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Tue 3 Dec 2002 11:48
Two questions, both about the micra. - Rob E
The 'green swamp sludge' is likely to be an accumulation of damp debris which never get to dry out in concealed places such as under door seals (often blocking drainage canals). It is more prevalent in cars that are not garaged, simply because - especially at this time of year - the car is rarely completely dry. Best to just give it a thorough clean up.


Regards,

Rob E
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Tue 3 Dec 2002 22:08
Two questions, both about the micra. - IanT
My Peugeot 309 suffers from green sludge under the rubbers, and lives on the drive in a shady/damp spot which rarely sees the sun even in Summer. But simple washing only removes the sludge for a few days before it's back again - I think it's algae rather than debris, and it grows back rather than just accumulates.

I just wipe it off again whenever the car gets washed. But if you really want to get rid of it, it may be necessary to completely remove the rubbers to tackle the source of the problem - perhaps using some algae killer like Jeyes fluid.

It's also noticeable that this problem seems only to occur on old cars. Maybe the algae gets some nutrition from rotting rubber?

Ian
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Tue 3 Dec 2002 22:45
Two questions, both about the micra. - madf
Polishing the offending bits gets rid of the surface dirt/pits in which algae grow. Used to get it on caravan parked under trees. Annual polish helped a lot.

It seems to grow on accumulated fine dirt...on our house gutters and windows if not regularly washed ...:-(
madf
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