When it’s just not your day! Mishap with Cuprinol Autumn Gold spilling in the boot of my car!

sujsuj

Section62 said:

WIAWSNB said:

A sure way to test - turn the key.

If your car bursts into flames, I will personally buy you a new one.

The only area of concern there is if the rear seat belt clips have switches in them? Does your car shout at you if folk in the back don't belt up? 

Quoted for contractural purposes.

 ,
I really want a new car—this one has been giving me a lot of trouble. I’m only keeping it because of the lifetime road tax, which is just £20 a year.

sujsuj

Section62 said:

sujsuj said:

I am trying wipe and wash with water jet...anything more to be done..? Thanks

Have you got a dehumidifier?

All that water will have soaked into the fabric/carpet and sound insulation... unless you dry it thoroughly, in a few days time you'll find mould starting to grow and the interior of the car will stink.

Take out all the carpets/panels which aren't permanently attached and put them indoors to dry.  If you have a wet/dry vacuum then use that to remove as much of the water as you can.  Then run a dehumidifier inside the car to finish the job.

Stop removing the plugs/bungs.  You risk letting the water get into other parts of the car bodywork which are currently dry(er).  And you won't ever drain all the water out using that method.

I don’t have one, but I have to say—Mercedes materials are excellent. They don’t trap dirt, and everything drains quickly. It’s like the car just had a proper wash! Even the boot mat looks almost brand new now.

I just need to figure out how to put everything back together. I’m still a bit concerned about possible short circuits from the water ingress, so I’m keeping the doors open while it’s sunny to let everything dry out. The only downside is that the battery might drain in the process—but I’m prepared for that with my battery charger.

I’ll also pick up a few more plug hole caps to seal things properly and prevent water from getting in again during heavy rain. I need to find where to get them and whats it really called..?

sujsuj

subjecttocontract said:

Do you have or can you borrow either a wet & dry vacuum cleaner or carpet cleaner. Either of those will vac up all the excess water and can be used to shampoo seats, car mats, soft trim. Used on blow function they will help dry any electrical connections quickly.

Need to get one or rent one. thanks

sujsuj

WIAWSNB said:

Mop up all the puddles with a cloth.

Then leave all the doors and hatch open unless it's raining - jobbie jobbed.

In the current balmy weather, this will dry in a day or two.

To get rid of the remaining stains, borrow or hire a carpet cleaner with a hand 'upholstery' attachment. This will spray as much detergent water on as you wish, but will immediately also suck it up. In fact, use it purely sucky to begin with, and get all that interior as dry as possible - the air will take care of the rest.

Important - until you get every trace of that paint up, do NOT allow it to dry. If you leave the doors open to vent, then place a very damp cloth over that stain. If that paint dries, you'll likely have to resort to scrubbing with summat coarse, and that won't be fun. 

I’ve done all of that, and things are looking much better now. All the stains are gone, even from the boot liner. I’m keeping the doors open to help the remaining moisture evaporate. The panoramic sunroof is also open the whole time, which I think is helping.

My only concern now is whether there might be any electrical issues when I switch the car on. Or are modern cars—especially brands like Mercedes—designed to handle situations like this?

Thanks again.

WIAWSNB

sujsuj said:

WIAWSNB said:

Mop up all the puddles with a cloth.

Then leave all the doors and hatch open unless it's raining - jobbie jobbed.

In the current balmy weather, this will dry in a day or two.

To get rid of the remaining stains, borrow or hire a carpet cleaner with a hand 'upholstery' attachment. This will spray as much detergent water on as you wish, but will immediately also suck it up. In fact, use it purely sucky to begin with, and get all that interior as dry as possible - the air will take care of the rest.

Important - until you get every trace of that paint up, do NOT allow it to dry. If you leave the doors open to vent, then place a very damp cloth over that stain. If that paint dries, you'll likely have to resort to scrubbing with summat coarse, and that won't be fun. 

I’ve done all of that, and things are looking much better now. All the stains are gone, even from the boot liner. I’m keeping the doors open to help the remaining moisture evaporate. The panoramic sunroof is also open the whole time, which I think is helping.

My only concern now is whether there might be any electrical issues when I switch the car on. Or are modern cars—especially brands like Mercedes—designed to handle situations like this?

Thanks again.

No electrical concerns. Don't worry

sujsuj

The only other thing I did was disconnect the battery for a while and then reconnect it. Hopefully that doesn’t mess up any of the car’s tech systems. In reality, it’s similar to replacing the battery—I’m just not sure how dealers usually handle that. I’m wondering if this could reset anything important in the car?

Section62

sujsuj said:

The only other thing I did was disconnect the battery for a while and then reconnect it. Hopefully that doesn’t mess up any of the car’s tech systems. In reality, it’s similar to replacing the battery—I’m just not sure how dealers usually handle that. I’m wondering if this could reset anything important in the car?

Workshops and DIYers can use a memory saver - plugs into the EOBD socket or direct to the battery terminals to keep the 'brain' functioning while the main battery is disconnected and replaced.

The usual problem is needing a code for the radio.  Sometimes the engine management system could forget recent performance and reset itself, which in turn could possibly cause some minor running issues until it relearns what it needs to know.

TBH your main electrical concern should be corrosion related - damp contacts and connectors corroding and no longer being as low resistance as they should be.

That, and mould and smells if the carpets and fabric doesn't dry out properly.

bjorn_toby_wilde

sujsuj said:

I’ll also pick up a few more plug hole caps to seal things properly and prevent water from getting in again during heavy rain. I need to find where to get them and whats it really called..?

They’re called grommets. Mercedes dealers will surely have them but I’d try a car parts shop like Euro Car Parts first. Almost certainly cheaper 

sujsuj

I know it might not be a surprise to many of you, but I just wanted to confirm that I managed to start the car without any issues!

I’m going to leave the back seat and other parts out, as shown in the earlier photos, until everything is completely dry. Really hoping for a couple of hot days now to speed things up.

Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions—it’s been a really draining weekend with one issue after another. This is a great forum, and I truly appreciate the help!

Section62

sujsuj said:

...

Thanks to everyone who responded to my questions—it’s been a really draining weekend with one issue after another. This is a great forum, and I truly appreciate the help!

A leak in the loft, a car full of water.

Great you've not lost your sense of humour over it.