Ford EcoSport contaminated with chip-seal bitumen particles drawn through the air intake into the ventilation system. Scuttle dismantled, UVA fog through ventilation on circulate, pollen filter replaced, Formula 429 throughout.
This Ford EcoSport came in covered in what turned out to be bitumen chip -- the fine gritty particles that come off a freshly chip-sealed road surface. The problem with chip-seal contamination is that the tiny particles get airborne and get drawn in through the car's air intake. On this car they had gone through the scuttle area, past the pollen filter, and into the ventilation system -- and then been circulated through the cabin. Little dots of the material were visible on every interior surface, including the windows.
James took the scuttle area completely apart to access the air intake and ventilation entry points. While the scuttle was off, UVA fog was applied through the system with the air conditioning running on circulate -- that causes the intake flap to open and close repeatedly, so the disinfectant coats the flap and the mechanism rather than just the duct. Air was also blown through from both ends. Formula 429 (Chemspec, hospital grade) was used throughout.
The pollen filter was replaced -- it had taken the brunt of the contamination, and there was no point leaving it in. The scuttle area was cleaned out, all the brackets cleaned, and the front end reassembled. Interior vacuumed, all surfaces cleaned, mats washed. End result: all the contamination removed and the ventilation system clean.
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