[Michalb]

A few months back when I added the factory subwoofer I noticed that the rear quarter panel had these black star type shapes all over the panel that I could just wipe off with my hand, very light. I then noticed the exact same thing when I added the dual overhead screen system to my van, except I wiped it all off with spray 9 after I installed it.

And I was at pick and pull today, grabbing photos for other threads and other curios things I was looking at. I took the 3'd row shade panel off and it revealed the same black star type stuff that I saw on pretty much every panel I've installed so far, except it was very dark compared to the ones I've seen so far.

My question is what exactly is it? Is this black mold? Is this a concern? And what exactly can I do to prevent this stuff from forming and coming back?

In a few months time I am ripping out the whole interior in my van to replace my midline wiring harness for the full top of the line wiring harness with all the connectors for all the available factory accessories, and I am making my GCV SE have the same options as a T&C limited does. When I do so, I will be soundproofing the whole floor and walls and celling of the van, as well as the doors in the process. Since all the interior will be out anyway, while it's out I will get a chance to remove this stufff... whatever it is, and do it well with a steam cleaner and any other necessary chemicals.

But whatever this nasty stuff is, what do I need to do to prevent it from coming back?

You will see streaks of this dark stuff around the sunshade, it doesn't really have much else to be except mold.

 

[Road Ripper]

Could just be dust or smoke residue. Plastic is static charged and attracts small particles. I've seen this before when I worked at a die casting and plastic injection molding place (for 6 years). We made white newspaper caddies that were stacked in giant boxes. They were white or very light gray. Sometimes the sooty smoke from the die casting half of the building would make it's way into the other half, and this same pattern would be on the brand-new molded parts. It would wipe right off.

 

[Michalb]

Could just be dust or smoke residue. Plastic is static charged and attracts small particles. I've seen this before when I worked at a die casting and plastic injection molding place (for 6 years). We made white newspaper caddies that were stacked in giant boxes. They were white or very light gray. Sometimes the sooty smoke from the die casting half of the building would make it's way into the other half, and this same pattern would be on the brand-new molded parts. It would wipe right off.

That's interesting, but why does it for weird shapes like this? Well, at least it's not mold... specifically black mold since its black

 

[AeroZ]

I might be wrong here but I don't think mold lives on such plastic surface.

 

[Sienile]

Mildew. The joys of the great salty north. Cars get holes in them, water gets in the holes, mold and mildew run rampant. Time to patch some floor pans.

 

[CdnTinker]

I might be wrong here but I don't think mold lives on such plastic surface.

Mold will live on ANY surface.

I'm in the middle of shutting down the sugarbush for the year. I've spent the past week bleaching & alcohol rinsing everything in the sugarshack. This includes all of the stainless steel.
In a month or so, I'll be in cleaning mold off of every spot I miss this week.

 

[Honeybadger]

I might be wrong here but I don't think mold lives on such plastic surface.

What the OP posted is not mold, but mold does love plastic surfaces in humid climates (eg Florida).

 

[Marcus71]

try putting a drop of bleach on an inconspicuous spot, I remember reading somewhere if the changes colour, then it's mold.

 

[Sienile]

Most things will change color if you drop bleach on them.

 

[CdnTinker]

Strangely enough...
Get a bunch on your skin & it turns red instead of white.

 

[Pgh_AL]

It looks like dust particles . I know when I did mine there was a lot of dust and a little dirt . I took them to the self serve carwash hosed them off before I installed them . I first sprayed them down with a mild all purpose cleaner.

 

[Marcus71]

Most things will change color if you drop bleach on them.

That is true, but mold will change color way more than dirt would.

 

[LEVY]

Most things will change color if you drop bleach on them.

I know my jeans changed color when I accidentally dropped some bleach on them. 😳

 

[Jeepman]

I know my jeans changed color when I accidentally dropped some bleach on them. 😳

Oh, oh, white jeans, paint horse style..

Maybe that mold stuff is cigarette smoke residue.

 

[Sienile]

Cigarette smoke leaves a brown film. It doesn't run in veins like that. It leaves a fairly even coating.

 

[Drunken Elvis]

Mold growth on plastic shown on this website has a similar pattern.

Can Mold Grow on Plastic? | Ultra-Fresh

We are a society that loves our plastic. Producing over 300 million tons every year, plastic appears everywhere you can find humans. From our grocery stores to water storage tanks, we have found uses for oil-based polymers for even the simplest of tasks. With plastic taking over 450 years to...

ultra-fresh.com

 

[Smac8475]

Road Ripper is on the right path I believe. The static in the plastic is attracting the dust. It will follow the magnetic field that is attracting it which always shows a creative pattern.

 

[Cal T&C]

Black mold from maple trees? Had several maple trees near the driveway for years. Besides fine droplets of maple sap?on car surfaces, at certain times of year you would see black stain on concrete. When trees were removed problem ended.

 

[Michalb]

Black mold from maple trees? Had several maple trees near the driveway for years. Besides fine droplets of maple sap?on car surfaces, at certain times of year you would see black stain on concrete. When trees were removed problem ended.

The van parks in the garage and there are no trees overhanging the street or driveway, so this is unlikely.

 

[Michalb]

Thanks for all the responses guys, much appreciated!

I'm still not confident if it's mold or not, either way each panel will be getting a thorough cleaning once I remove them to replace the whole interior wiring harness. I'm actually starting to disbelieve it's mold because the van has no odor to it, it actually still smells sorta new and it has never been damp inside, the windows are always open in the garage when it's parked (and if it's not driving or on a trip it's in the garage), The air is very dry here and winter is long and cold, it could very easily be the plastic is slightly charged and attracts impurities in the air itself, which builds up over time. And it's just the plastics I see this on, the metal itself is still shiny and nothing of the sort is on it.