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An ozone generator can remove any unwanted odor in the car and keep the air clean.
If you cannot trace the foul odor in your vehicle, the ozone generator is usually the best option.
It will work effectively and keep the atmosphere in your car fresh.
While ozone treatment works well for odor removal, you must also be cautious since it can ruin your car!
How Can Ozone Generator Ruin A Car
Damage To Polymer Products
Ozone in the vehicle can attack the polymer products used in the interior, including the plastic and rubber, damaging them.
Remember that many of the items in the car are made of plastic and rubber. Ozone generators can damage electric wiring in the vehicle, exposing you to more danger.
Damage To Leather Materials
Studies show that ozone generators can also damage suede and leather in the car. You must also know that the damage is irreversible.
Applying ozone treatment indiscriminately to the car interior can remove foul odor.
Using ozone treatment for ten hours cumulatively can lead to leather degradation in the car. The damage may not come immediately, but it will come surely.
Give it about six months, and you will notice the destructive effects. You should, therefore, avoid a prolonged ozone shock treatment in the car for foul odor removal.
If an ozone generator has already damaged the car’s interior, what can you do about it?
We will enlighten you on how to handle the situation in the remaining part of this write-up.
Danger To Human Health
Ozone generators’ use is not adequately regulated, putting the end-user at risk of possible poisoning.
Unfortunately, ozone generators can release more ozone into the car’s atmosphere than the recommended amount.
If you use ozone generators frequently, you can soon notice their damaging effect on your car’s interior.
Assessing The Situation
Stop Using The Product
Once you notice that your car’s leather, plastic, and rubber components begin to show signs of damage, it is time to end the ozone treatment.
Persisting will only cause more damage. If you still have odor problems in the car, you can look for another way to end it.
It will save you from using ozone treatment. Note that you can reverse the damages caused by the ozone generator, but you can at least prevent further damage.
Irrespective of the extent of the damage, you should stop using the ozone generator henceforth.
Assess The Damage
After putting an end to ozone generator use in your car, you should assess the damages it has caused.
The fact that you noticed the damage already indicates that the damage did not start today. It is a sign that it had been gradual for weeks or months.
As we mentioned earlier, damage from ozone treatment does not happen overnight but gradually. It may take several months before manifesting.
Also, bear in mind that the extent of damage differs. It depends on how long you expose your car’s interior to ozone treatment.
Check The Wiring
Remembering the aspects of a car that ozone treatment can damage, you should focus on those aspects for assessment.
For example, check the leather materials and the polymers for signs of damage.
Do not forget to check the electrical wiring in the car for damage too. The wiring can melt or become brittle to the touch.
It can damage the car’s electrical components and put your life at risk.
It is dangerous if two or more exposed wires touch one another in the car while the engine is running.
It may even expose your car to a fire hazard. So, resolve it on time.
Check The Leather And Upholstery Accessories
Prolonged ozone treatment can dry up the leather in your car’s interior and make it shrink. The damage is, unfortunately, irreversible.
So, you cannot use the leather materials again, which can cause you financial problems.
The financial issues caused by ozone treatment can be more expensive to repair than the cost of the ozone generator itself. So, make sure you use it with care.
Check The Vinyl Materials
Ozone treatment can damage items made of vinyl in the car, and the principal among these is the dashboard. The dashboard is made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
You can also expect the ozone treatment to damage the door panels, which are also made of vinyl.
Another item made of vinyl in the car is the carpet backing, which helps to reduce interior noise from the engine.
Prolonged exposure to ozone treatment can damage this material, rendering it ineffective. It will, therefore, increase engine noise in the car interior.
How To Handle The Situation
After thoroughly assessing the damages caused to your car interior by ozone treatment, it is time to work.
You need to repair the damages and forestall its negative effect on the operation of your car.
Damaged Leather And Vinyl
Remove the damaged leather materials and replace them with new ones. Ask a professional to help you check the damaged vinyl in the car.
You do not have to remove the dashboard entirely. You can wrap it to cover up the damaged parts if the damage is on the surface.
You can cover it with a vinyl patch if the damage is more serious.
Damaged Electrical Wiring
On the part of the electrical wiring, it is time to contact an auto electrical technician to help out.
They can help you recoat the exposed wiring in the car if the damage is not extensive.
If multiple exposed wires had touched one another, it might have led to more extensive damage to the car’s interior.
Some of the electrical components in the car might stop working or record extensive damage.
In such a situation, the electrician will have to make an extensive diagnosis before effective the necessary repairs.
It would be best never to handle this yourself, except you have the required knowledge and experience.
Ensure Safety
Exposure of your car interior to prolonged ozone treatment can also cause health problems since ozone is toxic.
First, open the doors and allow continuous fresh air flow in the car to remove any leftover ozone gas.
You may also have to go for medical checkups to assess any adverse effects of ozone on your body system.
Conclusion
If you can find another way to remove odors from your car, you should go for it. It will save you from using ozone treatment.
Check if the alternative is safer and more effective. If you cannot find another way, you should use ozone treatment with care henceforth.
The foundation of the damages described above is excessive exposure to ozone treatment.
You should avoid using it for more than one or two hours at a time, and you should also avoid using it too frequently.
It will save you from re-recording damages and prevent unwanted expenditures from repairing the damages.
Patrick started his love affair with cars in his childhood. Over the years, he claims a sturdy hold on his driving skills, along with a thorough understanding of cars. We can expect some interesting, holistic, and pleasurable blogs with his flair for writing and his love for cars.
Being a car enthusiast, Patrick has experience comprising of two decades in which he has ridden some of the meanest and strongest machines in the automotive industry. His previous avatars include an automotive professional, photographer, and journalist, and you will certainly experience the roundness of experience in his piece on this site.
In his second decade of reviewing cars and analyzing tools, Patrick is all set to give you convincing, reliable, and the latest information regarding what’s happening in the automotive industry. Currently, he owns a BMW Z3 but cannot get his eyes off Aston Martin DB5. He is a car enthusiast; he loves cooking and listening to music, especially jazz. Here are some of the pieces written by our ace author.
