I have had my XK8 a few months now and have had the top down mostly. I noticed I get a lot of dust in the top and headliner even when using the tonneau cover. Is this normal?

I was thinking of getting a painters drop cloth to cover the top between the tonneau cover but thought someone else may have come across a better solution

 

No Randy, I've never seen extraordinary dust with mine. You mentioned the folded top. Wouldn't you see same dust everywhere in the interior?

John

 

John no I am not seeing dust everywhere just collecting in the folded top. I checked the bottom of the tonneau cover to see it was crumbling but it looks intact.
I'll try the drop cloth to see if that helps.

 

if it is a sandy brown dust that seems to permeate through the headliner, it is a backing pad on the underside of the roof breaking down. i just vacuum the headliner with a very clean brush every so often. the solution probably involves a lot of work.

 

+1

 

Yes that is what it is. I assume the backing pad is between the canvas top and the headliner?
as you say it permeates thru the headliner.

Thanks for the info

 

It is the destroyed PU by the UV-Light and it becomes like sand. I tried to vacuum so often but I dont get it out of the headliner. I even can see the grains behind the liner.
Daniel

 

What dos PU stand for? If I understand the dust is coming from behind the headliner and covering the folding top is NOT going to keep the dust/sand out.

 

PU is PolyUrethan which they used to make flexible weak foam between the headliner and the shell.

At least on my car this is what I always find in my car.

Daniel

 

i imagine that one could remove the headliner and somehow seal the pad so that it does not deteriorate further then reinstall the headliner. any product applied should not contain a solvent like Xylene as such could dissolve the material. Perhaps brushing on some shellac would do the trick. it is not UV that damages it. the heat causes the breakdown along with routine air pollution.

 

I've thought about doing something like this, but it seems like the sealing needs to be both flexible and tough to be worth the effort. Have not thought of anything that withstands the thermal conditions, will stick to the underside of polyeurethane foam as the structural support without just cracking and/or pulling off and causing a larger irritation, and is tough enough to not crack with repeated cycling of the top in various conditions (between mild and hot for me, but others may have a wider tolerance level). Since the headliner is not completely opaque, it also needs some minor UV resistance.

'Eventually replace it all' is the solution I've come up with, but am interested if others have ideas.

 

Thats to all who responded. I never would have guessed that the dust/grit is coming from inside the top and permeating thru the headliner.

I can live with just vacuuming the headliner.