Water on driver floor side and other places(not heater core)

[SalvadorP]

Sry for the long post, but I suspect many of you probably can easily identify the source of these leaks, so I tried to give it as much context as possible.

It has been raining in Portugal and I found water inside the car and I am not sure where exactly it is coming from.

The carpet bellow the driver's floor mat was kinda soaked. And then I realised that there was a massive amount of water pooled on that little pocket on the side of the driver's seat! I mean, enough to create mold on the wooden handle on the pocket knife I always have there. The pocket knife actually prevented me from seeing there was water in there.


I wonder if it can be from the cracked windshield rubber frame...


...or from the door not seating right... I know I should fix this, but it's not just adjusting. The door really is bent. I guess the car was broken into in the past and it wasn't fixed properly. A body guy i went to said he needs to cut the door where the arch meets the door and weld it at the correct angle. I tried bending it with a buddy and a 2x4 beam and it would go :s


The car always took in some water from the driver's door corner, mostly when I am power washing it, but never enough to soak the floor, let alone pool on that seat pocket.

And then there is the most misterious leak. This one I have to clue, besides maybe some hole on the underside of the car or perhaps a broken back wind washer hose? (even though i though that hose passed through the roof!?) But I do know that hose is no good cause I don't have water on the back washer.
Anyway, that sponge on the right corner of the spare tyre space was soaked. Really soaked. I think there was also some water pooling on the metal surface. This photo was taken weeks ago. I did no check again today, but I suspect it is probably soaked again.

[bob12]

With carpet out sprinkle some talc about the floor/side metal surfaces. When it rains you shoukd see the track the water forms and were it comes from/starts. I assume that there is a large plastic plug in the side panel. It is not unknown for the sealant to deteriorate and require re-sealing.

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by bob12

With carpet out sprinkle some talc about the floor/side metal surfaces. When it rains you shoukd see the track the water forms and were it comes from/starts. I assume that there is a large plastic plug in the side panel. It is not unknown for the sealant to deteriorate and require re-sealing.

You mean this regarding the water bellow the driver's mat right? Or are you talking about the boot?

[bob12]

Originally Posted by SalvadorP

You mean this regarding the water bellow the driver's mat right? Or are you talking about the boot?

I may have missed it on a quick read of this particular thread but I was not aware of any leak problem other than the driver's foot well when I replied but see no difficulty in using talc anywhere else. Although all glass is sealed/bonded to appertures it's not unknown for it to deteriorate over time. Old fashioned liquid windscreen sealant can sometimes fix a bonding problem but there's no guarantee. I am sure research would reveal a more modern equivalent.

Bob

[Volvo_Utrecht]

Also door seals are known to cause this type of leaking The rubber perishes after all these years. They are available new now on Skandix and others.

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by bob12

I may have missed it on a quick read of this particular thread but I was not aware of any leak problem other than the driver's foot well when I replied but see no difficulty in using talc anywhere else. Although all glass is sealed/bonded to appertures it's not unknown for it to deteriorate over time. Old fashioned liquid windscreen sealant can sometimes fix a bonding problem but there's no guarantee. I am sure research would reveal a more modern equivalent.

Bob

Today I took off the kick panel and I couldn't for the life of me see or feel and wetness/humidity on the side or on the firewall.
I've read and it seems that a bunch of issue cna cause water/liquid to pool under the driver's mat. I've read the heater valve and the AC are 2 of them.
The heater valve wouldn't be possible because the heater matrix is bypassed, right? Since it is bypassed the coolent doesn't enter the car, right?
The ac, I don't really understand how it couldn't cause water on the inside of the car. Either way I did not see any signs of moiture down the walls.

[bob12]

Originally Posted by SalvadorP

Today I took off the kick panel and I couldn't for the life of me see or feel and wetness/humidity on the side or on the firewall.
I've read and it seems that a bunch of issue cna cause water/liquid to pool under the driver's mat. I've read the heater valve and the AC are 2 of them.
The heater valve wouldn't be possible because the heater matrix is bypassed, right? Since it is bypassed the coolent doesn't enter the car, right?
The ac, I don't really understand how it couldn't cause water on the inside of the car. Either way I did not see any signs of moiture down the walls.

Sorry, but not in a position to give any further input as my knowledge of these issues is very limited.

Cheers, Bob

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by bob12

Sorry, but not in a position to give any further input as my knowledge of these issues is very limited.

Cheers, Bob

just throwing it out there. Maybe someone will know the answers. but thanks anyways

But the plugs/seals you were mentioning in the first comment, are they located on the floor of the car or what? I never removed the carpet, so I don't really know.

[Rversteeg]

Check the large rubber transits high up in the bulkhead, just below the bonnet hinges. This is where I once had a leak.
Another spot to check is the plastic cover behind the vertical kick panel near to your left foot (LHD).
Did you check whether the drain holes in the door sills are still open? Water coming in through the grid in the paravan panel is supposed to be drained all the way down via the door sill drainage holes.

[SalvadorP]

Originally Posted by Rversteeg

Check the large rubber transits high up in the bulkhead, just below the bonnet hinges. This is where I once had a leak.
Another spot to check is the plastic cover behind the vertical kick panel near to your left foot (LHD).
Did you check whether the drain holes in the door sills are still open? Water coming in through the grid in the paravan panel is supposed to be drained all the way down via the door sill drainage holes.

Thanks for the tips. I don't know exactly what the bulkhead is, but if it is that space between behind the firewal, i know mine is full of debree, so much so that the blower is made a weird noise when I turned it on. (Best parking spot near my house is bellow a big mapple tree)
I meant to clean it yesterday and glue the mesh to the body part once again, but it started raining.
I will also check the "rubber transits", which I have no idea what you mean, but I am certain I will find them, since you pointed the exact location.
No i din't think to check the door drain holes. I will. But while those could account for the water on the floor, they couldn't possibly account for the water inside the seat pocket thing. That one most be coming from the door not sealing properly. I really need to fix that door as soon as I finish the importing procedure.