Help! Water under the firewall carpet!

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Armadeus
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Help! Water under the firewall carpet!

Post by Armadeus »

I removed my front seats today for cleaning and the underlay carpets too. To my horror the firewall carpet which is some sponge like material is damp! There was a heacy downpour yesterday. I wonder how the water got in?
I had my dashboard removed last week for some wiring work. Can't be that can it? I had to remove the plastic panel (between wiper arms and windscreen) to loosen the 3 screws that holds the dashboard. Can water could have seeped through at the lower windscreen?
I'm so annoyed don't know how to dry up the sponge which is fixed under the dash. Don't even know how much dampness inside.
Someone please help! Any idea how the devil water got in there?
pete_wood_uk
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Post by pete_wood_uk »

Can you tell us which type of car this is? As a Xantia owner, I know that there are all sorts of Xantia-specific ways for water to get in (I've experienced most of them :-)), and I'm sure that there are for other models too.
Pete
Armadeus
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Post by Armadeus »

Whoops! Abit fazed there forgot to say what car. A Xantia that is. You had similiar problem pete? Thanks heaps!
pete_wood_uk
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Post by pete_wood_uk »

If you took off the plastic panel that's glued to the outside of the bottom of the windscreen, then my money's on that being your problem. It'll be coming under that panel, runs down the tinwork underneath and goes straight down the heater fan air inlet. Have a look through the gaps with a torch, tip a bottle of water on the screen, and you'll see what I mean. That plastic strip, at the passenger side, must be free of cracks and securely bedded down on a watertight mastic strip, the design relies on it being watertight to keep the water away from the heater inlet.
On the other hand, if the water in the footwell is sticky and horrible, ie coolant, then it's probably your heater matrix. Prepare to open your wallet :-(. But if the water level in the header tank isn't going down, and given that you've said you've had the windscreen trim strip off, I reckon there's your problem...
Cheers
Pete
Armadeus
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Post by Armadeus »

Hi pete!
I reckon you hit the nail! That might be the bit that let the water in. I'll be sealing that bit with some silicone. My next problem is how to dry up the firewall sponge? Leave a hairdryer on all night? :-D
pete_wood_uk
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Post by pete_wood_uk »

I didn't find a sensible way of drying it. That car normally lives out, so I cleared out the garage and left it inside every night with the door and windows open, then during the day I put newspaper between the rubber mats and the carpets to soak up the water, throw the (wet) paper away every night. Eventually it got a bit drier. Which isn't a very helpful answer, perhaps someone will do better?
Cheers
Pete
Armadeus
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Post by Armadeus »

Thanks pete! OK I just applied some Loctite silicone between the gap of the trim and windscreen. Hope that will solve the problem. The annoying matter now is drying up the firewall sponge. I can reach my hand to feel halfway up the passenger side is also damp. Not much on driver side.
fordsone27n
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Post by fordsone27n »

I've always found a wet vax is a good start for getting the vast majority of water out of spongy sound deadening and carpet material.
Armadeus
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Post by Armadeus »

Wet vax? What is that?
I just removed my blower motor and let it out to dry. Saw some water droplets lying inside. :-(
The strangest of all is this! How did the water get to the driver's side firewall carpet? Not as much as passenger but still damp.
DomF9
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Post by DomF9 »

Armadeus
A Wet Vax is a wet n dry vacuum cleaner, or of a sorts, a carpet shampooer. Both are designed to suck water out of carpets etc.
Armadeus
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Post by Armadeus »

The trouble is.. the firewall carpet is two layer. Top layer is waterproof grey tough material. The sponge is the second layer. Any guesses how the water went over to the driver side too?
rossnunn
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Post by rossnunn »

Check the hole in the suttle panel isn't blocked, causing water to backup. If it is clear it out by either poking it through or better remove the passengers wheel arch liner and clear it out that way.
We dired ours out by taking all the seats & carpets out, starting the engine & leaving all the winodws & doors shut put the heater on full chat until its all steemed up, then open the doors & boot to air.
Never had a problem since.
Armadeus
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Post by Armadeus »

Thanks so much for all your really helpful ideas! My blower is now dried hope it'll last like it should. :-)
I thought of cutting up half the firewall sponge and let it dry outside. Then stick it back again. Any other ideas to rid the water and dampeness inside? Now I stuffed newspaper under like pete suggest.
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