PASSENGER FLOOR MAT SOAKING WET

[4200_GT]

Hi all,

I have had a my 4200 for just under a year, however a persistent problem is occurring with the passenger floor mats becoming soaking wet.

For much of the year I have had the car under a carport, however this has given way to two Mr2 Mk1 projects, so has been out in the elements for the past few months.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed the passenger floor mat and sound deadening pad was saturated. At first I thought the reason was because the battery had gone flat and I had not checked to see if the passenger window had fully returned up before a large amount of rain. However I did go on to remove the scuttle panel cover, clear out any debris, poke a piece of wire down the drain holes and check the pollen filter and ac fan housing for any build up of water. Other than the pollen filter clearly not being changed in a while, both areas were completely dry. So I dried everything out, changed the pollen filter, charged the battery and made sure the window was fully closed.

Roll on a couple of weeks, and admittedly I haven't checked the car over much as it's not my daily, but the floor mat was saturated again. I have checked under the glove box area and it's dry, the water appears to have saturated everything forward of the fuse box area, thankfully.

On both occasions this has happened I have smelled the fluid and other than smelling a bit musty did not have that distinct smell of coolant. I decided to soak up an amount of the fluid from the carpet and compare it to what's in the coolant expansion tank on a piece of kitchen towel. No similarities, smell different as well as colour, the coolant being a rich blue colour, the fluid from the mat, a murky light brown (dirt from mat?)

So on that note, I am fairly certain it's rain water, any ideas where this could be coming from? I can't see any obvious water marks / drips around the passenger door, however did notice the tweeter grill appeared to have a rust mark on it, which was present when I bought the car. Anyone had experience of door seals failing? Running out of ideas. Any thoughts, suggestions welcome.

 

[mowlas]

Mine was due to blocked water drainage pipes from the sunroof opening. Solved it with help of forum members and clearing the blockages. See here:

https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/dampness-in-qp-v-front-passenger-footwell.35810/#post-943072

Another source could be compromised seals under the wiper cowel areas.

 

[Oneball]

Pull the carpet back and see how far forward it is wet. I had a problem in the scuttle area on my 3200 that was blocking drainage and then leaking down the a pillar into the car.

 

[safrane]

Did you clean out the AC overflow pipe?

You could sprinkle some talc in the footwell which would record where the water is dripping from.

 

[conaero]

It will be a combination of a blocked AC drain and the pollen filter enclosure under the scuttle being blocked with leaves. Remove pollen filter and blow through with an air line till it comes out on the floor in the middle of the car behind the engine.

 

[DLax69]

....or, check under the hood, near the hinges. Remove the windshield wipers and the cowling, as if you were replacing the pollen filter as @conaero noted above. If the pollen filter is dry, there are weep holes that drain to the underside of the car, near the wheels. If there's blockage from leaves or other debris, it can and will back up on the floorboard via the bulkhead area. Ask me how I know...

 

[4200_GT]

Thanks all for your suggestions, i will try the talc trick, and use a hose pipe around the car to see if I can see where the water is dripping in from. One thing I did note previously when I looked at the ac drain pipe on the drives side, was that it was bone dry. Even after copious amounts of water being sprinkled around down the windscreen from a hose pipe. This could point to a completely blocked drain, more investigation required.

 

[4200_GT]

Some updates.. definitely rain water. I dried everything out overnight. Put a hose pipe over the car for a few minutes. Nothing at first, but a small drip has since appeared from under the glove box. I can only assume it is the ac fan area / pipe blocked. I couldn't inspect it that well last time I had the scuttle panel covering off as there is a metal cage over the top, which for the life of me I couldn't work how to get off. Will have to remove the scuttle panel cover and have another look. The drainage holes do appear to be doing a job either side as water is running off from under the wheel arches.

 

[4200_GT]

Hopefully fixed...

Pulled everything apart again to inspect, passenger side drainage hole was blocked. Ac fan blower area and pollen filter dry as a chip. I can only assume it is backing up into the bulkhead from the drainage area somehow and dripping down underneath the glovebox. I used a bicycle gear cable and gave it a good prod around the drainage holes and after while heard a satisfying glug and the standing water in the drain hole area drained out under the wheel arch.

Will monitor, hopefully that is the end of the issue. Still slightly perplexed as a I had the hose directly over the car for a good few minutes, and only saw a couple of drips from underneath the glove box. I guess persistent rainwater (and it has been heavy of late), has accumulated to cause the sound deadening and floor mat to become sodden.

 

[DLax69]

Yessir...that's the deal. Well done

 

[mowlas]

@4200_GT well done and thanks for sharing!

 

[conaero]

Do remove the cabin filter and blow it through. The water backs up then comes over the top and into the passenger footwell. If you look through the drivers side, on top of the tunnel under the AC unit you will see the drain. Remove it then airline back up that way too and monitor what comes out in the pollen filter enclosure.

 

[Scaf]

Drain holes like this in all cars should be easily accessible and checking them part of the service schedule.
Most modern cars live outside and so pick up debris over time, we have a large needle pines tree next door so have to be careful.

Have had similar issues with Corsa, Fiat 500’s, BMW mini, vW Passat / Golf, and my old GTS.

 

[DLax69]

Drain holes like this in all cars should be easily accessible and checking them part of the service schedule.
Most modern cars live outside and so pick up debris over time, we have a large needle pines tree next door so have to be careful.

Have had similar issues with Corsa, Fiat 500’s, BMW mini, vW Passat / Golf, and my old GTS.

...note "easily accessible." Removing the wipers...not so much.

 

[4200_GT]

Spoke too soon. Raining most of the day, and passenger footwell wet again. Did some searching around with a flashlight to see if I could find any obvious drip entry points. As the drip seemed to be centred around the left of the glovebox area under the air vent I removed the passenger air vent and discovered a pool of water at the back of the vent housing. I think the ac drain must be blocked, I discounted it as both the pollen filter housing and ac motor housing "appeared dry". I am going to start with a powerful airline up the drain hose, before removing all the scuttle panel housing again, to see if I get any water to come out.

 

[Gazcw]

I am going to start with a powerful airline up the drain hose

Ooo err! I think Crud has had that done. He walks like he has anyway.

 

[4200_GT]

I am getting properly confused now, Does this drain from a separate chamber to the pollen filter housing, as every time I have inspected the pollen filter housing, it is completely dry as per photo above. The drain pipe is a lot shorter than I expected. Mine has been bone dry every time I have gone to inspect it. Water accumulating in the air vents, leads me to think it is definitely leaking from within the HVAC system.

 

[4200_GT]

Think it is time to take the car to a specialist. I have poked/prodded/airlined the drain hose, absolutely nothing. If I put the ac on full blast there is nice strong pressure coming down the drain hose, I don't believe it is blocked. I can't work out how water is getting into the passenger vent, all very strange and annoying.

 

[Scaf]

That’s a real pain, water ingress is the devils own work.
An earlier post suggests sunroof drains, do you have a sunroof?

 

[4200_GT]

That’s a real pain, water ingress is the devils own work.
An earlier post suggests sunroof drains, do you have a sunroof?

No sunroof, beginning to wonder if it's the windscreen seal has failed, then water running down the inside of the car and down somehow into the vents.