Damp Carpets, well ok - actually they’re bloody soaking

[sleepyfolk]

Well, as you might have gathered form my moaning on another post, and at the risk of being accused of thread hijack I thought I’d start another thread. I had a damp drivers side carpet a few weeks back - noticed because of condensation on the inside of the windscreen.
So far investigations have been:
1. Check vapour barriers behind door cards - repaired 2 and re-clipped door cards with new clips.
2. Check door seals - re-clipped drivers door seal with new clips.

Still wet and to be honest seems worse, front and back on drivers side are quite wet so god knows what it’s like under the carpet. Any other ideas let me know as I need to get her dried out ASAP

Other things I’ve noticed:
1. In the boot the left hand side seems to have a lot of condensation but not the right, not sure if it can get into the car from that area and it’s the wrong side?
2. Looks like a small crack in the near side corner lens, surely it’s not possible to leak from there to the drivers footwell.
3. There’s a thin seal attached around the sunroof which is slightly loose in one corner, I can’t see any water coming in but I’ll have to get it replaced.

Plan of action:
1. Check sunroof drains front and rear, although it shows no signs of damp or condensation anywhere around the frame or A pillars or headlining. Thanks Henry for suggestion - I will double check - “Take the A pillar cover off and if there is any sign of dampness or water then the pipe has come off. Take the grab handle off and the door seal  then you can manoeuvre the roof lining enough to push it back on again.”
I’ll see if I can put the guide I found below for the rear drains - might help someone else with a Bavarian swimming pool.
2. Strip out boot and look for ingress, as advised by Henry “If left rear is condensating it might be the floor at the bottom of the area underneath where the cd/satnav is. The bottom bit where the exhaust heat shield is secured is a water trap and has had 16 years to rust enough to create pin holes.” - thanks
3. Check around rear light area - it has been out before but had a new gasket fitted.
4. Replace sunroof seal.

[Greydog]

Hi Sleepy
I don't have a sun roof to worry about but did have a leak when the windscreen was changed, didn't take long for the drivers foot spa to fill up!! The rear carpet felt damp not wet as all the water was in the front well and wicking to the back.
They tried two "fixes" but had to take out the screen and re-fit it in the end, that cured the leak. Then it took a good hot weekend with all the carpet and sound pads laid in the sun to dry, doesn't look like your going to get that help though.
Hope you find it quick

[sleepyfolk]

So far:
1. I’ve looked in the boot because of the condensation but can’t see it is getting through at all to the main area of the car, had the back seat out to check for dribbles.
2. Pulled off the A pillar and checked the front sunroof drains visually, then poured some water in and it runs straight out under the car.
3. Pulled the drivers seat, accelerator pedal and trim out so I could lift the carpets up a bit, I’d have to cut them to get them out so hopefully I can dry them without doing that, removed the cable run guards to mop out. Checked up by the front bulkhead and I can’t see any damp
4. Lots more mopping and drying to do but not sure where to go next.

So far my only conclusion is it must be the door seals, the back is absolutely drenched, the front wet but not as bad, it was previously being parked nose down on a slope. Any other ideas welcome!

[henrym3]

Have you tried sitting inside and getting someone with a hose pipe at the suspected area. Lift the carpets away from the door as best you can, dry the exposed metal and then put some powder down.

[ttr]

Sleepyfolk

Sorry to hear about your leak, it’s bloody frustrating I know when I had mine.

For what it’s worth, and from you being nose down parked same as me, have you double checked:-

I would rule out the drain ducts in the front scuttle panel as if your carpets dry at top it’s doubtful it would weep all the way to the back.

Door card foam seals - I thought mine were sound so ruled out on first glance, then dusted and checked to trace the leak. I know to trace mine it was the slightest lift off the foam card from the bmw sealant and required re heating and bonding using Sikoflex. I was amazed how much water had come through, I suspect once it got to the carpet some sort of capillary action took place and I just drew it through more.

As Henry suggest might be worth getting a hose on the job after stripping the card back, I was surprised how much water came through.

Also I stripped and re seated the door seals just to be sure.


I would recommend one job at once just so you are sure if it stops which bit you fixed sorted it.

Hope you get it sorted.

Cheers

[sleepyfolk]

Cheers fellas, I’m currently drying out, got the carpets peeled away and the plastic cable run guards out and all that, going to bring the wet and dry vac from work tomorrow and dry the sponge carpet back out, then do some hose/rain testing by sitting inside.

Interesting you mention the vapour barrier, it was in a poor state on the rear door, i reseated and gorilla taped it a couple of weeks ago when I clipped the lower drivers door seal back on, I didn’t think it would let that sort of amount of water in but it’s been parked on a slope all winter so I suppose it’s possible it could be water from before I fixed those.
The velvety black trim by the rear door surround seal on the sill was very wet so maybe that’s my ingress point, when I vacuumed the water out before it must have only got the surface stuff out - I can see that now I’ve got under there, the carpet is a bit thicker than my old Dolomite Sprint it seems! There’s no way of drying it all without stripping out.

Once I’ve got her dry I’ll put some talc down and get the wife on the hose pipe, if it’s still coming in there I’ll get a new vapour barrier and sika it in

[sleepyfolk]

Just finished the squeezing and wet vacuuming, now got the heater blowing under and the air mover blowing down so we might be getting dry.
Also realised that the water seemed a bit soapy, then remembered that BMW washed it when they put the new drivers airbag in last Friday so I am leaning towards it being the door seal or weather strip/vapour barrier. Will be doing the hosepipe test at the weekend once we’re all dry and I can see what’s coming in, hasn’t leaked in the rain so far whilst parked on the level

[henrym3]

Perhaps one of the muppets that washed it didn't have a door closed properly and you haven't really got a leak.

[sleepyfolk]

That’s certainly a possibility but there was damp in there before, but not to the degree there was after the complimentary wash!

[ttr]

Ehup

I hate pressure washers on cars, nowt up wi a bucket and sponge ( que massive debate)

On a serious note, I would be edging my bets towards the foam vapour seal or outer door seal.

Mine was wet through like yours , keep going you will get there.

[Horizon]

Take heart, I remember having a Morris Marina that when you put the brakes on you could hear the water sloshing back and forth in the sills

[henrym3]

A MORRIS MARINA I know one shouldn't judge a man on his car ownership but A MORRIS MARINA Mind you there's probably people on here who have never seen one.

[sleepyfolk]

Now now Henry, it might have been the posh 1800 TC model! ) my mate was always quick to point out it was the same as an MGB engine as if that made it better! Happy days indeed, never had a leak or problems connecting my phone in the ford anglia, we dropped a 2 litre cortina engine in and made a stainless steel exhaust out of some vacuum pipe from a disused milking parlour, you just can’t do that sort of stuff nowadays! I’m only 47 but it makes yer feel old looking back at those sort of cars

[X5Sport]

Could have been worse.....a Morris Ital.

I had a 1300 Maestro but in my defence it was the standard company car for my Dept.

[sleepyfolk]

Well finally the leak revealed itself, weirdly it hasn’t leaked all week with the almost daily showers until tonight, must be something to do with the wind direction or something, good news is I can see the problem, it’s definitely the vapour/sound barrier inside the door card, the rear one was ripped in a few places and I’d tried to repair it , there is one small drip drip drip that seems to amount to an almighty amount of water which I would never have believed if I hadn’t seen it myself! Front door barrier has been stuck together as well and I’m not sure there isn’t a bit coming in there as well.

So, repair by replacement is the answer - 2 new barriers for the doors, i’ll check the doors are draining when I’ve got the old barriers off and see how much water the outer weather strips are letting through. Then we’ll see how much they are from Cotswold BMW on Tuesday,