Wet carpet?

[cognac]

Hi,

The drivers side footwell carpet is not just damp but wet!
Has anyone else had this problem or any idea what could be the cause of this may be?

Thanks
Steve

[Raj]

Most likely is door seal. Or heater matrix perhaps.

[cognac]

[quote="Raj"]
Most likely is door seal. Or heater matrix perhaps.
[/quote]

Well I guess it must be the heater matrix as the door seal looks fine and there been no rain here for weeks.

Thanks Raj

[Lummox]

Have you had to top up the coolant? Try dabbing your fingers in it and then smelling it and taste it. If it smells/tastes sickly sweet then it has antifreeze in it and that points towards the heater matrix or the rubber hoses going to it.
Had it of rained then it could be anything from door seals to bonding around the windscreen or even one of the seals on the bulkhead I.e. where the steering column goes through or the brake master cylinder. Have you had it through the car wash recently? Could be the high pressure water from the car wash.

Lummox

[Denis O]

It may not be the actual door seals but the plastic membrane that fits across the door on the inside of the door trim. I've not heard of this on front doors but undertsand it is quite common on rear doors so maybe the same principles apply.

Worth a check as it's a cheap fix if that's the problem.

[cognac]

i've tried  tasting it no sickly sweet taste to it or any odour suggesting antifreeze is in it.
Checked the seals around the bulkhead and found that the tray on the drivers side above the brake master cylinder was loose and sitting above the seal now all back in place! Thanks for the advice Lummox.

Next I checked the coolant level, in the handbook it states that the top end of the red float should be level with the top of the filler pipe and not more than 2cm above the second mark on the float rod, once i open the cap the red popped up above the filler pipe to the said second mark but when I tried to add more coolant perhaps 2/3 fl ozs it overflowed ? the engine was cold I've had on overheating problems what so ever.

Any advice once again would be greatly appreciated

Steve

[Lummox]

Steve, don't overfill the coolant system as that is just as bad as not having enough coolant in, the very tip of the red float should be level with the top of the filler neck when the engine is cold (leave overnight prior to checking it as if it is even the slightest bit warm it can give false readings) one thing I have found over the years is the bmws I have owned have found their own level, my x5 for example alwaus sits a little low, I can top it up to the correct level and after a few days it has dropped by approx 1" but then drops no further. When I first bought it I was topping it up every couple of days and thinking I had a leak I took it to my local mechanic (who is also one of my closest friends) and he checked it over. He found that it would actually vent off a small amount through the filler cap (which it is designed to do) and then settle out. He said this can happen and told me to use the car for 1 week without topping it up and sure enough it drooped approx 1" and then stayed there, that was back in april and Ithink I may have added one cup of water since then.

As for the water ingress, you may have sorted it with the panel, just keep an eye on the carpets to see if they dry out.

Lummox

[cognac]

Hi Lummox

Hopefully the problem is now sorted I'll post once certain.

Thanks again for the replies and advice

Steve

[Raj]

Glad sorted. Never nice having an indoor swimming pool in the motor.