leaked 987.2 Boxster Help

[dbroughton]

Just had my 987.2 at the main deal for some work and they found that the carpets (actually foam underlay) was wet under both seats at the back of the firewall. They quoted me £1000 to fix as the carpets would need to come out and be dried in a hot room

It does seem excessive but I can see that its going to be very hard to do it any other way as the foam traps a lot of water and the only place where the carpets can be lifted without removing seats etc is at the firewall. I have got dehumidifiers in place and lots of paper towels and might resort to the heat gun

We believe it was blocked rear drains or an overly enthusiastic application of jet wash around the roof which was the cause but I can't get easy access behind the foot well to confirm this

Anyway. Can anyone recommend someone who could do this at a more reasonable rate? I am in the West London area

[dbroughton]

Hmmm. Not quite the level of feedback I hope for. Is PistonHeads just about resale values and your favourite colours?

[Pugley]

Stick a dehumidifying machine in the car for a few days. (DIY)

OR pay £1000 for someone to remove the interior and Dry It for You.

[gwsinc]

I’ve taken my Cayman interior to bits before with some basic tools (including some plastic prying tools). You could probably do the same work Porsche would on your drive.

Given you can take the top down im sure it’ll be a lot easier to do than the Cayman!

[dbroughton]

thanks for the feedback guys

May have a local independent help me dismantle and reassemble on my own drive. Worth paying a couple of hours of smart labour. Weather is good next week and with the carpets up I can let the dehumidifier really do its job

[icekay]

Given that any decent dehumidifier can easily handle a pretty massive room, you will only need it in the car for a few hours (preferably with the roof/windows shut).

A friend got his car window smashed in one evening before a massive downpour and only noticed the next afternoon, there was A TON of water in there. Dehumidifier overnight did the job.

Only if that failed I would start taking things apart, start cheap and work your way up!

[dbroughton]

maybe someone can correct me but it appears the Boxster carpet is essentially waterproof in as much as the actual carpet is backed by some sort of vinyl

This means the actually carpet drys very easily but water trapped in the foam can't actually wick out and evaporate.

I have zero wet carpet and a household dehumidifier is not creating any airflow in order to pull the water out of the foam. I think leaving the roof down in the rain would be fine for the interior but seepage at the firewall flowing down below the carpet is totally different kettle of fish

I have an independent helping me out with the seat and sills. I will leave the centre console in but hopefully I will be able to lift the carpets from the edges enough to create some real airflow in the car and dry it out.

I still believe that the issue was a pressure washer right at the base of the roof where I was cleaning off a bit of moss/lichen on the canvas

[NathW]

As to the cause are you sure it’s not blocked rear drains? This is the most common cause although door membranes could also be the culprit which can be checked by feeling for damp at the bottom of the doors.

Check that the control unit under the passenger seat hasn’t gotten wet as these are expensive to replace. Also, there may be an amp under the drivers seat (eg Bose but possibly also the upgraded sound system) which should be checked for water damage.

I don’t have any better suggestions re drying. You may get more responses on Boxa.net though

[Crispystork]

stick the engine on, crank the air con onto full heat, go inside and have a pint

[Rockster]

dbroughton said:

maybe someone can correct me but it appears the Boxster carpet is essentially waterproof in as much as the actual carpet is backed by some sort of vinyl

This means the actually carpet drys very easily but water trapped in the foam can't actually wick out and evaporate.

I have zero wet carpet and a household dehumidifier is not creating any airflow in order to pull the water out of the foam. I think leaving the roof down in the rain would be fine for the interior but seepage at the firewall flowing down below the carpet is totally different kettle of fish

I have an independent helping me out with the seat and sills. I will leave the centre console in but hopefully I will be able to lift the carpets from the edges enough to create some real airflow in the car and dry it out.

I still believe that the issue was a pressure washer right at the base of the roof where I was cleaning off a bit of moss/lichen on the canvas

Be sure the water didn't get to the security module which is under one of the seats. In USA cars I believe it is under the driver's seat (left hand seat). In UK cars that would be the passenger seat.

To get the water out use a quality wet/dry shop vacuum. While I have not had to remove any water from my cars including my Boxster a few times I have had to remove water from carpet and a wet/dry vacuum really works.

Only after you have removed all the water you can get out with the wet/dry vacuum then you can direct a fan to blow air into the cabin through an open door and out the other side through another open door. You probably need to think about opening the front trunk lid and disconnecting the battery to avoid running the battery down with the doors open.

The carpet is dry when you press down with your hand anywhere and can feel *no* dampness.

Afterwards, for a bit of extra insurance, if possible park the car in sunlight with the top down to let the sun heat the carpet/interior of the car.


You want every bit of moisture gone, for if the carpet remains damp this can lead to it developing a sour/foul odor.

You need to find and address the source of the water leak. The top: My 2002 Boxster top developed a leak just ahead of the rear window and in the center of the top. I had the original and now leaky top replaced with an aftermarket (GAHH) top which proved to be quite a bit less expensive ($600?) than the factory top ($3000) and yet appeared to be of very good quality. I had a highly regarded auto upholstery shop handle the top replacement and the new top was installed correctly.

Be sure the body water drains are free of any trash. There are two drains under the front trunk under the plastic panels on either side of the battery box. You probably have to use a Torx tool bit to remove the screw that holds each panel down.

Be gentle clearing the water catch basins of any trash. The basins - at least with my cars -- were made of styrofoam and if you break one this can let water leak out and get into where it does not belong.

Do not jam anything down the drain hole as this can tear the drain pipe away from the basin which is another leak. The basin much catch any water and let it flow down to the drain hole and down the drain pipe. The pipe has a length that extends out into the air flow just enough to cause a low pressure area to form in the pipe when the vehicle is moving to avoid high pressure from preventing water from draining if you are driving the car in the rain.

There are two rear drains. One located just under the clam shell arm. To get to these you will have to put the top in the service position. The same cautions that apply to the front drains also apply to the rear drains.

Last but not least water can get into the cabin via the doors. After each wash or after the car having been exposed to rain feel along the bottom of the doors the carpet for any signs of moisture/dampness.

There should be none. If there is likely the problem is the door membrane which keeps water from the wet side of the door out of the dry side has failed -- they will due to age/exposure (even though they are of course inside the doors and not exposed to sunlight) -- and at some point they'll leak. With my 2002 sometime after 12 to 13 years. But check the doors for moisture after every washing and after every exposure to rain. The membranes can fail at any time.

If for any reason the door has to be opened up and the membrane disturbed do not try to reglue/reseal the old membrane. Instead have a new one installed. Trying to reuse the old membrane is false economy and it will soon be leaking.

[wardpaa]

Had this before on other cars which tried to turn aqua. It's a long job in the beginning but gets easier once you get to know the assembly process. I usually put the essential stuff back like the seats so I can drive the car whilst troubleshooting where water is coming in. Some leak take a long route and are hard to track.
Don't be afraid to have a go yourself and take your time.

[dbroughton]

All sorted.

We have a new mobile Porsche guy in West London and he came to the house and stripped the interior enough to get the carpets up for airflow. Took a few days to properly dry with a fan heater on low and a dehumidifier park in the cockpit. Charged me a couple of hours labour for strip and refit and was a bargain at a quarter of the official service centre. Downside is having the car interior in the front room for best part of a week.