Damp Footwells

Damp Footwells

Author
Discussion

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Friday 28th August 2020
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Hi, sure this is a well discussed subject. My 350i has developed water ingress into the passenger footwell. Seem to have developed over the last couple of days, not surprising with North Devon summer! Anyway haven't had time to fully investigate yet but the bulkhead feels dry so in the wealth of knowledge and experience on this forum, where's the likely area I should be focusing on please? Cheers John C.

ChrisW500

138 posts

55 months

Friday 28th August 2020
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Usual area is the door seals and the window seals.
Water run down through the door and runs round the inside of the seal and into the foot well,

New fat seals usually cures it, some people have cut the seals in two places to divert the water onto the kick plate area and out of the car rather than into the footwell. New window rubber seals are also available I believe. Hope that helps!

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Friday 28th August 2020
quotequote all
Thanks Chris, did think the door area was suspect given the area forward was dry. I've not examined the bottom of the doors but the seals do look OK. So it must be running down the forward part of the door hinge points into the footwell in front of the door seals?

adam quantrill

11,535 posts

241 months

Tuesday 1st September 2020
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In damp weather I used to keep my mats on the parcel shelf!

Yes it can wick in through the seals, maybe smear the surfaces with some water repellent silicone grease near the bottom?

ChrisW500

138 posts

55 months

Tuesday 1st September 2020
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It’s a difficult one to definitely track down, so first make sure the runners and bottom of the door is dry. I put some kitchen roll around the inside edges of the door seals , shut the door and them with a watering can gently poured water along the window channel first then the door hinge area and then check the paper to see where it’s making it’s way in. Hope that’s helpful

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Tuesday 1st September 2020
quotequote all
Thanks for the suggestions. Sod the passengers, they have the privilege of riding in TVR wet feet or not.🤣🤣 Seriously though good idea to lub' the seals and use paper roll to identify the source. Cheers J C.
PS, just took the beast round our airfield taxiways, Je** CHr**t I'd forgotten how quick they accelerate.😁😁

adam quantrill

11,535 posts

241 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2020
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Haha! So do you do aircraft engineering too?

When using paper towels inside a basestation I was testing for outdoor use, I found a useful addition was to mark the towels with whiteboard marker, drawing a few parallel lines, and let the ink dry first, then the ingress of water is precisely captured by the movement of the ink through the towel. Even if it dries later, it's a permanent tell-tale.

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2020
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Thanks Adam, bit technical for aircraft engineers, paper towels and marker pens!tongue out. Happy with oil and fuel leaks. Good idea though, I'm not convinced it's ingress from the bottom of the doors as the carpet on the sides is dry. I'm going to examine the bulkhead more closely. Cheers John C.

phillpot

17,105 posts

182 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2020
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A friend had issues with his Tasmin, think he found a crack in the fibreglass where the body tub halves are joined together?

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Wednesday 2nd September 2020
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Sh** Mike that sounds serious? Difficult to find I guess. Surely not a common Wedge problem?

adam quantrill

11,535 posts

241 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
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put some dye in water and pour over the windscreen? I think the join is around the bulkhead?

Once you home in on it try https://www.x-seal.co.uk/

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Thursday 3rd September 2020
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Just tried the paper towel along the sill and found it soaked and water in the footwell. So water ingress from the bottom of the door? However how does it get from the bottom of the door, through the seal into the footwell. As the carpet on the inside of the sill to the seat is dry?

colin mee

1,172 posts

119 months

Friday 4th September 2020
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Check the riots that hold the cills on you may have lost one.or if it has had outrigger done they may be self tappers.and are there any drainage in the bottom of the door

ChrisW500

138 posts

55 months

Saturday 5th September 2020
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As mentioned my guess is the water is running round the Inside of the seal and on the vertical bit by the hinges. It then runs down and into the foot well. The only way I cured it was to remove the seal and commit it to the bin once you have used it to get the correct length of the new one! The correct profile seal is available from various TVR places

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Monday 7th September 2020
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I think you've hit the nail on the head Chris. Sat in the car with other half and hose pipe and sure enough water running down between the front door hinges entering the car along the forward edge of the body to the footwell. Have, for now coated the seal in silicone grease and will invest in a replacement door seal. Cheers J C.

adam quantrill

11,535 posts

241 months

Monday 7th September 2020
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Good stuff -poor man's version of


John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Tuesday 8th September 2020
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No problem Adam, found a length of door seal originally bought for the roof fabric replacement. However another problem manifested its self this morning. Starting very reluctant. Usually starts no problem.This N Devon rain caused the king lead to short. Nice sparks though.rolleyes

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Saturday 3rd October 2020
quotequote all
Damp Morning all. Went to replace the passenger door seal and from an initial look it appears to be a continuous seal across the door aperture, across the top of the windscreen? No join at the top of the front door frame. Surely it wouldn't be a continuous seal? If so leaves two options, buy another longer length of seal or join the seal I have at the top edge of screen frame? Any thoughts please?

KelvinatorNZ

628 posts

69 months

Tuesday 6th October 2020
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Having done the seal on my Tasmin I can confirm it should be one continuous run. You might get away from cutting and replacing just a section but you would need to do it somewhere that water wouldn't get through the gap between the sections.

I snipped a couple of wedges out of the new seal squishy sealing face at the bottom of the doot openings so that water could run off the seal and away instead of pooling on the seal and then into the car.

John042

Original Poster:

892 posts

168 months

Tuesday 6th October 2020
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Thanks KelinatorNZ. I've had to cut the seal as you suggested hopefully in areas that won't cause more leaks. I'll try it now before I embark on cutting the bottom part of the seal. Cheers J C.