Damp carpet edge in passenger side footwell on V8V

[v8woollie]

Just wondering if anyone may have had this dampness and knows what causes it.

After it has rained the carpet at the side of the passenger footwell running from the front of the seat to near the bulkhead (the carpet that runs down from the door sill and bends over the floor by an inch or so) gets damp where the bend is. There is no water or dampness under the carpet, none under the bulkhead or glovebox, none down the door or window nor any on the sill where the plaque sits. I am wondering if it could be getting in around the outside of the window and dripping through the door and out from under the storage area at the bottom of the door.

I haven't driven the car so it is not water getting splashed up from the road. The car is sitting on the driveway.

As I say just wondering if anyone else may have encountered this and knows what could cause it.

[BingoBob]

I wonder if there is a drain in the bottom of the door that is blocked. Can you open the door and get underneath it? See if there is debris blocking the drain holes (if there are any)?

[peterr96]

Water is devious stuff and can appear in places that would notionally appear to be not likely.

I'd be inclined to get it dried out as best you can and then get some paper towel in the area that gets wet.
Get a hose pipe and give the car a squirt in a particular area. Then leave it to see if the water penetrates.
Keep doing this making sure you give the water time to get through before targetting a different area. You will probably find that some washing up liquid also helps to get the water through faster as it breaks the surface tension. Of course the current weather is not really going to help you out here!
The doors have drain holes in the leading bottom edge. After washing the car, water should pee out when you subsequently open the door. If it doesn't then check that drain hole.

Assuming that drain hole is OK I'd be concentrating on soaking:-
windscreen seals, right up to the top of the header rail.
any cable routes that transition through the bulkhead.
The cable route that gets to the doors/A pillar
I can't recall how the weather proofing is effected behind the quarter light but have a look there too.
Also check that the window is sitting snug into the seal.

[BingoBob]

If your car lives outside, could there be some dead leaves clogging up the drain by your pollen filter? You'd expect the carpet to be damp underneath, though, if it was coming in through the bulkhead.

[v8woollie]

BingoBob said:

I wonder if there is a drain in the bottom of the door that is blocked. Can you open the door and get underneath it? See if there is debris blocking the drain holes (if there are any)?

Once it stops raining I'll get under the door and check the drain holes.

BingoBob said:

If your car lives outside, could there be some dead leaves clogging up the drain by your pollen filter? You'd expect the carpet to be damp underneath, though, if it was coming in through the bulkhead.

That's the odd thing. Everything is dry apart from the top of the carpet where it bends from the sill to the floor. The floor under the damp carpet and the bulkhead are dry. Where is the drain by the pollen filter located?

[peterr96]

v8woollie said:

That's the odd thing. Everything is dry apart from the top of the carpet where it bends from the sill to the floor. The floor under the damp carpet and the bulkhead are dry. Where is the drain by the pollen filter located?

Thing is that water can happily wick along surfaces and appear where you don't expect it to. IIRC the backing of the carpets looks pretty waterproof so water will take the path of least resistance around the back of that. Water could either be coming round the back of the foot well carpet or down the A pillar.

[v8woollie]

peterr96 said:

Water is devious stuff and can appear in places that would notionally appear to be not likely.

I'd be inclined to get it dried out as best you can and then get some paper towel in the area that gets wet.
Get a hose pipe and give the car a squirt in a particular area. Then leave it to see if the water penetrates.
Keep doing this making sure you give the water time to get through before targetting a different area. You will probably find that some washing up liquid also helps to get the water through faster as it breaks the surface tension. Of course the current weather is not really going to help you out here!
The doors have drain holes in the leading bottom edge. After washing the car, water should pee out when you subsequently open the door. If it doesn't then check that drain hole.

Assuming that drain hole is OK I'd be concentrating on soaking:-
windscreen seals, right up to the top of the header rail.
any cable routes that transition through the bulkhead.
The cable route that gets to the doors/A pillar
I can't recall how the weather proofing is effected behind the quarter light but have a look there too.
Also check that the window is sitting snug into the seal.

Good plan. When this incessant rain finally stops I will dry the carpet and then (using a watering can as we are in a hosepipe ban area still!!!!) I'll start watering around the areas you mentioned and see if the paper towels get damp. The door window does seem to seal OK and when closed is up under the roof edge. As I mentioned the inside of the window, the inside door panel and the sill itself are also dry so I guess that only leaves water getting inside the door and running through and dripping directly onto the carpet, and I can only see that being possible from the underside of the door pocket.

Of course this incessant rain means that the carpet is getting consistently more damp.

[v8woollie]

peterr96 said:

Thing is that water can happily wick along surfaces and appear where you don't expect it to. IIRC the backing of the carpets looks pretty waterproof so water will take the path of least resistance around the back of that. Water could either be coming round the back of the foot well carpet or down the A pillar.

I am hoping that wherever the water is getting in is not starting to rust or erode, particularly as I cannot see it. I took the carpet up and felt arond all the panels at the bulkhead and the side of the footwell and they felt dry. If the rain continues I may sit in the car and see if I can see any water dripping or getting in although I am not talking about puddles of water so it may be a long wait!

[BingoBob]

The run-off water from the windscreen is be channelled under the bonnet. On the driver's side it falls into the engine bay, but on the passenger side, it is channelled into a drain just above the pollen filter (I think it's the pollen filter).

Edited by BingoBob on Tuesday 12th June 11:51

[v8woollie]

Thank you for the picture. I shall check that area out. Lots of areas to check once the rain stops

[peterr96]

v8woollie said:

Good plan. When this incessant rain finally stops I will dry the carpet and then (using a watering can as we are in a hosepipe ban area still!!!!) I'll start watering around the areas you mentioned and see if the paper towels get damp.

Just for the record you should be ok using a hosepipe for this purpose.

From Southern Waters website

5. What activities are restricted (prohibitions) from April 5?

• Watering a garden using a hosepipe;
• Cleaning a private motor vehicle using a hosepipe;
• Watering plants on domestic or other non-commercial premises using a hosepipe;
• Cleaning a private leisure boat using a hosepipe;
• Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool;
• Drawing water using a hosepipe for domestic recreational use;
• Filling or maintaining a domestic pond using a hosepipe;
• Filling or maintaining an ornamental fountain;
• Cleaning walls or windows of domestic premises using a hosepipe;
• Cleaning paths or patios using a hosepipe;
• Cleaning other artificial outdoor surfaces using a hosepipe.

As you are not cleaning the car you would not appear to be in contravention.
You'll note that there is no prohibition on filling a car!

[BingoBob]

"Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool"

Wouldn't that count? Sounds like he's halfway there.

[peterr96]

BingoBob said:

"Filling or maintaining a domestic swimming or paddling pool"

Wouldn't that count? Sounds like he's halfway there.

That's George's DB9V you're describing there.

[KarlFranz]

v8woollie said:

I am hoping that wherever the water is getting in is not starting to rust or erode, particularly as I cannot see it.

No to worry. As several on here have assured us that keeping a car outdoors is just as good as keeping it garaged, I'm sure it will never rust.

[BingoBob]

[v8woollie]

KarlFranz said:

No to worry. As several on here have assured us that keeping a car outdoors is just as good as keeping it garaged, I'm sure it will never rust.

Touche!

[v8woollie]

I have now found where the water is getting into the footwell. Where the sill plate ends towards the front of the car and the leather trim at the side of the footwell starts the carpet is wet and the water is soaking down to the crease where the carpet meets the floor. So the water is coming down behind the leather side panel right where it meets the sill plate. Not sure where it could be entering though.

Looks like it needs to go for another visit to Grange. Can't seem to get more than a week without something going wrong!

Edited by v8woollie on Wednesday 13th June 22:13

[BingoBob]

Sounds like you are having some bad luck. Did you have a look at the drain under the windscreen?

It looks like the air intake that is there, rather than the pollen filter as I previously said. Still, if water is getting in there, then could it could conceivable work its way there.

[v8woollie]

BingoBob said:

Sounds like you are having some bad luck. Did you have a look at the drain under the windscreen?

It looks like the air intake that is there, rather than the pollen filter as I previously said. Still, if water is getting in there, then could it could conceivable work its way there.

I looked at that area. It isn't blocked at all but as it is open the rain water would get into it. I assume it shouldn't be able to get into the footwell though.

[BingoBob]

The hole that is circled is the drain (I'm pretty sure) and the grill below it is the air intake to the heater blower. If anything caused the water to overflow that little lip into the grill then perhaps that would cause problems.