Help I'm drowning!
Help I'm drowning!
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Discussion

shoggyraminator

Original Poster:

255 posts

206 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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Another day and another issue with my new Cerb. After a little spin out the other day (in the rain) I got back and was fair pleased with my purchase. Whilst making a brew I started to think maybe my bladder had given out with old age. My jeans were soaking at the bottom (luckily not around my crotch!). Back to the car to find the carpet sodden wet. Oh joy. Next morning the carpet was positively floating in the foot well, after a good nights rain.

Before I investigate further, are there any known leaky points which would cause only the drivers foot well to become an indoor swimming pool? The windows appear to seal well with no signs of rain ingress here. The car is parked on a slight slope pointing upwards.

Regards

BLUETHUNDER

7,881 posts

290 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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Yes. Take the scuttle panel off,and seal all around the brake fluid reservoir. And around the places where pipes and wires enter the bulkhead.

amazon

3,704 posts

241 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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If you do a search on here, I think sometime ago, somebody listed all the most common culprits!

I had water coming in on the passenger side, it didn't fill the footwell - but it did collect in my ECU first! eek Lots of mastik later, all sorted tongue out

DonnyMac

3,634 posts

233 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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You're not alone, had this problem a couple of years back, as many others have.

Step1
Remove the carpet in the footwell, it will come out in one section - put on a rad indoors (doesn't need to be on) lay several sheets of news paper in the footwell to soak up the remainder.

Step2
Park it the other way round, ie if it's nose up the slope now, park it the other way round and vice versa.

This is not the solution ( biggrin ) but gets it dry; wait for rain and you may find the changed position is a short term fix.

If this does fix the problem, you can do the rest at your leisure; otherwise you need to do the following before the carpet gets wrecked -

Remove the engine 'beauty panel' - silicone seal in and around the screw holes, replace the panel.
Find the join in the door seals (end-to-end) silicone time, also silicone the join between the seals and the car.
If the seals look dodgy, replace (silicone seal in as above).

Others have found water coming in from the passenger footwell (where the ECU lives!) - remove carpet, and yes, you've guessed it silicone seal anything that comes through the bulk-head (even if the water is in the drivers side, it still may be coming in front the passenger side).

Another tip I’ve heard, but not used, is to lightly talc the back and sides of the footwell carpets, wait for a downpour, and you’ll see where the talc is missing – bingo, you’ve found the leak.

If after this you still have a leak - you need to build a garage wink

Good luck,
D

shoggyraminator

Original Poster:

255 posts

206 months

Monday 7th September 2009
quotequote all
Cheers Guys for the replys. Rain due tonight so it'll be my tub and mop in the morniing! It's sort of comforting to know I'm not alone, in a funny kind of way. Thank goodness for fibreglass bodies!;)

C3BER

4,714 posts

253 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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I had leaks on both sides due to a crimp on the door seals at the bottom. I proved this by having a hose pipe squirt onto the door and watching the water slowly leak into the footwell. Cured it by lifting the seal off and using rubber glue to re seal under the seal.

VPower

3,598 posts

224 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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Same here, it was the door seals.

Pulled them off from the front roof down to join.
Squirt kitchen sealant into groove and push back on.
Pull the other end of joint back to where is felt tight, and did same.

Plaster the joint with sealant and no more problems.

ancol

412 posts

254 months

Monday 7th September 2009
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also check the cover that conceals the clutch master cylinder it may have been removed at some point for top up,this cover is silicon sealed down and fixed with two self tappers . it may have beeen screwed back without being re silconed hence wet legs btm half when raining and also wet carpets ps you will need to remove top panel first the one where your washer pipes come through etc.