Author Topic: Passenger footwell  (Read 13338 times)

iceblue

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Passenger footwell
« on: February 18, 2019, 10:02:39 AM »
There's been a musty damp smell in the car for a while according to the wife. Looked under the front passenger mat and noticed there's a large damp patch on the carpet. It's not sodden, but it is wet to the touch, obviously causing the damp smell. Has anyone had same or know what the problem could be? Any help appreciated, thanks.

culzean

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2019, 10:10:13 AM »
There's been a musty damp smell in the car for a while according to the wife. Looked under the front passenger mat and noticed there's a large damp patch on the carpet. It's not sodden, but it is wet to the touch, obviously causing the damp smell. Has anyone had same or know what the problem could be? Any help appreciated, thanks.

https://clubjazz.org/forum/index.php?topic=10007.msg58550#msg58550

always worth a search.........

The plastic roof trim is the usual leak point,  the sealant gets brittle and cracks over time,

Other suspects are door seals, water getting into heater ( the bottom of air intake grill chamber in front of windscreen there should be drain points, these can get blocked ) and very unusually the heater matrix may be leaking ( had this happen on a Fiat,  but never on a Honda,  they are much better put together),  if it was heater matrix the carpet would smell of anti-freeze......
« Last Edit: February 18, 2019, 10:14:58 AM by culzean »
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Jocko

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2019, 10:13:42 AM »
Dampness in the front footwells can be as simple as water brought in on wet footwear. Particularly after snow. Blocked drainage holes for the air intake have also been a problem on previous cars and blocked drainage from the A/C can cause problems.

iceblue

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2019, 01:28:15 PM »
Thanks for messages so far, I've attached a pic so you can see the area of damp - if it was a door seal wouldn't the patch start right next to the door instead of in the middle of the floor? Also how does it get right in the middle of the floor, nothing else around it seems/looks wet??

olduser1

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2019, 02:55:59 PM »
Maybe worth checking the cabin filter behind the glove box, if unchanged can fill with muck & debris plenty on E bay around £12.00

culzean

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2019, 02:57:39 PM »
Thanks for messages so far, I've attached a pic so you can see the area of damp - if it was a door seal wouldn't the patch start right next to the door instead of in the middle of the floor? Also how does it get right in the middle of the floor, nothing else around it seems/looks wet??

There are paint drain holes in car floorpans that get sealed with plastic bungs - if one of those bungs has been damaged or displaced it can loose water in under the carpet. Otherwise it may be blocked drain allowing water to get into heater or maybe aircon condensate not draining properly.  But if it smells of antifreeze it is bad news - check  level of coolant in radiator.
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

Jocko

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #6 on: February 18, 2019, 03:18:31 PM »
Maybe worth checking the cabin filter behind the glove box, if unchanged can fill with muck & debris plenty on E bay around £12.00
Won't cause damp carpet. Just restricts air flow from vents.

iceblue

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2019, 10:42:49 AM »
Ok, update - I pulled the carpet back and found underneath a foam backed rubber type membrane which is cracked and split. The foam underneath it is saturated with water - still no idea where the water could be coming from. I phoned the garage I bought the car from and they said it will be the drain hole on the sunroof that's blocked (it runs from the roof down a tube to the front wheels?) They suggested clearing these drain holes with a pressure washer or similar. Has anyone any experience or knowledge of this?

iceblue

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #8 on: April 05, 2019, 09:52:33 AM »
Ok so I pushed a wire down both sides of the sunroof drains - don't really think they were blocked but did it anyway. I've had newspaper under the carpet in the footwell to soak up the water which it has done pretty much. Now after a couple of days of heavy rain - the newspaper is still getting wet or rather DAMP. The newspaper directly under the carpet in the footwell is pretty ok on the actual floorpan - the moisture seems to be coming from the floor area under the glovebox (the bit where your feet would touch if you outstretched them?) I can't see any signs of water - it's better than it was but obviously still not right. I'm starting to go mad with it - has anyone any more clues as to what I can do?

iceblue

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #9 on: April 09, 2019, 02:11:12 PM »
I've now pulled back the rubber foam backed stuff from under where the glovebox is (where it looks like any dampness has come from). No signs of water as such, but the metal of the car has what looks like condensation on it, nowhere else seems to be wet at all - any ideas anyone????

MicktheMonster

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2019, 11:27:01 PM »
Had same problem on a vectra which turned out to be a blocked drainage channel at the bottom of the windscreen into the engine bay causing water to overflow through the cabin filter housing into passenger footwell.
On the same car the drain pipe from the air conditioning  blocked up causing the air con to flood the drivers foot well, both times it was a quick fix to unblock.

iceblue

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #11 on: April 12, 2019, 11:33:27 AM »
Had same problem on a vectra which turned out to be a blocked drainage channel at the bottom of the windscreen into the engine bay causing water to overflow through the cabin filter housing into passenger footwell.
On the same car the drain pipe from the air conditioning  blocked up causing the air con to flood the drivers foot well, both times it was a quick fix to unblock.
Thanks for that - I checked the cabin filter behind the glovebox and found it to be totally clogged. I've now replaced it with a new one. I can't see any drainage tubes for aircon inside the car and I can't get under the car to check any aircon drainage points so I'll try and get it to my mates garage next week and get it up in the air to check any tubes aren't blocked. I'm hoping this is now fixed?  :-\

MicktheMonster

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #12 on: April 13, 2019, 08:03:18 AM »
Sorry, don't know where the air con drain tube is to guide you, they are usually on the rear of the engine bay on the bulkhead poking through from the cabin or under the vehicle. 

iceblue

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #13 on: April 21, 2019, 07:04:51 PM »
Right, its been up on the ramp - the aircon drainage tube is NOT blocked. My mechanic mate suggested putting talcum powder under the carpet which would show where the water was coming from. I did this - no sign BUT the sponge backed membrane IS damp where the slant of the foot well meets the floor  (the ACTUAL floor is still dry). There is what looks like condensation on the metal under the carpet but only the slanting part of the foot well - is this normal?  Is this why the membrane is sponge backed? It's definitely not an aircon problem because 1. I've not had it on and 2. There was FAR too much water for it to be linked
Any comments still appreciated

culzean

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Re: Passenger footwell
« Reply #14 on: April 22, 2019, 10:42:02 AM »
You can maybe check if it is coming from sunroof by rolling the carpet away and getting a hose on the roof ( or  take it through a carwash ).  There should also be drains in the bottom of the scuttle outside below the windscreen ( the plastic bit by wipers with slots on top that takes water from windscreen ) these allow water that collects in the plastic housing to drain down the front of firewall in engine bay,  if you open the bonnet and pour water into the vents you should see it drain away and run down the firewall, the drains can get clogged by leaves and moss, have any of the grommets on the firewall been disturbed - ot may be some plastic bungs missing.   The only other thing is a leak in heater matrix, but you would have seen water level in expansion tank and radiator itself drop,  and also a strong smell of anti-freeze in the car.   If there is a ford near you try driving through it and see if water is coming in through floor.  The usual thing with Jazz is water in the boot due to failed sealer on roof strips, don't know if water can get past at the front of car and trickle down 'A' pillar.  The other thing is the sealing around the aerial base....

You can get condensation in the car in colder weather by NOT using the aircon as the inside of the car gets warm and humid and the metal body is cold. 
« Last Edit: April 22, 2019, 11:42:23 AM by culzean »
Some people will only consider you an expert if they agree with your point of view or advice,  when you give them advice they don't like they consider you an idiot

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