Seat bushings and wet carpet
- Thread starter Barron
- Start date
Likely to be more than that, plus the other side too. Best thing to do is remove the seats, carpets and console to get it dried out thoroughly.Just done the seat bushings on the passenger seat today, much easier than expected. Only issue is there must be 10 litres of water in the insulation under the carpet
Tony.
Better find and fix the water leak, or you'll be back redoing the job sooner than you would like.
Sorry. Long story.
Even after fitting my hardtop and liberally rubbing vaseline into the rubbers the right side carpet still got wet in a recent downpour.
Much head scratching later - and after taking out the seat, the carpet, the under-dash trim and the rear trim panels and then sitting in the car under a lawn sprinkler I spotted where the water was coming in. Totally unexpected. (for me anyway) It was coming in from the bottom of the door card.
Door filling up with water I thought? No. I knew my drain holes were clear.
Adjusted the sprinkler to just spray the door window. The water pouring down the outside of the glass where much of it continues past the old/hardened rubber trim that runs along the outside top edge of the door. But instead of making it's way to the very bottom of the door and the drain holes where I'd expect it to go - the water somehow makes its way across the inside of the door to roughly where the door pull handle is and runs down the inside of the door and that spongy sheet thing that covers the holes in the door.
I don't know what that grey spongy sheet thing is called. I'd had it out a while ago and thought I'd sealed it back in again but must have missed a bit near the bottom. If that grey spongy sheet (what is that thing called) was sealed in properly I assume the water would continue to the bottom of the door and out through the drain holes instead of into the car.
Anyway. Sealed it in properly this time and we're all dry after parking for hours under the sprinkler.
But I'm actually at a loss as to how the water gets from the bottom edge of the glass across the air gap to the inside panel of the door. I'm wondering if there's something missing in my door. Maybe a piece of shielding or 'water guide' along the bottom of the window that directs water away from the inside panel of the door.
Or is it really the case that that spongy grey sheet thing (what is that thing called?) really does act as a weather seal and it always needs to be maintained in good order and sealed up good.
(Thoughts anyone?)
Even after fitting my hardtop and liberally rubbing vaseline into the rubbers the right side carpet still got wet in a recent downpour.
Much head scratching later - and after taking out the seat, the carpet, the under-dash trim and the rear trim panels and then sitting in the car under a lawn sprinkler I spotted where the water was coming in. Totally unexpected. (for me anyway) It was coming in from the bottom of the door card.
Door filling up with water I thought? No. I knew my drain holes were clear.
Adjusted the sprinkler to just spray the door window. The water pouring down the outside of the glass where much of it continues past the old/hardened rubber trim that runs along the outside top edge of the door. But instead of making it's way to the very bottom of the door and the drain holes where I'd expect it to go - the water somehow makes its way across the inside of the door to roughly where the door pull handle is and runs down the inside of the door and that spongy sheet thing that covers the holes in the door.
I don't know what that grey spongy sheet thing is called. I'd had it out a while ago and thought I'd sealed it back in again but must have missed a bit near the bottom. If that grey spongy sheet (what is that thing called) was sealed in properly I assume the water would continue to the bottom of the door and out through the drain holes instead of into the car.
Anyway. Sealed it in properly this time and we're all dry after parking for hours under the sprinkler.
But I'm actually at a loss as to how the water gets from the bottom edge of the glass across the air gap to the inside panel of the door. I'm wondering if there's something missing in my door. Maybe a piece of shielding or 'water guide' along the bottom of the window that directs water away from the inside panel of the door.
Or is it really the case that that spongy grey sheet thing (what is that thing called?) really does act as a weather seal and it always needs to be maintained in good order and sealed up good.
(Thoughts anyone?)
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It's garaged and I only use it when its not raining, only had it since February, I know it leaks a little from the back window I'll get it dried out. Probably put a new roof on next year.
“only had it since February” , does that mean it has never ever been used out in the rain for its whole life. Those floor carpets won’t dry out by themselves so could have been wet for a long time.
Tony.
Tony.
That's why I said I only had it since February, its probably been damp for ages and most definitely used in the rain.
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Correct. Till you get the carpets out you won't realise how thick they are. Seriously. In the footwell there's, like, 2 inches of foam backing. If the surface of the carpet has water on it then you've got a gallon or more water in there. That'll never dry out on its own.
I've lifted the carpet and it's only the foam that is damp, I've had a blow heater on the rear section all day and it's now dry, lifted and propped the front and now drying. I got the majority out by extraction first.
Just in case you didn't believe what I said about water running down the inside of the door panel. Here's a picture.
I've just replaced the central locking actuator and the grey foam sheet thing has been sealed in real good now. water used to leak past that foam sheet but now that it's sealed it doesn't. But I decided to test it before putting the door card back on.
Trickled water onto the side window (window is fully up) and in the picture it shows that some of it is trickling out through the little hole in the door where the card stud/clip would go.
Sorry. Not a good picture but I'm sure you see what I mean. Clearly water is running down the inside of the grey foam sheet thing.
The door card stud won't seal that and water will run out from under the door card. This would be above the main door rubber seal so would drip over the inner sill into the car.
I've just replaced the central locking actuator and the grey foam sheet thing has been sealed in real good now. water used to leak past that foam sheet but now that it's sealed it doesn't. But I decided to test it before putting the door card back on.
Trickled water onto the side window (window is fully up) and in the picture it shows that some of it is trickling out through the little hole in the door where the card stud/clip would go.
Sorry. Not a good picture but I'm sure you see what I mean. Clearly water is running down the inside of the grey foam sheet thing.
The door card stud won't seal that and water will run out from under the door card. This would be above the main door rubber seal so would drip over the inner sill into the car.
Peter12345
Regular Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2022
- Points
- 19
Hmm. Quite a design flaw ?
What sort of mastic / silicon sealer should be used for the plastic sheet seal between the door panel & door ?
What sort of mastic / silicon sealer should be used for the plastic sheet seal between the door panel & door ?
I'm not sure it's a design flaw. I've sealed it up now and don't want to go back in there for a look but I wonder if the bracket holding the bottom edge of the glass might have a small trickle channel which, in an old car, is likely full of muck. Also the rubber trim running along the top of the door in my case is likely over 22,years old so has probably shrunk quite a bit and more water than originally designed for gets down there.
But. Anyway. Sealant. Something that never completely hardens. I use the black stuff that i also use to seal up joints in rain gutters on my house. Drys on the surface to touch but stays soft enough to separate when necessary.
I also stuck a strip of plastic along the bottom edge just above the stud holes so water running down the inside of the door doesn't reach the holes.
But. Anyway. Sealant. Something that never completely hardens. I use the black stuff that i also use to seal up joints in rain gutters on my house. Drys on the surface to touch but stays soft enough to separate when necessary.
I also stuck a strip of plastic along the bottom edge just above the stud holes so water running down the inside of the door doesn't reach the holes.