Left Rear Passenger Side Wet Floor

[das boots]

I don't know if this has been discussed before.

This is the first time I have noticed them to be wet since my ownership. But anyway, why only recently? All door panels have never been removed before (as far as I know) to remove the vapor barriers. B Pillars do not have a drain hose....I think. So, why are they wet only on that area? If coming through the door, should also the rear seat bench carpets also be wet? If constant drip from somewhere, why are the carpet not sloshing around in water?

How to start soaking up the wet carpet? Air dry?

I might end up having to sit inside and watch where the water is coming from? Thanks.

[LivesNearCostco]

Lawrence, my left rear footwell also got wet recently. I assumed it was a cheap disposable plastic water bottle leaking, as I had a few stored there. But it might have been rain related. Look forward to seeing what you find out. Don't know if my left rear door panel was ever removed to replace the window regular. I guess I could open it up pretty easily to check the seal.

[coby1]

i would think the vapor barrier (regulator may have been replaced at some point before you had the car) that or the seal could just given out (heat/cold be it the repair or just the original seal) it does not take much to happen , as far as to dry it get Damp Rid they typically sell it in the detergent section at wallmart they make an enclosed type package with a plastic hanger just hang it on the seat back for a few days and it will suck every drop of moisture out of the car (and smells pretty good)

[das boots]

Would I be able to see the water drips/drops if waterhosed from the outside? Just wondering.....

[stephenkirsh]

Would I be able to see the water drips/drops if waterhosed from the outside? Just wondering.....

Probably not.



I've had a lot of rain experience over the last year.

My leak was from my windshield; it wasn't sealed properly. Could your rear window have an issue?

For removing water, I've done a few things and two seemed to help.
1) sprinkle uncooked rice on the floor board. It's a bitch to clean up, but it helps absorb water.
2) place a dry towel under the floor mat and then put something heavy on top of the floor mat. Swap out the towel for a dry one as needed (probably once an hour at first, then maybe up to once a day toward the end.)

Good luck!

[das boots]

Probably not.



I've had a lot of rain experience over the last year.
Good luck!

So, how am I supposed to know exactly where is the leak coming from? Would putting some paper towel by the door well be able enough to tell where is the leak?...Maybe?

[Rovert]

You'd have to pull the door panel off and see where the water is coming from. Rinse the side of the car before doing it so you can see water drops on the side of the inner door. If you think it's a prolonged leak like mine was then you may have to rip up the carpet because most of the sound deadening material/foam under the carpet was full of water. Towels or dehumidifying would never get to that before the mould/mildew sets in

I have a thread which showed what I did in the past with my major vapor barrier water leak.

[stephenkirsh]

Yea it's a process of elimination. I had to rule out a bunch of different areas before I found the windshield leak.

[das boots]

You'd have to pull the door panel off and see where the water is coming from. Rinse the side of the car before doing it so you can see water drops on the side of the inner door. If you think it's a prolonged leak like mine was then you may have to rip up the carpet because most of the sound deadening material/foam under the carpet was full of water. Towels or dehumidifying would never get to that before the mould/mildew sets in

I have a thread which showed what I did in the past with my major vapor barrier water leak.

Trevor...I would appreciate it if you could pull that thread up again....

[Rovert]

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6410

[llll1l1ll]

I had a similar problem and it turned out to be the vapor barrier. Super easy fix!

As for getting water and smells out, I just kept paper towels under the floor mat until dry. To rid of smell, I would leave baking soda all over the floor overnight (sometimes a full day). From there, I would vacuum that out and place orange peels in the car overnight/for a day. Then I'd remove those and place some coffee beans in the car. Really smells great after all that!

[das boots]

http://www.zhpmafia.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6410

Thanks Rovert for the link. I would like to clarify on the wetness of the carpet. They are not exactly really wet, wet. Moist is the better word. But does that make any difference? The moisture dries up in a day when I leave the left rear window half open at the parking garage at work. Now, the rain is gone. Back to hot days and cold nights.

If I was to remove the door panel, would there be any tell-tale signs of the vapor barrier being deteriorated or has been removed before????

What would be the sign of a deteriorated door seal? Rear are hardly open or used. Front doors are more used 5:1 times. Yet the front seals still look like new....to me. Since all seals are constantly being wiped clean.

[Rovert]

Well there is always dust on the paint surface. So any drops of water would clear that. You'll see that on the inside of the door panel.

It's hard to say how deep the water is because I had carpets dried but the layer in between the foam and carpet is thick and doesn't usually soak water through. So you'll have to use your gut feeling on that.

[das boots]

Time to open up the door panel for a look-see. Are the panels easy to remove????

[stephenkirsh]

Not terrible. Find some ebay DIY videos "e46 vapor barrier."

[Rovert]

They're just snap on like Legos. Maybe a couple bolts to undo then the whole car just falls apart. LOL

[das boots]

Got it. Two torx screws inside the trim panel strip and panels pops up by lifting up.

[das boots]

Follow-up. Opened up the panel. Tried to located for any separation of the vapor barrier. There were no separation. They look like they came out of the factory. Did not bother to remove the vapor barrier since they look like glued all the way around. Returned the panel and buttoned down.

So, Vapor Barrier is not the culprit. We had rain. Parked outside and drove through the rain. Still no moisture....for now. I also placed paper towel around the door seal to see if there were leaks. So far.

Would anybody have any ideas?

[BCS_ZHP]

Lawrence,
On one of my e39s, the door was tight on the rubber door seals and compressed those seals enough that it took almost a permanent form in the compressed mode. It didn't leak when washed, only when we had a torrential down pour. It was recommended that I replace the door seals which were several hundred bucks. But first I thought I'd try reinvigorating the door seals. Get some silicone spray, soak a rag in it and wipe down all the door seals liberally, leave the doors open so those seals can soak in the silicone and re-inflate/uncompress. I wiped the seals with silicone several times over a Saturday afternoon and the door seals pumped up like collagen injected lips. Never had a water leak after that, even in the normal heavy east coast summer thunderstorms, the cost was only a $6 can of silicone spray and a little bit of time spread over the course of an afternoon.
Bruce

[stephenkirsh]

Never would have thought of that!

[kayger12]

Lawrence,
On one of my e39s, the door was tight on the rubber door seals and compressed those seals enough that it took almost a permanent form in the compressed mode. It didn't leak when washed, only when we had a torrential down pour. It was recommended that I replace the door seals which were several hundred bucks. But first I thought I'd try reinvigorating the door seals. Get some silicone spray, soak a rag in it and wipe down all the door seals liberally, leave the doors open so those seals can soak in the silicone and re-inflate/uncompress. I wiped the seals with silicone several times over a Saturday afternoon and the door seals pumped up like collagen injected lips. Never had a water leak after that, even in the normal heavy east coast summer thunderstorms, the cost was only a $6 can of silicone spray and a little bit of time spread over the course of an afternoon.
Bruce

iirc, silicone is a no-no for any of the seals on the E46. It degrades the seals over time.

Go with something silicone-free like Einzsett Gummi-Pflege.

Also, don't discount the sunroof drains. There are two in the back that drain down the c-pillar. If the tubes are loose, cracked, or came off that could be your issue as the water could certainly pool where you're getting it. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=814909

[das boots]

Lawrence,
On one of my e39s, the door was tight on the rubber door seals and compressed those seals enough that it took almost a permanent form in the compressed mode. It didn't leak when washed, only when we had a torrential down pour. It was recommended that I replace the door seals which were several hundred bucks. But first I thought I'd try reinvigorating the door seals. Get some silicone spray, soak a rag in it and wipe down all the door seals liberally, leave the doors open so those seals can soak in the silicone and re-inflate/uncompress. I wiped the seals with silicone several times over a Saturday afternoon and the door seals pumped up like collagen injected lips. Never had a water leak after that, even in the normal heavy east coast summer thunderstorms, the cost was only a $6 can of silicone spray and a little bit of time spread over the course of an afternoon.
Bruce

Physically as I look at the seals, they look normal. Evidently, they are not. Never thought of pumping them up. Pump them up like Botox. I got silicone spray and silicone gel. Kayger says it's a no-no. I use the silicone gel for the window channels so they can ran smooth.


iirc, silicone is a no-no for any of the seals on the E46. It degrades the seals over time.

Go with something silicone-free like Einzsett Gummi-Pflege.

Also, don't discount the sunroof drains. There are two in the back that drain down the c-pillar. If the tubes are loose, cracked, or came off that could be your issue as the water could certainly pool where you're getting it. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=814909

This gummi-pflege you talking about....does it come in a stick form? That's what I saw in Amazon. Is this the one?

http://www.amazon.com/einszett-914806-Gummi-Pflege-Rubber/dp/B004B8GTQG/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418996350&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=einzsett+gummi-pfledge

As for the drains, I think I have to test the drains again to see if they are all functional. Thankfully my driveway is in an incline.

[kayger12]

This gummi-pflege you talking about....does it come in a stick form? That's what I saw in Amazon. Is this the one?

http://www.amazon.com/einszett-914806-Gummi-Pflege-Rubber/dp/B004B8GTQG/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1418996350&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=einzsett+gummi-pfledge


Yes-- that's the one.

[danewilson77]

I have the stick gummi-pflege. Works great.

"No flamesuit required"

[das boots]

Ordered a gummi.

[BCS_ZHP]

iirc, silicone is a no-no for any of the seals on the E46. It degrades the seals over time. http://forum.e46fanatics.com/showthread.php?t=814909

As I understand it, silicone is good for rubber seals, it's actually recommended by the manufacturer for my GMC truck. However, the aerosol in the silicone spray can cause harm to rubber seals, so you're not supposed to spray it directly on the door seals. Rather, it's recommended you spray it onto a rag first and then wipe that rag soaked with silicone on the rubber seals.

[das boots]

Drains......Check.

Completed test of drains from the sunroof. All drains work on all four corners. Nothing wet inside the headliner or interior along the C Pillar. All sunroof rails are all clean. Just a few dust and easily wiped away.

Next on the list....,,,Rubber Seals.

[kayger12]

Good news. Dealing with a seal will be much easier than getting at the rear drain hoses.

[danewilson77]

Good news. Dealing with a seal will be much easier than getting at the rear drain hoses.
Unless it's the big ass seal that goes all the way around the door frame $$$

"No flamesuit required"

[kayger12]

Unless it's the big ass seal that goes all the way around the door frame $$$

"No flamesuit required"
Good point. We'll hope it's neither

[danewilson77]

Good point. We'll hope it's neither

+1

The friendliest forum on the planet.

[Rovert]

You can also insert rubber aquarium piping into the hollow seals to perk them up a tad via a small incision.

[LivesNearCostco]

Yes on my E36 the driver's door seal is torn up at the bottom. New seal is like $75. Was wondering if I could cut out the torn section and replace it with some weatherstripping from the hardware store. Or just spend the $75.

Lawrence, so far the most likely cause of my wet left rear footwell appears to be I left some water bottles lying down there and one of them leaked.

Unless it's the big ass seal that goes all the way around the door frame $$$
"No flamesuit required"

[das boots]

Yes on my E36 the driver's door seal is torn up at the bottom. New seal is like $75. Was wondering if I could cut out the torn section and replace it with some weatherstripping from the hardware store. Or just spend the $75.

Lawrence, so far the most likely cause of my wet left rear footwell appears to be I left some water bottles lying down there and one of them leaked.

Geeez...I knew I should have not given you that ride when you went to Costco for bottled water for the auto-X.