Technical Leak in rear passenger footwell behind driver Right hand drive car

[Marc Swansea]

Hello all. Hope you can help me. My daughter bought a Fiat 500 Lounge a few weeks ago. After a few weeks she noticed a lot of water in the rear passenger footwell behind the drivers seat. The carpet is absolutely sailing. I have looked underneath, in the boot, roof etc and everywhere else is dry. I put a hosepipe in the drivers door seals and panoramic roof with no obvious leak. The rear washer pipe runs down the nearside of the car I believe, where this is on the offside. It doesn't happen after heavy rain or driving in wet weather. Any ideas please???

 

[John202020]

I think there's a suggestion that where the rear bumper mounts can let in water anyone else ?

 

[Johnbee]

Evening. I had the same issue shortly after purchasing my 2018 500 after noticing the rear washer was more of a spray/dribble, rather than a wash. It turned out the rear washer pipe which runs on the near side of the car to the rear washer was split. Luckily it was repaired under warranty and has been fine since.

I’ve attached a copy of part of their paperwork, as it has the part numbers for the items they replaced. Hope this helps

 

[Johnbee]

I tried to amend my previous post but can’t - as I left it too long.
I just noticed your leak is on the offside, not near side, so my post may not be relevant. Sorry

Hopefully one of our resident experts will be along shortly to help.

 

[Marc Swansea]

I tried to amend my previous post but can’t - as I left it too long.
I just noticed your leak is on the offside, not near side, so my post may not be relevant. Sorry

Hopefully one of our resident experts will be along shortly to help.

Thanks John bee for replying. I think the pipe runs down the nearside. I'll check this weekend. I really can't see how just that bit of the car can be wet, while everywhere else is dry.

 

[Johnbee]

Good luck. Hopefully you*ll get to the bottom of it.

 

[chris3234]

Does it smell of screenwash or just normal water?


If it water there been a few report of the rear bumper mounts leaking and letting water rub through the box channels under the car and coming inside around the cup holder and handbrake area

 

[Ralf S.]

The rear bumper mount. There's a thread on here somewhere with photos of the naughty component.


Ralf S.

 

[Marc Swansea]

Does it smell of screenwash or just normal water?


If it water there been a few report of the rear bumper mounts leaking and letting water rub through the box channels under the car and coming inside around the cup holder and handbrake area

Quite fresh water. I need to add some washer additive to get a smell. The leak is on the drivers side, doesn't the pipe run down the passenger side? Im sure I saw a picture showing that? With the centre 'tunnel' I can't see how the water could get from the left hand side to the right hand side?

 

[Marc Swansea]

Does it smell of screenwash or just normal water?


If it water there been a few report of the rear bumper mounts leaking and letting water rub through the box channels under the car and coming inside around the cup holder and handbrake area

This sounds promising. I can't find the thread on here regarding it. Could someone send me the link please?
Thanks.

 

[Marc Swansea]

The rear bumper mount. There's a thread on here somewhere with photos of the naughty component.


Ralf S.

Could you send me the link please? I can't find it. Thanks.

 

[chris3234]

took some finding but here it is

Fiat 500 rain water leak - running out of ideas | FIAT 500 (2007+)

Fiat driver's side footwell is wet. Water appears to be weeping from the front seat mounting / front box section area and creeping to the edge of the inner sill and floor join - a low spot. Water leak is more apparent after driving the car. I struggle to get it to leak with a hosepipe. The...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[Dave R]

took some finding but here it is

Fiat 500 rain water leak - running out of ideas | FIAT 500 (2007+)

Fiat driver's side footwell is wet. Water appears to be weeping from the front seat mounting / front box section area and creeping to the edge of the inner sill and floor join - a low spot. Water leak is more apparent after driving the car. I struggle to get it to leak with a hosepipe. The...

www.fiatforum.com

A couple of theories - firstly it was always there but not noticed. Second it was driven through a flood. Third the water is coming through door/ window seal and running past the plastic membrame behind the door card.
If it's a door seal problem you'll see water on the seal at the bottom. My favourite is previous owner and floods. Dry it out and check when/if it recurs. I had similar problem which I only noticed 3 months after my wife drove through a flood. It took loads of newspapers to dry it.

 

[Ralf S.]

took some finding but here it is

Fiat 500 rain water leak - running out of ideas | FIAT 500 (2007+)

Fiat driver's side footwell is wet. Water appears to be weeping from the front seat mounting / front box section area and creeping to the edge of the inner sill and floor join - a low spot. Water leak is more apparent after driving the car. I struggle to get it to leak with a hosepipe. The...

www.fiatforum.com

That's the one. Looking at the photos again, I'd forgotten how horrific it all looked, for quite a small actual problem.

Ralf S.

 

[ChrisSim]

If as you say the floor is sailing wet I can't imagine it's a spray pipe leaking. I had similar problem with a Honda Jazz , the floor was soaked at rear drivers side door . It turned out to be a slight break in the plastic seal under the inside door panel. Can only find this by removing the inside panel and usually will see some water drops there. Water leaks between the glass and weather strip , runs along the plastic sheet in the door cavity and exits small holes at the base of the door to the outside. If the plastic is torn or the sealing is damaged or the holes are blocked then water gets into the car. I just re sealed the plastic with silicon and all well and dry after that.

 

[Marc Swansea]

Hi all. Quick update. Dried car out this morning. Rained heavily a bit later and carpet soaked. Didn't drive the car etc. Car is parked on a small incline facing uphill. Then when it poured down I sat in car. Could not see anything obvious around door area from inside. No drips anywhere.
As the car is parked on an angle I assume that would rule out the chassis / bumper issue? Is this issue present only after driving, so the water sprays around and gets up and under the bumper and onto the bracket? As the car is leaning back I can't see how the water could run uphill?
Quick question. Is the metal form under the seat solid? Could water from the front get past this 'dam' and into the rear? Thanks.

 

[Dave R]

It seems like it could be be coming from the plastic film behind the door card. The water runs away quickly on metal so look at the rubber seal on the sill - is it wet on the inside at the bottom? I cut a small section of the rubber out to allow drainage

 

[Ralf S.]

If the car is facing uphill then the leak could be further forward and finding it's way to the back.

Is you scuttle drain clear and does the car have an opening sunroof, rather than the fixed glass jobbie? If it has a sunroof, the drain pipes could be blocked.


Ralf S.

 

[chris3234]

A couple of theories - firstly it was always there but not noticed. Second it was driven through a flood. Third the water is coming through door/ window seal and running past the plastic membrame behind the door card.
If it's a door seal problem you'll see water on the seal at the bottom. My favourite is previous owner and floods. Dry it out and check when/if it recurs. I had similar problem which I only noticed 3 months after my wife drove through a flood. It took loads of newspapers to dry it.

Unlikely to be from the door as only the rear of the cars is wet and it's a 3 door fiat 500

 

[Marc Swansea]

If the car is facing uphill then the leak could be further forward and finding it's way to the back.

Is you scuttle drain clear and does the car have an opening sunroof, rather than the fixed glass jobbie? If it has a sunroof, the drain pipes could be blocked.


Ralf S.

Hi Ralf. It has the panoramic roof, but not an opening sunroof. Haven't looked at the scuttle drain. Is that hard to check please?