Technical Leaking Seal in Engine Compartment

[Ant65]

Hi Everyone.
Hopefully I have posted this into the correct bit.

I have noticed a leak under my Fiat Panda 169 and took a few pictures of what it is. (attached)
This is almost under the dashboard & is just behind the engine itself.
I've no idea what this part is. If anyone can help it would be appreciated.

Its just so to tell the garage what I reckon it is and not look a complete tool.......!!

Thanks in advance
Ant

 

[dagdromer]

in that seal your steering column shaft is connected to the steering rack. and how is it leaking there is no liquid in it, except when you have loads of water inside that is leaking on the steering shaft and so fills the boot.

 

[Ant65]

It could just be rainwater I suppose... It has been absolutely torrential where we are.
I cant say I've noticed water in the boot..? I'll definitely have a look at this tomorrow.
Good stuff. Thank you.

 

[koalar]

duck bill missing and rain water running down the baulk head would be my guess

 

[Goudrons]

I think Dagdromer means Boot as in rubber gaitor rather than Boot you put your shopping in.

On the firewall, under the heater air intake plenum are two rubber "duck bills". One each side.

Loose plastic thing full of water | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

Can anyone help? Fiat Panda 1.2, 2005. Wife complaining of burning smell. Opened bonnet, smelled like water-touching-hot-metal smell. Saw drip on bulkhead behind engine. Protruding through one of the holes in the bulkhead is a plastic thing, black, sort of flyin-saucer shaped, about 2cm thick...

www.fiatforum.com

They let water out of the air intake plenum that collects via the scuttle below the windscreen.
They tend to get blocked with rotting vegetation and cause water to fill up the plenum and spill out where is shouldn't (usually inside through the heater) though you usually hear water sloshing about as you drive before then.

These "duck dills" are only wedged in the firewall with a groove around the base of each "bill", so you can wriggle them out, clean them and wiggle them carefully back in (don't push them all the way through).

As they are designed to drain out down the back of the engine, you will notice a bit of water down in that area after it's rained, but it's always worthwhile to clean these out at least once a year.

 

[dagdromer]

think Dagdromer means Boot as in rubber gaitor rather than Boot you put your shopping in.

Sorry, I'm dutch . These are not the words you learn in school. I've learned most of this watching tv and reading on the internet. To me a gaitor is the name of an animal spelled incorrectly. And a boot in automotive context is something flexible (rubber) that you can slide over parts that need to be protected from the elements.

As in this case, looking at the pictures again I think that boot or gaitor is not the correct word. it is not a grommet because it is not going through the firewall but against it. So I think it is "just" a seal

 

[Popitinpete]

Hi Everyone.
Hopefully I have posted this into the correct bit.

I have noticed a leak under my Fiat Panda 169 and took a few pictures of what it is. (attached)
This is almost under the dashboard & is just behind the engine itself.
I've no idea what this part is. If anyone can help it would be appreciated.

Its just so to tell the garage what I reckon it is and not look a complete tool.......!!

Thanks in advance
Ant

Hi, the bulkhead where the wiper mechanism is collects water after it rains. This should drain freely out of two rubber open bungs/vents.

When these drain they run down the back of the engine down the bulkhead and onto the steering gear, it's nothing to worry about it's designed that way

All you need to do is make sure you keep the two drain vents clear, they get blocked up very easy with leaves and road grime etc

 

[Ant65]

Thank you, thank you one and all.
Those explanations Goudrons, Koalar, Popitinpete & Dagdromer were extremely helpful.

I did take out the duck bills /drain vents and they were both blocked solid with muck !!
The amount of water that was sloshing about in the scuttle was eye watering.....

Funnily enough, Autoglass mentioned this when they were replacing the windscreen on my previous Panda & it never clicked to check these until you all mentioned it. Many thanks folks.

Back of the the net as they say.

Ant

 

[DaveMcT]

The duck bill rubbers on my car have gone hard and now only sit in the holes. Surprisingly they can still block enough for water to collect in the heater intake area. My brother's (recently bought) Panda does not have any rubbers in the drain holes. His runs water down the firewall onto the steering rack.