Technical  Wet boot mystery.

Currently reading:
Technical  Wet boot mystery.

Joined
Jul 24, 2021
Messages
85
Points
80
Hello all.
Demon's been at it again.
For a few weeks I've noticed a slight dampness under the various bags I keep in the boot. It's the usually detritus one carries as an old school driver - road map, foot pump, vinyl gloves, first aid kit, snow shovel etc.
Well I speak to Dad, a driver, car owner and home mechanic of some 50+ years. " It's condensation" he says, " because it's been cold".
Turns out it's not. Because on Saturday I open the boot to find mould growing on the carpet! A more thorough check reveals mould on the bottom of the bag, the road map, and the back of the rear seat! Plus, some degree of water in the wheel well. The carpet on the left / passenger side is wet to sodden in places.
So, my questions are as follows:
1. How do I get the mould off the carpets and seat back? I haven't checked under the seat cover yet. That's tomorrows adventure.
2. And, where might the water be coming from? It is only on the left, where the bags were stored. That's what made Dad's theory plausible.

There's nothing obvious to see where the water is getting in. The seals look in tact, no congregation of dirts etc to show a blocked drain.

Any help or ideas gratefully received.

This car seems to like water related issues as we still haven't figured out the bubbling gushing sound it makes on cold start up yet!
 
Model
2004 1.2 Dynamic
Year
2004
Mileage
103000
Research similar threads...

Regular unexplained screen wash top ups needed ?

Vent flaps under rear bumper ?

Rear light units ?

Rear aerial ?

Car parked near trees.....

Etc....
.
Have fun....

At least it's not a BMC mini.

Etc......
 
see similar threads about rear flap vents under rear bumper.

also possible rear washer pipe issues.....
So long as it doesn't rain tomorrow, I'm going to get in there and have a look. My biggest worry is how to get rid of the mould on the fabrics, etc.
 
There's lots of causes

Around the lights
Rear quarter windows
Sun roof if fitted
Seal around the hatch
Body sealant around the hatch
Roof channel

I believe the rear vent is red herring and the car had to be repaired again



Resealing the chassis seams seam to be the most common

Not always but around here

IMG_20231225_150142.jpg


And a few more successes here

 
The home crystal based dehumidifiers, particularly the hanging ones, work quiet well once water ingress issues are sorted.

Wet clothes etc. can and do cause in car humidity, if not addressed.

Good luck with your ingress hunt.

Forecast is quiet damp for the rest of the week, sadly I have to work outside too.
 
We had water running into the door seal and out by the door latch plate. A good sealing with PU mastic sorted that.

Another leak source is the three plastic pegs at the back of the rear lights not being gripped by the body shell grommets. S4P said they have been discontinued. The pegs make sure the rubber seal is compressed around the wiring light unit cable connector. When the pegs lose grip, the gap between light and body shell gets wider and the seal doesn't seal any more.
 
**UPDATE**
Hello All.
Well I spent a bit of time with a bottle of water and some kitchen towel this morning. And I now think I've figured out where the water is getting in.
IMG_20260318_111817.jpg

So, it appears that, as water runs off the roof and down here towards the bumper and to the floor, it's catching on....
IMG_20260318_111839.jpg

This seam here. Clearly over the last 22 years the sealant has dried out and crumbled away. It's OK during a little trickle but a stream and it's...
IMG_20260318_111831.jpg

Dripping through here. With all the heavy rain this winter it's obviously been seeping in and it has nowhere to go. Hence the damp carpet and mouldy spots!

For now I've drowned the carpet in antibacterial febreeze as it was what I had on hand. And I've taped the seam with a piece of duck tape.

Any recommendations for a suitable sealant I can use to fix it permanently? I'm thinking it might be good to do both sides while I'm at it, and any other sealed areas that look suspicious. There was quite a bit of dirt and muck ingress around the boot seal, etc, so while I'm at it I'll give it a good clean.
 
Mine was general purpose stuff, I had a big tube and applicator gun on the go for building projects

But small tubes of silicone sealant should be available in hardware stores if you only need a little
Cool, thanks. Might be worth buying a normal sized tube and doing all the iffy looking bits while I'm there.
 
The stuff you buy from Band Q, Toolstation, that kind of thing? Or is there a specific automotive one.
Yep

Last lot I bought was a small tube from the pound shop in Crewe, now gone, you guessed a pound, good stuff as it was high temp 200C as well

But I haven't bought any for year as there's always some in my local window fitters skip, when they finish a job they just throw and left overs away including full tubes
 
Mine was general purpose stuff, I had a big tube and applicator gun on the go for building projects

But small tubes of silicone sealant should be available in hardware stores if you only need a little
Or instant gasket is similar.
 
Back
Top