Damp and Help identifying a cable please

[Matty_Z4]

So I have finally got around to fitting the heated seat loom and have found some damp under the carpet in the passengers footwell. The top carpet is dry as a bone so I wouldn't have known there was a problem if I hadn't have been messing around in under there.

You can see the rust patch where the foam is damp, also what is that module that looks like it has been slowly corroding away? You can see some slight mould on the fabric tape but everything else looks like a beaut.


Door membranes should be fine as I did those when I first got the car, is it the scuttle drains I need to look into?


I also need a little bit of help identifying a mystery cable, I dont think its factory as it is duct taped to the side of the car. It seems to go from the earth point in the passengers footwell to by the airbag module. It doesn't seem to be connected to anything though. The black wire on the earth nut seems to go into the fabric tape then transition into the duct tape.

Are there any kind of sensors or anything around there, or would this be an aftermarket mod that someone has removed before putting the car for sale and just left a dead wire. I may need to do some more investigations as to what is on the other end of it.

 

[Zedebee]

That sound insulation can sog up a LOT of water before you’d notice the carpet was damp, and it takes ages to dry out. It is entirely possible that it’s still wet from before you changed the door membranes. But there are lots of places the water can get in other than through the doors, e.g. blocked scuttle drain, or the roof motor void filling up and sloshing forward under braking. On some cars the top of the window does not seal very well to the roof and water can come in there when it’s raining or when washing the car - easy to test.

 

[Matty_Z4]

Door membrains were done about 4 years ago so hopefully should be dry by then and the roof drains are clear. Did those a couple of months back.

So its windows or skuttle drain I think, on this picture you can see some drops of water on the inside of the seal from where there was a shower.


I looked at the drain under the bonnet and the flapper thing was pushed back like something had made home. Something has also been stealing the insulation from the firewall so further investigation under the scuttle panel may be needed. Dread what I may find.

 

[colb]

Take the wipers off and remove the windscreen scuttle cover to expose the wiper motor and linkages clean all the debris you find on there, both ends drains and the central beak drain, often blocked on all the cars that come to me for jobs.
Worth taking the wiper motor and works out and taking the back plate off to clean the contact plate of all of the greasethat migrates across it. The grease interferes with the parking position when the wipers are switched off leaving the wipers in a higher than normal test position. Cleaning the grease off the contact plate restores the correct parking position.
As well as checking all the other drains check any drains in the bottom of the doors are free.

 

[bigwinn]

If door membranes were done 4 years back I’d be checking they were still decent?

 

[enuff_zed]

If door membranes were done 4 years back I’d be checking they were still decent?

I’m thinking the same. Even if they are complete they still tend to pop away at the bottom a few inches back from the front edge. Especially if you only used the butyl tape as it never seems quite strong enough.
Easy to check though: door open and carefully pour water along the base of the window to see if any comes out the bottom inner side of the door.

 

[Matty_Z4]

Thanks guys, I was under the impression that the door membrains were one and done as long as they are not disturbed I thought they would be ok? When I replaced them I removed all of the old Butyl Tape and cleaned the door really good with a tar remover then applied new butyl tape (Stored in the freezer overnight to make it easier to use). This was Summer 2019.

I think I will check the doors when all of this rain eventually stops as that sounds a hell of a lot easier than removing the wipers and the scuttle tray.

 

[FunkyDung]

I had a small leak about where the joint is in the rubber door seal (1st pic of this thread). I replaced the door membrane some time last year, cleaned old tape off and used new butyl tape. I presumed this was all good!
After reading enuff_zed reply, I tried pouring water down the outside of the window, and sure enough there was a small dribble coming down the bottom of the door card. Removed door card and found a small bit of the butyl tape had come detached, so sorted this and hopefully no more leaking?

 

[FunkyDung]

Just a quick update, hopefully will help others?
After sealing the bottom of the new door membrane I was still getting water in the same location!!! Read another thread on a similar problem, which suggested to clean the rubber door seal as water was coming from roof down the front and out at the front of the door. I used some autoglym vinyl and rubber care I had on the seals all around the doors and roof. Now no water ingress hoorah!!!

 

[Matty_Z4]

I figured it was time to update this thread The rain in the summer didn't seem to stop and there was never a good time to take the door card off to inspect. I have had issues with my door locks so have had to strip down the drivers door, while I had my tools out i decided to pop off the passengers door card and check the membrane around the bottom front edge as suggested and it all seems tight as I left it a few years back. So that is a +.

I should probably try the water down the door trick to confirm this, but I think the next step will be to take off the skuttle tray and have a look under there as recommended.

@FunkyDung only just seen your replies was your issue just a dirty door seal? If thats the case you may have just won the internet and I will be trying that before stripping down the wiper mechanism/skuttle panel.

 

[enuff_zed]

Whilst that may be the answer, given the evidence I would still be getting that scuttle panel off and clearing it out as well. It’s a half hour job.

 

[spazmochad]

It's most likely the butyl tape has dried out at the bottom of the door membrane and is no longer sealing. I have just spent the last few months getting mine water tight again. Had to buy a desiccant dehumidifier and seal up the car to get all the water out in the end. Took about 3 weeks to get it dry.
Will get to see if the airbag modules are buggered when I put the seats back in a couple of weeks.
Wish I had got on with it sooner, bloody foam insulation on the carpet is a nightmare for holding water.