Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Well, yesterday, in New Jersey, we had those massive rains all day and then super heavy downpours during the night. Driver side carpet is soaking wet; passenger side carpet is damp, rear passenger and driver sides carpet is also soaking wet; trunk is soaking wet. Ugh!! I guess I can look forward to lots of rust in the future for this car. I'm at my wits end trying to find the leaks, I guess using a hose on the car doesn't reveal the leak, I'm guessing that apparently only high volume/high pressure produces the leaks. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronson Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Know what your dealing with, get ready because it looks like there is more wet stuff coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Hi Marika, Roll up your windows! (hahaa) Since you have water in the cabin as well as the trunk my guess is that you have drainage issues with your sunroof. Could be 1 or 2 are plugged, and 1 or more have a seperation in the drain lines. And if you're parked on the street which are crowned it'll make it all the worse forcing all the water to one side. With all the rain you're getting that would definitely overload it. Something to consider. -kg "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Hi Marika, Roll up your windows! (hahaa) Since you have water in the cabin as well as the trunk my guess is that you have drainage issues with your sunroof. Could be 1 or 2 are plugged, and 1 or more have a seperation in the drain lines. And if you're parked on the street which are crowned it'll make it all the worse forcing all the water to one side. With all the rain you're getting that would definitely overload it. Something to consider. -kg Sorry but the car has no sun roof. I won't buy a car with a sun roof just for that reason, water, water everywhere. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Heh, I was going to tag on a "I sure hope you have a sunroof". Well then go with my first advice.....roll up your windows. Sounds like the weather stripping around the doors is shot. Even if they "look" fine they could be bad. Press on the stripping and look for slits or they might just be compressed out causing gaps when the door is closed. Same for the trunk. "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 That is so odd that this is happening all of a sudden in both the trunk and front carpets. You had no evidence of water in the truck and cabin before this? It's as if you had a flash flood. I know it was raining very hard but to all of a sudden get serious leaks in both locations is incredible. Maybe it was just the severity of the rain, wow.. If you dry it out you won't have a rust problem, I would used a shop vac or carpet cleaner. Good Luck drying it out and finding your problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Heh, I was going to tag on a "I sure hope you have a sunroof". Well then go with my first advice.....roll up your windows. Sounds like the weather stripping around the doors is shot. Even if they "look" fine they could be bad. Press on the stripping and look for slits or they might just be compressed out causing gaps when the door is closed. Same for the trunk. The weatherstripping in the truck is new, just installed it a few months ago. I'll have to investigate further regarding the door weatherstipping. Might be at least some of the problem. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 That is so odd that this is happening all of a sudden in both the trunk and front carpets. You had no evidence of water in the truck and cabin before this? It's as if you had a flash flood. I know it was raining very hard but to all of a sudden get serious leaks in both locations is incredible. Maybe it was just the severity of the rain, wow.. If you dry it out you won't have a rust problem, I would used a shop vac or carpet cleaner. Good Luck drying it out and finding your problem. We had enough hard rain out here that there were stalled out vehicles everywhere. In Hackensack, which is a federal flood zone, some of the water was so deep that I think water was rushing into the car while I was driving through it. The water was definately above the bottom edge of the door which would explain some of it getting in to the cabin. As for the trunk, obviously even with a new gasket for the trunk, it's still not 100% perfect and I'll have to keep looking further. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
careldo Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 another thought see if you can have a glass shop check the rear window seal.If there is crack in the sealant at the base of the rear window water will get into the trunk and into the cabin floor.Basically what can happen during heavy downpours is that the water cannot evacuate fast enough around the exterior perimeter of the trunck lid and creeps into the cracked sealant of the rear window. This could explain why during regular washing and mild rainfalls you did not get water into the interior or at least not enough to notice anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Marika, If you drove through that deep, keep an eye on your brakes. Last time I did that, many years ago (I've learned my leeson), the caliper piston froze up and wore down the brake pad & rotor. When I tore it down (6 months later) I found rust in the piston bore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 Marika, If you drove through that deep, keep an eye on your brakes. Last time I did that, many years ago (I've learned my leeson), the caliper piston froze up and wore down the brake pad & rotor. When I tore it down (6 months later) I found rust in the piston bore. The oil gets changed whenever the Oil Life Index goes down to about 15% or so, which is about 3,000 miles. At that time, the mechanic does a thorough inspection of the vehicle and I'm sure if rust sets in by that time, he'll find it. I'll keep this in mind. Thanks for the tip. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 I got in the car at 5:00 p.m. and ohhhhh what a smell. I'm going to have a mold and mildew problem in this car and with Asthma, this is not going to be fun. I've got a lot of work ahead of me, cleaning and sanitizing the carpeting. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
epricedright Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 After shop vaccing, get some fans to blow on it while you're at home to help dry them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Concours Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 I feel for you Marika. Maybe you can take the carpet completely out of the car to dry the carpet and floor completely. Good luck, Jeff Jeff 98 Concours 90 Seville 04 Corvette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 And don't forget the good old Arm & Hammer Baking Soda for deodorizing.... Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 After shop vaccing, get some fans to blow on it while you're at home to help dry them out. I have a shop vac here at home, comes in handy for many things. I'll have to wait until the rain stops since we are still getting rain on and off here. I can leave the engine running and the interior temp at 90F and cook the interior until it's bone dry inside the cabin. The trunk will have to left open and facing the sun for the day to cook that dry as well. There's no puddles of water in the cabin or trunk anymore since I was running the heat going to and from work today but everything is very damp at this point and I'm concerning about mold and mildew which I'll have to treat for. I'm more worried about rust at this point. Do they paint and seal these floor boards? If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 I feel for you Marika. Maybe you can take the carpet completely out of the car to dry the carpet and floor completely. Good luck, Jeff I'm going to have to buy a few 1,500 gram bags of cargo desiccant and stash them all over the inside of my car and trunk again. Gotta love mother nature....LOL!! I've used these successfully many times. http://www.desiccare.com/cargopak.htm If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 And don't forget the good old Arm & Hammer Baking Soda for deodorizing.... Now, THAT's Genius!! You can actually sprinkle that stuff on the carpets and then let it set for a while, vacuuming it up when you're done. It can also be left inside the car with the lid open to absorb odors. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek Posted September 9, 2004 Report Share Posted September 9, 2004 What a BUMMER. Who said when it rains it POURS. The old dollar bill test on the tightness on the weather strips could give you a clue. Put the buck, or in your case, the fifty spot, between the strip and close the door and see if you can pull it out. It works for the trunk too. Blasting the heater will make the carpet dry on top but considering the carpet backing and the padding I don't think it will dry all the way down to the steel. It's a job, but it would be best to remove the carpet and dry it out. If you go that route be careful because the job can GROW. I did it a couple of times. A bit of rust on the floor, no problem. Wire brush it and coat with POR-15. Can't put the carpet back in without shampoo job. Might as well do the seats now that they are out in the open. In the mean time, charcoal briquettes have been known to absorb some odors. I've fixed poor window seals with flowable silicone sealant. If you're careful with it you can hardly see it. Clean the area to be sealed with a tooth brush and window cleaner. then a quick wipe with denatured alcohol. Not drippy or loads of the alky, just enough to dampen the rag. Mask it off and flow the flowable, with a paper towel on the ready in case of oh chits. You can do it all, never a doubt. rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 What a BUMMER. Who said when it rains it POURS. The old dollar bill test on the tightness on the weather strips could give you a clue. Put the buck, or in your case, the fifty spot, between the strip and close the door and see if you can pull it out. It works for the trunk too. Blasting the heater will make the carpet dry on top but considering the carpet backing and the padding I don't think it will dry all the way down to the steel. It's a job, but it would be best to remove the carpet and dry it out. If you go that route be careful because the job can GROW. I did it a couple of times. A bit of rust on the floor, no problem. Wire brush it and coat with POR-15. Can't put the carpet back in without shampoo job. Might as well do the seats now that they are out in the open. In the mean time, charcoal briquettes have been known to absorb some odors. I've fixed poor window seals with flowable silicone sealant. If you're careful with it you can hardly see it. Clean the area to be sealed with a tooth brush and window cleaner. then a quick wipe with denatured alcohol. Not drippy or loads of the alky, just enough to dampen the rag. Mask it off and flow the flowable, with a paper towel on the ready in case of oh chits. You can do it all, never a doubt. Tell me about it. I know there will be lots and lots of work ahead but for now I have to control the dampness, at least until the rain finally stops. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDK Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 At the water level you're at, I'd consider: 1. Remove the carpets (or as much as possible) and dry accordingly. You might want to find a carpet mildew preventer that does not have a bleach base (which will ruin your carpets). 2. Dry the floor boards and rust proof as required inside and out with a brush-on coating that polyemerizes and encapsulates rust (products from Durco). 3. Drill a 0.5" or so drain hole at the low point (carefully now... to not hit brake lines, etc). Be sure to rust-proof the hole edges, etc. 4. Install (attatch with a self-tapping screw [carefully from the bottom side]) a plastic flapper on the outside of the hole that is a bit curved or spring-loaded to act as a "check valve". This should allow water to drain out while not letting mud/dust/fumes etc inside. No vehicle can be water tight (aside from submersibles I suppose). As far as finding leaks: One method might be to pressurize the cabin (with the vent blowerr or a small fan duct-taped through an open window). Use "smoke sticks" (no kidding here) to trace the smoke/air flows out of the cabin. This might help to ID possible water paths into the cabin. Or, Move to Nevada (7" moisture per year maybe...) Good luck Add power to leave problems behind. Most braking is just - poor planning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Insurance claim?? Disaster relief?? I once calmed down a wonky- toe- jamb- funky smelling carpet with 97% Isopropal. No open flames or sparks allowed. rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 At the water level you're at, I'd consider: 1. Remove the carpets (or as much as possible) and dry accordingly. You might want to find a carpet mildew preventer that does not have a bleach base (which will ruin your carpets). 2. Dry the floor boards and rust proof as required inside and out with a brush-on coating that polyemerizes and encapsulates rust (products from Durco). 3. Drill a 0.5" or so drain hole at the low point (carefully now... to not hit brake lines, etc). Be sure to rust-proof the hole edges, etc. 4. Install (attatch with a self-tapping screw [carefully from the bottom side]) a plastic flapper on the outside of the hole that is a bit curved or spring-loaded to act as a "check valve". This should allow water to drain out while not letting mud/dust/fumes etc inside. No vehicle can be water tight (aside from submersibles I suppose). As far as finding leaks: One method might be to pressurize the cabin (with the vent blowerr or a small fan duct-taped through an open window). Use "smoke sticks" (no kidding here) to trace the smoke/air flows out of the cabin. This might help to ID possible water paths into the cabin. Or, Move to Nevada (7" moisture per year maybe...) Good luck Well, I just went outside and found that the driver's side door gasket is ripped, no less, at the bottom and I felt water inside the gasket. I know what I'm doing this weekend, replacing door gaskets. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rek Posted September 10, 2004 Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 If you're going to use some black 3M Weather Strip Adhesive, it works better if you clean off the mold release from the strip. Good Luck... rek Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted September 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Insurance claim?? Disaster relief?? I once calmed down a wonky- toe- jamb- funky smelling carpet with 97% Isopropal. No open flames or sparks allowed. That's a good point too. I'll have to see if my car insurance will cover some of this mess. If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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