Super Wet Carpet

[deadpheasant]

Hi

The carpet in the rear of my 480 is super wet. When I lifted the tray like rubber mat, it was like a mini swimming pool. I've since applied loads of newspaper to the carpet to soak it up and it's nearly dry. I've blamed the usual rear light clusters (Tiger Seal in the post to cure the little blighters), but I'm not so sure it is them causing the problem.

The water only seems to be really really bad in the passenger well behind the drivers seat. I've read on her about a few things that could be causing it these are:

A) Heater matrix leaking, but that wouldn't be all the way over in the passenger well behind the driver would it?

B) Rear windows - maybe a thin bead of Tiger Seal in the window seal will help this

C) The seal that runs along the top of the door all the way to the back of the car has been pushed forward by a bit of rust above the door, so that's going to get Tiger Sealed too (if I haven't already run out doing the lights and the other bits).

If there are any other suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. My main concern is that it's the Heater Matrix. If it is, could I pour some Radweld in to the engine radiator and hope for the best. I'd hate to have to get a new one and fit it :-(. Or is the Heater Matrix a completely separate component to the engine cooling system?

Thanks

[carl4u44]

The matrix im sure is hooked up to your radiator, so if your losing water you will know about it. I'd hazard a guess at the boot weatherseal or light cluster. If you can park your car on a slope, boot being at its lowest, then the water may not run in under the boot carpet and into the well with force of gravity. Just a theory to test.

[940SportsEdition]

Will defo be the rear light clusters, had this on two 480's years ago, head volvo tech guy at local dealers, lives just down the road, and he told me rear light seals, got two of the dealer, problem sorted.

[GTMaster]

Just a thought: check the petrol filler lid seal. That can let water into the boot if you have any in there as well. I noticed that the seal was cracked and hanging out under the lid on my 460 and after washing the car the carpet in the boot was wet.

[AHowardArt]

My 480 Celebration has had a dreadful leak in the boot area for a couple of years. I haven't managed to fix it yet but its a case of water management at the moment! The car is parked backwards on a slight slope religiously as that contains all the water in the boot.

Old towels permanently live in each corner under the boot carpet below the lights, after a good downpour they are taken out and dried and replaced. I replaced the boot seal in 2004 with a new £40 one from Volvo to replace the original 1995 one after a few leaks and it looked in a poor state anyway. It seemed to work fine until 2007 when I noticed all the footwells of the car were absolutely soaking after a downpour - it took days to dry out!

We spotted the rear quarterlight windows had movement on the rear sloping edge and discovered the bonding had gone so I had them taken out and re-bonded by the RAC. The rear lights had to be replaced for safety due to the surface going white and powdery with cracks appearing and so they were well sealed when I put them back in.

The glass hatch still leaks and it appears to be 3 inches down on either side of the glass where it piddles into the boot. I put an adhesive spongey window seal on the inside of the glass to meet the Volvo seal, but even that has made no difference! I'm currently looking for either a replacement seal to the Volvo one, albeit one that works or another one of a slightly different shape to put on the reverse of the tailgate.

Any other suggestions, solutions or suppliers would be welcome!

[940SportsEdition]

Your tailgate sounds like it needs adjusting to make it close properly, and you dont mention that you have changed the rear light sela, this is the most common cause of the water in the boot and the rear footwells.

[Baffler]

On my last 480 the water was collecting around the rear lights which then ran along a channel created by the seam of sealer which joins the inner wheel arch to the floor pan - this is clearly visible with the plastic boot trim removed - it then ran under the rear passanger seat base and collected in the footwell.

If you can't find the source or just can't seal it proper you can, as a temporary measure, create a dam/channel going from the wheel arch to the spare wheelwell with some silicone sealant and divert the water into the spare wheelwell. For obvious reasons you must remove the steel/rubber bung below the spare wheel.

[johnbot1]

My 460 was collecting water under spare wheel about 3" when I found it, I cleaned out the small rubber insert which was blocked this cleared the water away, the cause of my water problem was not by leaks through rubber seals but a high build up of condensation under the boot lid which I cured by covering it with insulation.

[ahal]

I've addressed my own varied experiences here:

460: http://volvo400.com/html/460_leaks.html

480: http://volvo400.com/html/480_leaks.html

A new boot seal eventually did it with the 480, along with tightening the tailgate via the adjusters ( either side of the glass lower ... twisty things ). It's also worth remembering that the 480's doors are way too big for the crappy little hinges, so they are prone to dropping.

The drivers' door in mine is dropped because a gi-normous male imbecile colleague with 9 month pregnancy and double D boobs leaned on the door while it was open. What a fool. That started the leaks back up again ...

I'd also recommend sealing the sunroof if you have one. The older ones are brilliant, but the one on my 480 - and it's a Vermuellen so it's at least dealer fit I would say - is the lightest crap you ever saw.

Last but not least, I'd strongly recommend re-routing the wiring loom away from the top of the boot seal. I don't know what they were smoking when they came up with the 'idea' of routing a wiring loom on the OUTSIDE of a boot seal! Effing hilarious! It's quite easy to re-route.

Best of luck,

Tony.