Damp C30 - No sunroof

[PCW8256]

Hi,
I've just got hold of a seemingly rare C30 D5 08 plate R Design coming from many previous German cars, this is my first Volvo.
I'm slightly disappointed with the gremlins in what I thought would be a reliable brand and model.

I didn't really notice on the test drive, but the interior is damp, very damp. It misted up yesterday and froze on the inside.

Where do I begin to look for leaks? I've read a lot about sunroof leaks and windscreen leaks, but I don't have a sunroof and the windscreen does not 'push away' like other forum posts I've viewed.

I hope someone can help, I really despise cabin leak issues due to how to complex it always seems to be to find the problem.
Thanks

[Dippydog]

Has the car been recently valeted? If so a wet vac may have been used on carpets and seats[if cloth] and may still have some damp from this.To check and see if a water leak is present try pressing on the carpets front/rear and boot with the flat of your hand-pressing on them will tend to "squish" water out from the sound deadening so you'd feel/see it more than just feeling at the carpets.Use the car with the aircon on-it's not just for cooling a car in hot temperatures-as this will remove moisture from the cabin air.

[PCW8256]

Thanks for a quick reply.

Yes it has indeed been recently valeted, however the carpet is indeed very wet underneath in the sound deadening...perhaps more to the front of the car.

I'm using A/C to help demist and dry at all times.

Bit of a mystery at the moment.

[lockstock]

Originally Posted by PCW8256

Thanks for a quick reply.

Yes it has indeed been recently valeted, however the carpet is indeed very wet underneath in the sound deadening...perhaps more to the front of the car.

I'm using A/C to help demist and dry at all times.

Bit of a mystery at the moment.

the ac drain pipes for the condensation blocks and it spills back into the footwell. Do a search, lots of instructions on how to sort. since you have the AC on all time this would be an explanation....

[Dippydog]

The best thing to do[although awkward if the car is used every day]is to remove carpets and sound deadening[this holds a terrific amount of water and takes a good while to dry]and replace them when dry.This will also give you a chance to look at the floorpan/bulkhead for possible ingress area.As lockstock says it could very well be a problem with the aircon drain tube[s].

[Markos01]

More to treat the symptoms, but you can hire or buy dehumidifiers. I once borrowed one for a few days when my Golf flooded due to blocked sunroofs drainage plugs. 2-3 days and all was well.

[lockstock]

Originally Posted by Markos01

More to treat the symptoms, but you can hire or buy dehumidifiers. I once borrowed one for a few days when my Gold flooded due to blocked sunroofs drainage plugs. 2-3 days and all was well.

this is a great idea if you cant remove the carpets. Remember these dehumidifiers need ambient temp at least 10-15 degrees C to work, so if its a cold day you will either need a garage or warm up the cars interior for it to work properly

[Markos01]

Originally Posted by lockstock

this is a great idea if you cant remove the carpets. Remember these dehumidifiers need ambient temp at least 10-15 degrees C to work, so if its a cold day you will either need a garage or warm up the cars interior for it to work properly

Yes good point on temps, mine was around autumn time so daytime temps would have been high teens I think.

[PCW8256]

Update:

So we've had dry weather at the moment so it's been drying out fine with no air-con.
However, it rained heavily last night/this morning and the front screen was very wet inside.
There was not enough water to fill up the footwells so they just remained very damp.

It almost points to water in the very front section of the vehicle. Are there any known issues with water coming in the ventilation intake / scuttle area?

Is it easy to remove the carpet?

[lockstock]

Originally Posted by PCW8256

Update:

So we've had dry weather at the moment so it's been drying out fine with no air-con.
However, it rained heavily last night/this morning and the front screen was very wet inside.
There was not enough water to fill up the footwells so they just remained very damp.

It almost points to water in the very front section of the vehicle. Are there any known issues with water coming in the ventilation intake / scuttle area?

Is it easy to remove the carpet?

very wet as in condensation on the inside of the glass? the carpets may feel 'dryish' but the insulatuon underneath may still be saturated