1800: Water in footwells

[mattwright]

I'm the proud owner of a metallic gold 1972 Volvo P1800ES (90,000 miles). I picked the car up a couple of weeks ago and I love it.

The car seems solid and runs well but it is letting a lot of water into the footwells. The window seals seem OK.

Is this a common problem and has anyone else on here solved it?

[Gordon Hunter]

Hi Matt,

If the window seal seems ok, then I'd check that the heater intake scuttle drain holes aren't blocked. Water could be building up in the scuttle and leaking out into the footwells through the bottom of the heater matrix.

Carefully remove the trim clips with a paint scraper on the trim panel. Again very carefully prize back the scuttle plastic 'bucket' clips with a flat head screwdriver. Remove the bucket and you should find two drain holes on the engine side of the scuttle. These will posssibly be blocked, but you can rod them with a length of net curtain wire (thick but flexible enough). Test them afterwards and it should trickle out safely through the hoses in the engine bay and onto the ground beneath. If the hose is missing, then it can be replaced cheaply enough with plastic hose of the kind and thick enough diameter used for tropical fish tank power filters (not the skiny stuff for air pumps). Alternatively, ring Simon at Brookhouse Volvo.

Thanks for the car details.

Hope this helps,

Gordon

[B20F]

Most of the times it's the drainholes underneat the ventilation cowl that are full of leaf debris etc. You can prise of the chrome surrounding with a screwdriver, carefull not to damage the paint. Then there is a plastic insert which you have to remove to gain access to the drainholes. If those drainholes are blocked rainwater can enter the footwells via the ventilation openings underneat the dashboard. Another possibility is water entering via the wiper posts. When the rubber bushings have perished or the big nut on the outside of the wiperpost has become loose water will find it's way to your feet.

[mattwright]

Fantastic. Thanks for the help guys. I'll have a look at the workshop tomorrow.

Matt

[skysurfer]

Hi Matt

I had this problem as well. My drainage holes were also semi-blocked with debris built up over a number of years, so I rodded them through which allowed water to escape much more quickly. However, it is still important to check the fresh air vent rubber seals because if the car is parked on a steepish slope with the front facing uphill, then any major water ingress could still possibly enter the cabin through the vents. Probably best to put this on your regular maintenance schedule, especially if the car is left outside or parked under trees.

Paul