C30, 2007 how to remove spare wheel tray/wet under rear seat

[simpkinss]

Hello Fluffer

I am just in the process of dealing with this very problem, so perhaps I can let you have some initial thoughts on where I am to date.

My car is an early 2007 C30 SE Lux with no sunroof. I bought the car about 18 months ago, with 45500 on the clock, all verified and fully serviced. A few weeks ago I experienced the huge condensation problems listed in other threads, and also noticed the carpet in the rear passenger-side footwell was wet. Searches on this forum and others pointed to the bumpstops for the glass tailgate, which are screwed into the bodyshell and also retain the top edge of the rear bumper. Examination showed a total absence of any sealant around these, so that was the first thing to do.

I then started looking inside. Pulling up and removing the rear seat squab showed small pools of water, and also the black underfelt material on the floopan which others have mentioned, and which was sopping wet. A couple of hours with a blower heater made absolutely no difference, and trying to squeeze water out simply resulted in my fingers going through ithe material, so it had to come out. It is simply retained by being trapped under the front edge of the spare wheel tray, which I also failed to get out but by taking out the 4 plastic screws in the tray I was able to loosen the material sufficiently to release it. I have used the original as a pattern to cut a new piece from some underfelt left over from a recent domestic carpet job.

Next came the carpets, and this needed something of a leap of faith! I am used to working on old cars, which generally have trim fixed with visible cups and screws, so the prospect of pulling off plastic panels secured by poppers and hidden fixings led to some apprehension, particularly given the recent cold weather. The carpet is a moulded product, rather stiff and with a substantial foam backing, and is secured at its edges by the plastic sill trims. I was amazed, and relieved, at how easily these came off! That let me feel down the side of the carpet, which told me that the foam was soaking wet and holding a considerable amount of water. The rear carpet is in one piece, and is held on the tunnel by the centre console. There are 2 torx screws in the bottom of the box under the armrest, and slackening these loosened the console. The carpet is also held by the seat mountings which must be released, another leap of faith as the seats contain airbags. Rather than taking the seats out I decided to remove the bolts and manipulate the carpets out by just tilting the seats, after first taking out the ignition key and disconnecting the battery. After a bit of a struggle the carpet was out, trailing water as it came! The floorpan has channels pressed into it, and these were full of water. Unfortunately these channels also run forwards, so the front carpets are wet too. A day left in the garage drained the carpet sufficiently for it to be brought inside and propped against a radiator, and 3 days later it is dry.

Yesterday I used the same process to remove the front passenger-side carpet, which has dried within a day, and tomorrow I hope to take the final piece out. I have given the car a good dosing with a hosepipe and these are no signs of water ingress - fingers crossed!

I have to say that, having found the felt under the rear seat to be wet, I am sure if you investigate further you will find water in the foam under your rear carpets. Apart from the rear passenger-side footwell, my carpets felt dry on the surface, but clearly as I have found, the foam underneath has been holding a lot of water.

Hopefully next week I will have the carpets back in, and I may take the plunge and remove both front seats to make it easier. Watch this space!

[Sien]

Originally Posted by Fluffer

Reawakening an old thread...

Ditto, please post any photos of the cluster you mention and the seal that you have fixed with silicone / plumber's mate.

I too have suddenly experienced water ingress under the rear passenger bench seat, driver's side UK. Removing the rear bottom double seat panel has shown water soaked up in the black material covering the raised floor which aligns with the rear offside and central seatbelt attachments. No water has got to the footwell or boot thankfully.

I also have condensation in the rear UK offside light cluster and suspect the same ingress as MJS3. The boot bumpers you showed were wet on the inside when removing/unscrewing, more so on the offside.

I have owned the car (2.0D SE) from new (Oct 2007!) and this past wet weather has suddenly revealed the horror.

Any further clues or solutions gratefully received. Thanks in advance.

Hi Fluffer, have you gotten anywhere with this?

I've sealed the exterior of the rubber bumpers for the rear hatch, but still experiencing a leak somewhere. I had water dripping through my centre console light at one point but that seems to have improved since. The car has been off road a few months so it may just be a build of up of condensation. I still have a good bit of condensation in my rear lights though, and some dampness in the rear foot well, passenger side.

There are seals available for the rear light cluster (this can be removed by accessing 3 or 4 bolts from the panels accessible via the boot, believe you need a 10mm socket iirc). Probably what I'll be replacing next. I will also be resealing the shark fin antenna in case the adhesive has deteriorated. My windscreen seems solid enough so I don't believe I have the common bonding issue (yet) but I'll probably check this for bubbles with a compressor as I narrow down the issue.

Search for Volvo C30 Reference: 31213152

[Fluffer]

Hi Simpkinss and Sien,

Apologies for delay in replying to you both. I have not had as much water ingress as Simpkinss and thank you for your detailed post about removing carpets, I hope I will not have to go this far and have checked under the carpets but all seems fine.

I have removed the light cluster as you say Sien, easy to do with 10mm socket as you say, the white plastic interior trim cover at the top of the inside pillar was the most infuriating to remove out of all. The foam underneath the cluster was in reasonable condition considering its age, slightly wet towards the outside edges but nothing alarming.

Working with my dealer, who over the years has been aware of our same cluster leak problem on the C30, we ordered replacements seals which arrive at the end of Feb'. They are the same ref as you mention Sien, thank you. £8.40 each, and I ordered both sides in case my N/S suffers the same fate. Might as well do them both. As a temporary measure I have sealed inside the light cluster plastic edges and around the edges of the foam.

Like you Sien, I have also sealed the rear bumpstops from inside and out. Looking at the inside of the bumpstop under the boot rear upright carpet I could see old water marks pointing/running down.

Having spent a few weeks letting the underfelt below the O/S rear seat dry out, I am waiting for the replacement foam to arrive before I finally water test. I have not washed the car, nor has it rained sufficiently to assess whether my temporary cluster seal is working. I'm hoping the weather holds.

Good idea sealing around the shark fin, I recall that was another issue many years back when I had a roof dent repair and repaint.

I will report back once the seals arrive and are fitted then water tested.

Good luck to you both.

[Sien]

Thank you for the update fluffer.

I took out my carpets and seats today, the left foot well had puddles of water from front to back, I suspect it was coming down somewhere beside the rear passenger seat and then down into the foot well (there is a clear passage for it to travel on either side of the car from the back), there was some slight wetness on the driver side but I am attributing this mostly to moisture making its way over (though I could be wrong). The black acoustic felt under the back seat was also soaked completely through on the passenger side and had to be dumped.

Squished as much water out of the foam by standing on it (there was a lot), and pressed with heavy towels. Currently in front of a rad with a dehumidifier running and already caught a decent bit of water.

Tomorrow I will put foam around all the windows and check the seals with a compressor. It's possible the water has been coming through the top of the windscreen and traveling back along the headliner then rolling down the sides of the car.

I read on one of these forums that someone also had a leaky pipe connection going to the rear windscreen washer, found beneath the C pillar (which in my mind would be back left) so that's also something to check. I would like to pull out the spare tire wheel well as well to check around that compartment more extensively.

Have checked AC drain hose beside the clutch, that was fine, as was the drainage plug under the windscreen wiper motor.

Ordered the gaskets for the lights too cause at this point, might as well!

Apparently a common issue on all P1 chassis Volvo s back when Ford owned them for a while, and so the same problems appear in Fords of that era.

[simpkinss]

Well, no explosions from seats, and all now done!

I bit the bullet (sorry!) and removed the seats, after following all the guidance on this and other forums and, of course, the Haynes manual, particularly in reference to disconnecting the battery. Wow they're heavy! But I don't think carpet replacement would have been as straightforward without removal. I didn't take out the centre console, just slackened the torx screws under the armrest and behind the panel with the 12 volt socket, and that gave me enough to jiggle the carpet back in place. My only failure was to break 2 of the plastic fixings for the sill trims, and none of the suppliers seem to stock that particular fixing, so I'm still searching. To date. all still seems dry.

Referring to the title of this thread, I didn't find a way to remove the spare wheel tray, which looks to be fixed by the side trims. I did manage to loosen one side, but then I decided it didn't seem worth pulling the rest apart for such a small result, so I chickened out!

[Sien]

Had you found the source of your leak simpkinns?

I'm still awaiting my gasket seals for the rear lights but I suspect at this point that is probably where my problem is, at least I hope so.

[simpkinss]

Sorry for the delay in replying Sien, been away. I sealed the bump stops for the glass tailgate with mastic, and have had no further problems. When I bought the car 18 months ago I had reverse beepers fitted, and this would have required removal of the rear bumper which is held in place by those bumpstops which fit into the bodyshell. I assume the fitter omitted to reseal, hence the water ingress.

[daniel84uk]

My turn, what a piggin mess


There was alot more water before i took the pics. You can see where the water gets in from the brown marks under the boot bump stops. Oldly the side boot carpet on the right was soaked too, maybe i left boot open or i have a second leak. Im not putting it all back together until im 100% sure its gone.

3 hours with the heater on the foam dried it out. I need to check/dry the other side next.

[simpkinss]

Hello daniel84uk

Well, at least you managed to get the spare wheel tray out, which none of the rest of us seems to have achieved! I see from your post that the side trims are just held in with push-fasteners, so I guess to remove the tray you just have to pull and jer-jer-jiggle them, something I couldn't be bothered to do. It's now getting on for a year since I solved my water problem, so I hope you have the same success.

Sam

[eriken]

Had the same problem with leaks rear.
Had to remove the rear bumper.
There was a lot of rubber seals that had failed.
Replased them and put some Marine silicone around them aswell.
Completly dry now!