Letting in water

[andy893]

Hi chaps,

Washed the car last night and noticed water flowing in from the left hand side front of the passenger footwell. I've already googled this and had suggestions of blocked scuttle drains, or sunroof drains with mixed results.
My first thought was the area below the scuttle would be blocked with leaves and other debris.
Just wondering if anyone has had similar problems, and where the blockages potentially are before I start dismantling too many parts? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated before it ****es down!

Thanks

[john langrick]

Hi, and assuming a sunroof fitted.

If you remove the starboard grip handle ( you need a 10mm socket if I remember, and then remove the trim at the side of the windscreen, you reveal a pipe that runs down from the scuttle. At the lower end it runs into a rubber fitting that passed through the steel left bulkhead.

In my case the pipe had literally shrunk and was no longer plugged into the rubber fitting. I just extended it with a length of 8mm copper.

This is pretty simple to check.

Hope this helps

John l

[cassell]

Hi,

You don't say whether you have a sunroof? if so it's the most likely cause of your problem.

Its a few years since I had my XC90 with a sunroof but here's my recollection of how I dealt with water coming into my car at the footwell:

Remove the grab handle on the A pillar and gently remove the A pillar trim. You will now see the rubber sunroof drain tube that runs down the pillar along with some wiring and the air bag assembly. Follow the tube down and you will see a rubber elbow piece which exits the car through the door pillar. Gently ease this from it's hole and you will likely find it full of gunge, moss, dirt etc.

Gently ease it off the tube, give it a thorough wash out and replace everything in the reverse order.

If however your XC90 doesn't have a sunroof, somebody else will come along on here with further advice!

Hope this helps.

[binty]

Hi, I understand sunroof may be the most likely solution so best to check that first.
If not the sunroof drain, the fan motor is also located at the left hand side of the passenger footwell. (behind the glove box but accessible from underneath)

Water from the windscreen flows into the scuttle, there should be a clip on plastic guard diverting it away from the air intake, despite this some water will get into the fan area.
This is designed to flow straight through and out of the bottom where it is caught in the drain cover on the bottom of the fan and out through a rubber tube that exits through the outside of the footwell and goes somewhere. (i have no idea where).
If the drain cover is missing or the drain is blocked the water will go straight to your footwell.
It is easy for this to get missed if for example someone has changed the fan unit.
It clips in place and has one torx screw to secure it.

To check ,just unclip the carpet from the side of the transmission tunnel, then the plastic trim under the glove box, (2 x torx screws and pull down then rearwards). You will be able to see the bottom of the fan unit and drain tube.

Good luck and let us know how you get on.

PS if it has got wet the thick carpet foam may be soaked, you will need to remove the carpet to dry it, easy to do, just ask if you want advice.

[andy893]

Hi,

Yes sorry forgot to mention I do have a sunroof! This does sound the most plausible cause seeing as years ago a friend working in the industry said "all bloody sunroofs will leak at some point".
john langrick, cassell, the video I watched was some bloke in the states doing the a post drain tube clean. His was gunked up with crud at the elbow as you mention, so I think that'll be my first attempt to rectify tomorrow.
binty, I'm also tempted to remove the scuttle just to check the area under that for debris which cant hurt I guess, unless I break one or all of the plastic clips that hold it in!
The way the water was running into the footwell did look like it was coming from a small diameter hose of sorts, so hopefully that will be the cause and maybe an easy fix.
Thanks guys, I'll reply after with hopefully a positive result.

[gmonag]

I'm also tempted to remove the scuttle just to check the area under that for debris which cant hurt I guess, unless I break one or all of the plastic clips that hold it in!

The clips release very easily if you tap out the central bit first (don't lose it).

[andy893]

Found the problem. Took off n/s a post cover and found the hose that went nowhere. The 90 °plastic plug which connects to it is missing and a blank grommet has been placed over the hole in the post! Took the o/s cover off just to make sure I'm not missing anything, and that side has the plug and goes out through the post.
It almost looks like it's always been that way, maybe forgotten at manufacture as I can't think why you would remove it and blank it off?
I'll have to bung up that hole in the sunroof chamber until I can get to the volvo dealer for the part, and just hope we don't have a monsoon in the meantime. Any thoughts?

[john langrick]

I think it is just a simple rubber pipe for there on (downwards) or could be that it is just a short length of rubber between neoprene pipes.

I cannot believe it was always missing. At some time someone just forgot to replace it or perhaps the rubber part has disconnected and pushed through.

You really need to get to the other side, it must be possible.

But good work do far!

John l

[owenfackrell]

I found mine had perished to the point of falling apart. I simple extended the hose with some plastic pipe i had that was a snug fit over the original pipe.

[binty]

Hi, once you have taken the edge clips out of the scuttle cover, remove the wiper arms and the rubber grommets, then slide the cover down along the line of the window. The little clips hook under the bottom edge of the windscreen and will break if you lift it up.
Good luck.