Body/Trim: Wet Drivers Carpet , new fix August2017

[binty]

I have found a new source of water ingress !!
You may recall I made a similar claim a few weeks ago, but my hubris was misplaced as the darned leak occurred again after a particularly heavy downpour.
This was the original thread
https://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=270399

War was duly declared on the leak, carpets removed, (i am getting quite quick at this now).
I then drove the car for several weeks with no carpet, (I made up a 'floor'with some expanded foam sheet and builders plastic so i could easily lift it out).

Despite my best efforts with a hosepipe I could not recreate a leak, I even removed the scuttle cover and left the house running fully onto the CEM cover for an hour, but everything was resolutely dry.

Then after a summer downpour with the car parked on the drive, there it was, a dribble of water from the bottom of the steering column rubber boot. The boot looked good and was seated correctly, it was also dry around the metal and the design would mean that water would have to flow uphill via this route, quite difficult in a parked car!!

The column boot was removed and slid up the steering column, then another downpour revealed the source.
Water was coming from the joint between sheet metal about 3 inches to the right of the steering column. (photo1).

The area is below the two blanking plugs on the bulkhead close to the brake servo. (photo2).
The downside is the whole area is covered in heat and sound proofing over which everything else is fixed, so I decided to investigate from the inside.

First I removed the accelerator pedal, (disconnect battery negative, remove three nuts, disconnect wiring, then remove 2 bolts and remove the alloy bracket from the bulkhead) (photo3).

I could see that a box section was formed by the metalwork, and water was getting inside this box section. A good look around the bulkhead, (remove the soundproofing behind the suspension turret, it just lifts out), and there're a lot of overlapping metalwork and panel sealant. Some of the sealant seemed to be missing in a circular hole, there was certainly less there than the passenger side and it seemed to be holding water. (photo4), this area is a water run off from the screen for water that passes the bonnet hinge on the inside edge. Most passes outside the hinge.

I considered several options for dealing with this, but decided to try and reapply the sealant that was missing or had deteriorated with age, (11 years).

I obtained some cavity wax, and fabricated a long tube out of electrical earth sleeve I had around. (photo 5).
I could then apply behind the insulation (photo6).
Also into the narrow spaces between the bulkhead and suspension tower (photo7).

The process is quite slow as the wax bubbles out like shaving foam rather than sprays.
It looks quite revolting, but the next day had dried and shrunk back to create a clear waxy layer.
I gave it second coat for good measure, ensuring the circular hole was very well covered.

That was three weeks ago, all has remained dry since, this included a trip in France last week with the car parked during horrendous thunderstorms and torrential rain, far heavier than caused the precious leaks.

I am hopeful that I have found it, but will post if it returns.

If you have tried everything else, it may be worth considering.

Good luck.