wet passenger floor??

[jmv]

I was about to re-install my unichip (i had taken it out trying to nail down some power problems... turned out to be the coilpaks), and i noticed that my passenger floor under the carpet was really quite wet. It had been very slightly damp before, but this was really kinda wet. I could push on the green carpet mat stuff and see water squishing out. I believe the last time it rained was tuesday, and its now sunday. This concerns me not only because it means there is a leak somewhere, but also because it is right next to the ECU...

I've never tracked down a leak like this before, and i'm really at a loss for where to start looking. Has anyone had this problem before, and if so what was the culprit?? Any suggestions are welcome!

Thanks,
Jason

 

[Guest20182]

Are you 100% sure it's water? It could be coolant leaking from a bad heater core, but if your heat is working (I don't know if you use it often in Texas), that's likely not the problem. Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

 

[Jaysanooch]

I have this problem and have followed a thread in local forum about this issue.

Many possibilities here...could be the sealer behind the front passenger fender and firewall is dried up. I had this fixed but last week noticed the floor was damp still.

So now I'll try the next possibility...which is the windshield and weather strip on the lower passenger side.

If that doesn't work...I've heard the water could be going in from the whipper assembly area beneath the plastic plate.

I hope to resolve this issue and once I do, I'll report back. The frustrating part is I hardly drive the car in the rain...and all this water is just from washing the car. No rust so far but I'd like to keep it that way.

 

[kanuter valve]

check the hose that is supposed to drain water from the a/c to the outside. you can see the outside of the hose coming through the firewall near the passenger foot area. got plugged up in my accord and was overflowing into the interior.

 

[theEZV]

yea i have the same problem. been going on for a while. water is coming from the right behind the dash, probably will have to take it out. i cleaned out the interior and took out the footboard, put a towel down there so the water doesnt get everywhere when it rains. we tested it in the carwash and you could literally hear water filling up somewhere behind the dash. get it fixed cause i'm having issues with mold in the carpet from all the water. i also had a ton of water in the footwell in the back, make sure u check for that.

i will be trying to get to the bottom of it this week

 

[theEZV]

any updates? i havnt been able to do anything cause of the snow

 

[Aaronlux]

Just noticed this on my car. I posted in the appearance forum for some strange reason. Right after I found what I hope is where water is leaking from. On the side sill, right where it meets the floor I had a 6 inch crack near the seam. Check to see if you have something similar.

 

[MSP 2 K20]

any of your cars been in frontal or front side wrecks?

 

[rally2003]

Could also be a bad lower seal on the dfont windshield. When ever it rains or snows it builds up on the glass and flows down into the dash compartment. Thus an indoor swimming pool in your ride. Seen it a couple times in trucks and cars in the body shop.

 

[ear8051]

any updates? i have the same problem

 

[mazdaspeedp]

i got this problem too car smells wierd also kinda like mildew when it gets warm out

 

[theEZV]

mold becomes an issue if this goes on for a while.

 

[mazdaspeedp]

mold becomes an issue if this goes on for a while.

but where is it getting moldy? is it that green padding under the carpet

 

[haveahotcarl]

I had this same problem a while back. I found a leak in a seam that had split open over time. See the post below, it should answer all of your questions.

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4989029#post4989029

Here is the original post I started, in case you want to reference it...

http://www.mazdas247.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123723897

 

[sdenby]

Hi Everyone,
New to this. I just happened to stumble upon this site because my Mazda is currently in the shop right now for this exact reason. We bought the car, used, in August and I smelled something "wet". The guy told me that the car had just been cleaned so that's what the smell was. After awhile I noticed from time to time that the front passenger side floor was wet. Thought maybe it was the kids, water bottle leaked or something. 2 weeks ago, it was slushy outside so I made sure to check the carpet before driving and sure enough, after about 5 minutes, it was soaked. My wheel alignment is also shot as well as a wheel bearing needed replaced. Not sure if its all related. Do any of you know if this is under warranty? The dealership that I am dealing with seem to think that the car has been in an accident while in our possession, which it has not. Thanks for your help

 

[P2K]

I had this problem back when I had my Protege. It took me the longest time to figure out the problem. For me, it was the a/c drain. Everytime I had the a/c on, my passenger floor was wet. It was the same thing when it rained, so I knew there was a hole somewhere.

I assume the drain came with a rubber seal or O-ring and maybe fell off, but this was definately where the a/c drainage and rain was coming in from. The a/c wasn't clogged, it drained fine. The water came back in around the drain. And when I drove in the rain, the water would splash in around the drain.

I bought some silicone sealant and packed it completely around the drain and it never leaked again. I only wish I was more determined to find it back then because it went on for 3 years. By then, the floor had rusted and I had to replace the entire carpet. The mildew smell was terrible. Check your a/c drain. It's in the engine compartment, on the passenger side of the firewall.

This is what my interior looked like once I finally decided to fix the problem.

 

[sdenby]

Thanks. I appreciate your response. My car is still under warranty. Is this covered?
Stacey

 

[P2K]

I don't know if it's covered under warranty, probably not. If you take it in and they look at the a/c drain and find out that's the problem, they may or may not charge you.

You still might have to pay the service charge just for them to look at it which is around $80. I'm not sure about the price, it's been so long since I've taken my car to a dealer's service department.

 

[mazdaspeedp]

I had this problem back when I had my Protege. It took me the longest time to figure out the problem. For me, it was the a/c drain. Everytime I had the a/c on, my passenger floor was wet. It was the same thing when it rained, so I knew there was a hole somewhere.

I assume the drain came with a rubber seal or O-ring and maybe fell off, but this was definately where the a/c drainage and rain was coming in from. The a/c wasn't clogged, it drained fine. The water came back in around the drain. And when I drove in the rain, the water would splash in around the drain.

I bought some silicone sealant and packed it completely around the drain and it never leaked again. I only wish I was more determined to find it back then because it went on for 3 years. By then, the floor had rusted and I had to replace the entire carpet. The mildew smell was terrible. Check your a/c drain. It's in the engine compartment, on the passenger side of the firewall.

This is what my interior looked like once I finally decided to fix the problem.

holy s*** my and i though my car was bad thats just ****** well i guess i will have to replace my carpet soon does anyone happen to know where you can get the new insulation stuff? would it be at an auto parts store or a rug store or somthing?

 

[haveahotcarl]

does anyone happen to know where you can get the new insulation stuff? would it be at an auto parts store or a rug store or somthing?

I wouldn't bother spending the money. It is mainly for sound deadening and a little bit of cushion under your feet. I just got rid of all of mine on the passenger side, they don't need comfort or quiet.