Driver's floor soaked... help?

[blackrayne]

So about two weeks ago I noticed my driver's side floor mat was wet but didn't think much of it that day since it was raining. Over the few days that followed though, the floor only got wetter. The passenger side had some dampness as well, but nothing like the driver's side. It was definitely running down the carpeted area next to the center console on the driver's side, and that's where the worst of the wetness is. It was most noticeable with the a/c on, but even with having the a/c off and the heat on the floor is still quite wet (and getting quite stinky as well ).

Already checked the a/c line on the passenger side, it's as it should be. Pulled back the carpet on the driver's side as much as possible, and only got a very wet hand.

My bf is planning to get it up off the ground at his garage, but any suggestions, especially where the exterior a/c drain line is, would be very helpful. I'd like to get her dried out ASAP so it can stop being all musty and gross in there.

[sideshowalan]

Sorry I don't know what's causing the problem but you need to dry out the interior asap.

Use a wet/dry vac to suck up all the standing water, get the remaining with towels. Let the car sit overnight with the windows down and some sort of fan running, ideally with the bad parts of the carpet pulled up. The longer it sits, the more likely you will have mold behind the carpeting.

Then don't use the ac until you fix the problem, or don't drive in the rain if you think it's rainwater.

[Zimm]

does your car have a sunroof and if so, have you checked the drains? i am not personally familiar with them, but i know that this is a common response to this type of question on this board. it seems to be a reasonable possibility seeing how you said it had been raining. perhaps some tiny bit of debris has lodged itself in the drain.

[SeattleJeremy]

Does your car have a sunroof. If so there are four drain pipes (one at each corner), check to see if any of them are clogged.

Do you have an aftermarket amplifier? Audio shops that don't know what they are doing sometimes drill a hole though the firewall where water will drain in to the car. Happened to me on my Grand Am. In that case I filled the hole with silicone.

Also check the rubber seems on your door.

[blackrayne]

Slight followup... still wet, slowly drying though.

No, it's not rainwater. It's definitely a/c related due to the location where it was leaking and the conditions of the vehicle's usage when it was leaking. Haven't used the a/c in over a week thanks to some delightfully brisk weather we are having here currently.

And yes, I do have a sunroof. But again, it's not related to that due to where the leak is. I know the cause, just wondered if anyone knew where the exterior a/c drain lines were located before we got it over to the garage to poke about.

[vibenvy]

Sorry I can't provide any help related to your current issue, but I take it you decided not to sell the Vibe? Just curious...

[ParknVibe]

Slight followup... still wet, slowly drying though.

No, it's not rainwater. It's definitely a/c related due to the location where it was leaking and the conditions of the vehicle's usage when it was leaking. Haven't used the a/c in over a week thanks to some delightfully brisk weather we are having here currently.

And yes, I do have a sunroof. But again, it's not related to that due to where the leak is. I know the cause, just wondered if anyone knew where the exterior a/c drain lines were located before we got it over to the garage to poke about.

Did you check your coolent overflow container in the engine compartment? Are you low on coolent? You may have a heater core leak under the dash.

Also try to hose your windows and doors with water..have someone in the car to see if you are getting it from seals and gaskets.

Again do you have a sunroof? I didn't see your answer about that.
Also check you air intake air filter behind the glovebox...see if its wet.
How old is your car? Has your car been in an accident?

[blackrayne]

Sorry I can't provide any help related to your current issue, but I take it you decided not to sell the Vibe? Just curious...

The sale is on hold for the winter... was going to sell outright to a dealer a month or so back and they lowballed me so I decided to just keep it for now. I am still thinking about selling or trading in the spring though if I find something else I like.

[vibenvy]

The sale is on hold for the winter... was going to sell outright to a dealer a month or so back and they lowballed me so I decided to just keep it for now. I am still thinking about selling or trading in the spring though if I find something else I like.

Got cha .

[tpollauf]

Yeah it sounds like the condensate drain pan and/or tube are the culprit. Not sure exactly where they are located but it should be illustrated in my Helm manuals. I'll have to look into this for you when I get back in town early next week

[blackrayne]

Yeah it sounds like the condensate drain pan and/or tube are the culprit. Not sure exactly where they are located but it should be illustrated in my Helm manuals. I'll have to look into this for you when I get back in town early next week

Thank you... if we haven't gotten it figured out before you get a chance to look in your manuals I'll let you know.

[blackrayne]

So an update... the other night I puled the passenger carpet back and unconnected the lower section of the drain hose, and promptly flooded my floor. D'oh!

But earlier today we finally got it to the boyfriend's garage, and he used his air compressor to blow out anything that would have been blocking the hose, so it should in theory be good now. The carpets are all dry and I'll put the floor mats back in soon.

And while I was there I replaced the cabin air filter. First time it's been done since I've owned the car... the one I pulled out was black with a nice thick layer of grime and a few pine needles and baby pine cones. Thankfully nowhere near as bad looking as the ones I've seen posted here though. But after running the a/c for a while with the new filter in, I'm glad I took the few minutes to do it because there was a HUGE difference in the air quality coming through the vents.

[crystal79]

I had a same problem. Turns out there was a lot of dirt, pine needles, small rocks, etc., that had accumulated behind the tire where the drain emptied. Had to take some things apart, but the in end, that was the problem. The water couldn't drain out because of the clogged up area. Had been parking under a cedar tree. Good luck.

[UltraBoogie]

I've been combating a similar problem for about 3 weeks now. I know its not the ac drain hose because its been zip tied tight. The next place to go is the moonroof. I found the two holes that work as the drains. They are on the left and right side at the very front/bottom of the moon roof drain trough. The driver side hole had a small stick in it. i removed said stick and proudly went my merry way thinking i had just saved a ton of cash. Then it rained again (i live in seattle ...nuff said). Apparently i hadn't fixed it. after re-vacuuming all the water out i went back to the moonroof for another go. I had completely vacuumed out the trough the last time i was up there so i couldn't see anything new blocking either drain. This lead me to think that it was blocked deeper in the drain tube. Sure enough, when i carefully snaked the passenger side drain tube with a piece of bailing wire i pulled out another small piece of tree. Now I hope that this fixes my problem and has helped you with yours. I might even go so far as to suggest that you snake your drain lines every few months. Especially if you live in an area like i do.

[UltraBoogie]

I had a same problem. Turns out there was a lot of dirt, pine needles, small rocks, etc., that had accumulated behind the tire where the drain emptied. Had to take some things apart, but the in end, that was the problem. The water couldn't drain out because of the clogged up area. Had been parking under a cedar tree. Good luck.

What Tire did you find the drain tubes emptied behind? left right front rear? Are there drains in all four corners or just the front wheel wells. If you could be just a bit more specific it would really help. Thanks.