Hi folks. Just noticed that my left front footwell is absolutely saturated and it appears to smell of screenwash.
Is there anything in the screenwash system that might leak into the footwell?
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Hi folks. Just noticed that my left front footwell is absolutely saturated and it appears to smell of screenwash.
Is there anything in the screenwash system that might leak into the footwell?
Cougar's suffer from this problem, it happens when the pollen filter gets blocked, then starts breaking up, water runs down the air intake for the heater, and onto the passenger floor. Of course Volvo's may be totally difference, but worth checking.
It's the heater matrix springing a leak. Relatively easy to change - I think.
Hi have you checked your coolant for the engine sounds like it will be low or have you been topping it up ?,remove the trim pull carpet away to see if it is coolant.
Is it a saloon? And have you parked facing downhill at all, had it on two of mine the boot lid guttering pipes get blocked
betcha 9/10 that it's a leaking heater matrix. Not that hard to do on P1 x70 cars.
Thanks for all the replies.
It's not the heater matrix as I changed that a few months ago, and, as stribo said, it wouldn't smell fo screenwash.
dalhousie, it's an estate I'm afraid.
Still be inclined to double check the joints for the matrix.
The couplings for the matrix can be right pigs, sometimes they literally will not seal up again, as mentioned above, double check joints at bottom, and into bulkhead
I take all the points about the matrix coupling etc and I'll check that out, but, why does it smell of screen washer?
If it was the matrix leaking, surely it would smell of anti freeze. I also tasted the wet mats...ugh...and if it had been anti freeze it would have tasted sweet, which it didn't.
Old anti-freeze may not be sweet and you may havw been tasting mat-gunk.
Unless the washer pipe runs through the passenger side on a P1, It'll most likely be the matrix. No part of the washer system should be on the passenger side.
It's actually new antifreeze and still tastes very sweet if you dip your finger in the rad header tank.
But I take your point martin about where the washer system runs. It doesn't really make sense that it would be on the passenger side.
Having said that, the rear washer pipe on my Rover SD1 ran under the carpet in the passenger footwell and I had exactly the same thing with a soaking wet footwell carpet.
I'll be checking the matrix over the weekend and I'll post back with the results.
You could have a leak around the windscreen, allowing washer fluid to run down the bulkhead?
If you do rear washer do you get a decent squirt, as if its screenwash smell, and I'm assuming you use screenwash, then the coupling in the boot, can come unjoined
its under the floor panel on RHS (lift out, panel to get to spare wheel, then pull out the little floor panel on drivers side)
the pipe is in pressed channel, and if that joint comes loose, it will syphon washer bottle, and will track to whichever part of the floor plan is lowest, when its usually parked up.
If its not that, or blocked pollen filter (although if filter usally IIRC more of a damp smell) To check if its screen wash or Coolant, see which one drops, fill screenwash to brim, leave a couple of days, and see if it needs filling up again, has coolant level dropped/needed topping up, only real internal joint on screenwash piperwork is one under boot floor, and is only a plastic, push fit join, (think it may be a non return valve as well)
Run out the screen wash by washing your front windscreen a lot.. If the carpet dries up after that then it's obviously something to do with that system.
Stuff your nose in the coolant tank to remind yourself of what that smells like as well. My heater matrix went and soaked the front and back carpets. Smelt like radiator water I have to admit but it's not a totally dissimilar smell..
After that, i'd check the hoses that go to the nozzles to see if they are water tight..
best of luck..
Run out the screen wash by washing your front windscreen a lot.. If the carpet dries up after that then it's obviously something to do with that system.
Stuff your nose in the coolant tank to remind yourself of what that smells like as well. My heater matrix went and soaked the front and back carpets. Smelt like radiator water I have to admit but it's not a totally dissimilar smell..
After that, i'd check the hoses that go to the nozzles to see if they are water tight..
best of luck..