it was warm enough to vacuum the car today. i noticed some significant dampness under the front passenger seat. i pretty sure it is not coming from "above" i.e. windows, etc.

is there a way for water to get into the car from the floor area? how do you fix it? any tips are appreciated. thanks.

jen

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Jennifer
90 350sdl

Pull the carpets out Jennifer and take a look at the floorboard area underneath the carpet. You will probably find some water pooling under there. Dry it out as much as possible and then allow it to air dry prior to putting the carpet back in. If there is rust you will want to clean it up and put some primer on it.

A couple different places water will get into this area. One is underneath the hood hinge area. Open the hood and look down into the area underneath the hinge/spring. Is it full of trash/debris. Sometimes this area will rust through and allow water to come into the passenger compartment. Another way for water to get in is if the a/c evaporator drain tube is missing. You can see this by removing the kickpanel above the passenger side floorboard and shining a flashlight under the dash toward the center of the car. You should be able to see an intact drain tube from the evap housing to the transmission tunnel. You should only get water from this area if you have been running your air conditioning.

How did the valve adjustment turn out?

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Jim

the a/c is not functional on this car. also the hood hinges are clear of debris.

what is wet is the area directly under the front passenger seat. any other tips?

the valve adjustment task went well. took a little practice and i ended up needing an assistant to keep things from moving around. cheap assistant...i got him a six pack of st. pauli girl!
anyway, the job is done and it runs better than before. the deep socket was expensive though, oh well. a lifetime tool i guess.

my automotive skills are increasing well beyond my initial expectations. thanks to this forum. however, i think a good bit of that is due to the car itself. there is so much room in the engine bay. i don't think i would attempt all this in a more modern car.

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Jennifer
90 350sdl

Also check the area underneath the battery. The drain from the hinge area drains into the area underneath the battery. You may want to remove the battery and battery tray and inspect that area. GoWolfPack and I looked at a 300D that was not a bad looking car except for a pretty serious rust hole underneath the battery tray area.

Does it have a sunroof? The only other area then I think is the windshield seal. Is it still pliable? Did you pull the rear carpet out to see if there is any water standing in that area?

St Pauli Girl is good beer.

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Jim

Primer by itself will not help... once the primer is dry then paint needs to be sprayed or brushed on the area... and it is probable that you need to use ' metal prep' prior to the primer as per instructions on the plastic container....

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=MetalPrep+phosphoric&btnG=Google+Search

Ospho (phosphoric acid) works well for treating rust. It chemically converts the iron oxide to some other (non-hygroscopic)substance then you paint over it.

Widely used in the marine industry and in the trunkwells of Lilly the Wonder Sedan.

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Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

Exactly! Engatwork and I looked at a 300D yesterday with exactly this problem!! So I didn't end up with the 300D. Boo Hoo.

I can say however that Jim's (Engatwork) mechanical abilities are incredible. Think we worked for like 5 hours--but did it all:

Glow plugs
Valve adjustment
Coolant Drain/Change
Transmission Filter/Fluid change

Am I missing anything Jim?

Oh yeah--we had some beer too!

LOL - and you made it all the way back home? I would not call my abilities incredible but thanks for the compliment.

We woulda got those rear brake pads changed if the wife hadn't cut into the work time by reminding me of the youngest boys basketball game.

I'm sitting here cheering for Carolina.

Oh yea Bud - I thoroughly enjoyed the company and hope you picked up enough to do some of this stuff yourself next time.

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Jim

I suspect that water is getting into the rocker panel(i.e. the tube like structure under the doors) and then soaking into the carpet under the seat through a rust perforation. The two main rocker panel components(outer and inner) converge and join at the floor pan making this a prime spot for water collection. Peeling the carpet, as previously mentioned, should reveal if this is what is happening. Looking/poking around under the car may give clues also. Finding and sealing any water splash points of entry behind the front tires is the key to helping this. Jen, let us know what you find.

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Diesel-guy

Thanks for all your help Jim. Yes, I learned quite a bit and think I'll be ok to begin taking things apart in the near future! I like your advice about having a second car as well!

Brakes are ok for now, I will work on them this coming weekend.

Yeah, grat to see the Panthers win in Philly. Even though not a big NFL fan, I was pulling hard for the Panthers after reading this article in the Philadelphia Inquirer slamming the city of Charlotte, it's residents, and even it's most honored son--The Rev. Billy Graham:

http://www.philly.com/mld/philly/sports/football/7694677.htm

Thanks again Jim anything from the guy with the 300D. I am still looking!

Last winter, I had a puddle in the footwell, but it was caused by one of the drains being clogged. I unclogged the drains, and the leaks went away...

First thing you need to do Jen is determine if the damness is localised to the passenger seat or does it occur in the rear as well. Pull up the rear mats too. All of the suggestions in this thread could highlight the culprit but from my experience with three Mercedes I'd suggest you need to ascertain the integrity of the windshield rubbers. Look for signs of rust around the edges. I fought a futile battle with my cars which seemed like mobile swamps whenever it rained.

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S