Grrrrrrrr!!!!

[Kitch]

As you probably all know, my 16v is leaking.

So I buy a dehumidifier, which works quite well. But the car leaks so much its probably condensing less moisture per minute than the car is letting in.

So I buy a car cover to stop water getting in. This seems to do the trick. But now I have another problem....




Not cool. I was planning to fiddle about and get some little jobs done, maybe even check out the PAS issue. But I spent most of the late morning/early afternoon wiping this shite off. I then went and bought a fan heater, and pulled the rear bench out, allowing most to dry. I had to rip all the insulation out from under the seat as it was acting like a giant sponge.



Puddle on O/S is still present as ever, but the one on the NS has pretty much gone luckily.

Even the seatbelt has been affected:



I did find this though, if its a French Franc then thats brilliant! But it might be monopoly money?

[Captain Slow]

The estate did that when in the barn, wasnt too bad to remove.

I don't think that is a French coin, it looks odd...

[Kitch]

Yeah but the estate was in there nearly half a year....this happened in a week

[tim leech]

Kitch you ned to get to route of the leak bud or it will start to cuase real problems, may be worth leaving the windows down a crack to let the moisture out. Daft question but you have blow out the sunroof tubes.

[Kitch]

No I haven't done that yet. I don't own a compressor.

Besides, I don't wanna slag off anyones methods, but I fail to see how it would clear them.

Surely if the blockage is strong enough to retain water, then a bit of air won't shift it? And if the air was a strong blast, wouldn't it damage the tubing first?
The exit out of the front ones is tiny too.


Obviously it needs to be sorted, but I'm trying to work out how. I might buy a compressor and have a good anyway, as compressors are things that always come in handy. But theres so many adapters etc, and I need to be buying a car to replace the primera before any of that.

[tim leech]

Daft question but would the airline used to blow up tyres at say a filling station be powerful enough? I knwo you can get samll nozzle adaptors for blowing out such things as tubes and washer jets as we have them at work. Is there not alocal garage that would let you use theirs? The other is to get some long thin wire and poke it!

[BX Bandit]

I've just done mine this week Kitch. I just blew up the 4 tubes. Then I used one of the cores from twin and earth cabling (still in its sheath) just to clear the tubes a bit. The end of the wire gets stuck at the elbow - the bit that joins the roof lining to the tube. I then poured in alot of water into the roof and put my mouth over the end of each drain tube and did a 'swashing' action with the cheeks to loosen any crud thats up there. Its worked so far although yesterday I found a crease in one of the door rubbers which acting as a little resevior and letting water in as well. Mine wasn't as bad as yours but I would take your carpets out if you can as they'll take forever to dry out underneath. I've currently got the sunroof open just crack to help the warmer air esacpe taking the moisture with.

If you're not confident that the blowing method will work than you'll need to drop the roof lining to be certain. Its a potch and you'll always break some lovely plastic but at least you'll. I found one of the elbows was loose and so was leaking water itself so i had to put some sealant round it.

3rd and most crude method is to duct tape up the sunroof, maybe even tape a small sheet of plastic over it. Not sure what it'll do to your paintwork tho'!

You have a catch 22 with the cover. Perhaps leave it on with the windows open a good inch until you've cleared the drains. Its a damn pain mate I really feel for you. If you choose the blowing method, you'll need to remove the glovebox unless you have very very long lips!! Its 5 or 6 screws and 2 minutes to take it out! Good luck dude

[Kitch]

Blowing method? With my mouth?

Tell me more

[BX Bandit]

Just get the ends of the tubes out - they run down the A pillar at the front and poke through the side walls under just under the dash. As I say, you'll need to take out the glovebox but the drivers side is easily accessible. Remember to poke em back through the hole tho You can get at the rears by removing the rear light clusters and just take a big breath and barf up a lung!!! Have a bowl ready for the front otherwise you'll just add more water to your woes and er...don't swallow

[Kitch]

I tried locating the front ones from inside before and had no joy! Must have been looking in the wrong place. Don't think the front is blocked anyway.

So the rears are behind the rear lights? I can just blow up the pipes from there and it comes out in the sunroof tray?

[BX Bandit]

Yep, you'll probably need some long nosed pliers and a screwdriver or similar lever to hoik the tube out. Try and give em a good flush out as well tho' and if you have time i'd do the fronts too. As an idea for where the fronts are, its just above the fuse/relay box on n/s and similar position on o/s.

Mine didn't seem obviously blocked when I blew them out but it's worked as the inside has no more puddles - just residual damp. i also removed the plugs in the floor just to allow the air to circulate a bit...
http://s133.photobucket.com/albums/q50/ ... type=local

[Kitch]

I'm off to enter a world of pain

[Kitch]

I'm back...got outside and it was dark

[ed4ferrets]

Yeah but the estate was in there nearly half a year....this happened in a week

Don't complain Kitch, you're always on about how 'quick' a 16v is compared to a diesel

[docchevron]

Dude, I blow both my cars through every few months, with a 160psi air line, full bore!
I've never damaged a tube doing that and it keeps things nice and, er, drainy!!If the blockage is serious blowing by mouth (missus) wont shift it.
Yours looks even worse now than when I saw it a couple of weeks back.

Give it a damn good blow mate, the car will thank you after!!!

Cheers
Chris G