Wet Carpet

**BirdCountry02** · 10-06-2010, 08:56 AM

Hey guys, I need some help.I hope this is in the right section, but I have soaking wet carpet on just the driver side and I don't know where it came from. I'm gonna look into it, but what I really need help on is the floor pan. I ripped up some of the carpet and I found rust underneath. I know to sand it down, but what would be best to cover it so it doesn't rust up again? Someone mentioned undercoating the floorpan on the driverside, but i'm new to it so i'm not sure. Plus it'll be a while before I can afford new carpet, maybe I could just undercoat it instead of carpet. So do you guys think doing that would work? Or is there something else that'd be better that I could do?

**Lunatikgixxer** · 10-06-2010, 09:35 AM

You could grind off the rust and spray some primer over it to keep it from re rusting.

**98TransAmWs-6** · 10-06-2010, 09:43 AM

I forget what it is called but when I was helping my dad restore a 71 spitfire we used this stuff that you sprayed on the rust and it got rid of it as long as it's not rusted through and we also use bondo and then had everything painted over.

**1998 T/A** · 10-06-2010, 10:04 AM

I'd be a little more concerned on where the water is coming from? sounds like it might be a heater core leaking and running down to your driver side floor.

**BirdCountry02** · 10-06-2010, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by 1998 T/A

I'd be a little more concerned on where the water is coming from? sounds like it might be a heater core leaking and running down to your driver side floor.

Don't get me wrong, I am concerned about the water getting in. Especially since I haven't seen any water leaking in, but I HATE rust. When I saw it I flipped. So right now I was just seein what's the best option for taking care of it, if just sanding and priming it's best or if something else is better. Thanks for that scenario though, i'm gonna look into that ASAP. You know how to find out if it is that, or how to stop it?

**Smittro** · 10-06-2010, 10:55 AM

T-top maybe leaking..

**JoshuaGrooms83** · 10-06-2010, 11:27 AM

You know ive been having the same issue actually latly. I visit a carwash that is actually apart of my work so i use it on a weekly basis

. im wonding if the highpressure wash forces water in somewhere. either on top or undernieth. not sure. I shampoo vacuumed it (also at my work lol) and sucked up all the water and cleaned my carpets very well in the process. i gotta pull up the carpet and see if anything is on the body. this is a recent development. I cant stand all the water in my car!!!

**BirdCountry02** · 10-06-2010, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Smittro

T-top maybe leaking..

I thought this... but when it rains, I don't see any water come through the top. I'm gonna have someone spray water til I find it, can't stop it without finding the issue first

Originally Posted by JoshuaGrooms83

You know ive been having the same issue actually latly. I visit a carwash that is actually apart of my work so i use it on a weekly basis

. im wonding if the highpressure wash forces water in somewhere. either on top or undernieth. not sure. I shampoo vacuumed it (also at my work lol) and sucked up all the water and cleaned my carpets very well in the process. i gotta pull up the carpet and see if anything is on the body. this is a recent development. I cant stand all the water in my car!!!

Annoying, isn't it? My carpet needs completely removed, but then again it was in bad shape anyways

**BlackBirdWS.6** · 10-06-2010, 01:16 PM

Evapo-rust can get the rust off if you don't want to sand/grind etc but did you smell it? I know it sounds wierd but if it doesn't smell like water then maybe it wouldn't be from underneath your carpet. But how rusty is it?

**1998 T/A** · 10-06-2010, 01:43 PM

To stop the heater core from leaking you have to put a clamp on the hose going into the firewall...have you noticed any low levels of fluid in your radiator or reserve? that will tell you if it is leaking or not.

**BlackBirdWS.6** · 10-06-2010, 02:25 PM

if your heater core is leaking your car will stink tho cause when mine broke the interior smelled awful and if you would turn your defrost on itd shoot coolant on my windshield.

**RyanJM** · 10-06-2010, 02:54 PM

Go to the auto parts store or most Walmarts have it. I forgot the exact name think it was in a blue can and it's a rust conversion coating. Sand it down and spray it on and it will look like black primer and if there is any small amount of rust it won't let is spread. I use to use this rust converter when I lived up north and paint would bubble you could never get all the rust in some pits off so you spray this on and then paint it and I never had any rust come back after in the area.
Bit defiantly find the leak as well or it could create more problems later. As for the carpet just use some resolve shampoo for now and depend of.where you live either leave the windows down and air dry it or you can use a Blo dryer or heat gun to speed it up just be careful with a heat gun.

**BirdCountry02** · 10-06-2010, 04:03 PM

Originally Posted by BlackBirdWS.6

Evapo-rust can get the rust off if you don't want to sand/grind etc but did you smell it? I know it sounds wierd but if it doesn't smell like water then maybe it wouldn't be from underneath your carpet. But how rusty is it?

No it doesn't smell, it's def water that caused it. I just removed the carpet and there was a TON of water. I mopped it up, but the carpets shot to hell. I'll just have to replace it later. The rust isn't too bad, just surface rust. I'm lucky I caught it now before it got really bad.

Originally Posted by 1998 T/A

To stop the heater core from leaking you have to put a clamp on the hose going into the firewall...have you noticed any low levels of fluid in your radiator or reserve? that will tell you if it is leaking or not.

Yeah I don't think they're lower, i'd check em now but it's too dark outside

Originally Posted by BlackBirdWS.6

if your heater core is leaking your car will stink tho cause when mine broke the interior smelled awful and if you would turn your defrost on itd shoot coolant on my windshield.

Yeah, i'm thinkin this isn't it. i'm gonna be scouring the car for water the next time it rains. I'm thinking its sneaking past me so I never noticed it

Originally Posted by RyanJM

Go to the auto parts store or most Walmarts have it. I forgot the exact name think it was in a blue can and it's a rust conversion coating. Sand it down and spray it on and it will look like black primer and if there is any small amount of rust it won't let is spread. I use to use this rust converter when I lived up north and paint would bubble you could never get all the rust in some pits off so you spray this on and then paint it and I never had any rust come back after in the area.
Bit defiantly find the leak as well or it could create more problems later. As for the carpet just use some resolve shampoo for now and depend of.where you live either leave the windows down and air dry it or you can use a Blo dryer or heat gun to speed it up just be careful with a heat gun.

Thanks man. I'll have to do this. Yeah, i'm on a mission to find where its coming from. I don't want to find water like this again, when I removed the carpet there was so much stading water

**purplebat66** · 10-06-2010, 04:22 PM

thats one of your ttops its coming down your gasket , u might have a small tear.Also u can go to any auto parts, they sell a spray can that turns rust into primer .Good luck.

**purplebat66** · 10-06-2010, 04:24 PM

Also my best friend had a similar problem but his car is a spyder eclipse and he found out that the water was coming from a hose attached to the ac .

**BlackBirdWS.6** · 10-06-2010, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by purplebat66

Also my best friend had a similar problem but his car is a spyder eclipse and he found out that the water was coming from a hose attached to the ac .

it could be related to that but for it to leak i think you would have to have the a/c on because it takes the moisture out of the air. But i had a similar problem in my g5 because a drain plug wasn't drilled out so the heater core i believe would fill with water then leak from there and out of the vents and drench the interior

**Lunatikgixxer** · 10-06-2010, 07:19 PM

i have some kind of liquid material i found on the carpet, it seems old but i never noticed it before. Oh ya and it also seems like oil.

**Pony_Eater** · 10-06-2010, 07:41 PM

hey post a picture so i can see what amount of rust youre dealing with but SEM makes a great product called rust mort...also POR-15 is a good one to but take a pic so i can see what to suggest to you

**RB Racing** · 10-08-2010, 01:04 PM

I had a similar problem in my C5 but the water was in the passenger side and what it ended up being was water not being able to drain for the A/C. There is a rubber tube for the drain with a slit and it was plugged so with the A/C being on for long periods the water could not drain out filled up and drained inside the car.

The drain had leaves and pine needles and crap in there. Snipped the bottom of the tubes and everything was fine after, the cowl even had a couple of drains so it may be worth checking on an F-body also.