Slightly Damp driver side carpet

Thanks for taking the time to write guys.
Ok so my door to body weatherstrip is chewed up and I do have the replacement to install when it’s warmer outside. Maybe that will help. I like the idea to lift the carpet and look after the rain to see what’s happening. I can see now that there is plenty that can be happening here and my best bet is to wait for warmth and examine the cowl, the door frame, windshield and door area, etc while running a hose. The puzzling part to me is that it’s covered. Very weird. Good food for thought from you guys. Thank you for thinking this out with me.

7991LXnSHO said:

Have you thought about a rodent with a large bladder?
Where on the driver’s side floor is it wet?

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That’s funny! Rodent with big bladder! Hey, ya never know! Lol
So it gets wet directly under the floor mat. On the area where the rubber mat is built into the carpet. It gets a little damp, not really wet at all. Just damp to the touch of fingers. Under the floor mat would be some condensation. Doesn’t happen anywhere else. Strange because the floor isn’t rusted and the carpet around that built in rubber area isn’t wet. Just slight dampness on the edges of the carpet around the rubber part and condensation on the rubber itself. So the car has a tarp over the cowel vent and windshield, a water proof cover over it, hasn’t been driven and a floor mat on the carpet with no rust on the floor but yet still gets damp. Weird.I outlined it in red where it gets damp.

WindsorPenchant said:

Have you just noticed that this has been happening recently or could it have been something persisting for a while if you haven't been on your hands and knees around the carpet / footwells cleaning or working etc? I'd start with being disciplined with a heat-gun in that tight space or a solid hairdryer on max.

Do this and also go hell for leather scrubbing the area simultaneously with a big thick pile microfibre cloth. If you do this every day for a couple of weeks it should be bone dry again eventually and you can figure out if maybe this happened a while ago and just has never really had a chance to dry out.

As someone who had the pillar post area weather strip giving a zig-zag line into the car through the rubbers tangling/folding up in the channel it got a soaking and pooled around the rear passenger footwell areas and this is what I had to do get it feeling dry again even long after I'd fixed the seals!

Would feel very wet still in the pile for a long time on cold mornings even after a week into this routine.

Good luck on the mystery!

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Hummmm, ok maybe this is it! I bought the car in December so I can’t say if it’s a new or old
Problem but I just discovered it myself a few weeks ago when I bought new floor mats. The mats were in the car for a week or so and when I went to shamooo the carpet I took the mats out and discovered the bottom of the drivers side was a little wet and the rubber part built into the carpet was slightly damp and the perimeter around it. I have been checking it every few days since then and it’s always the same. The days have been very cold around here so when i check it’s always cold to the touch which makes it feel more wet but it’s actually just a little damp. So now you have me thinking maybe it’s been damp since I bought it 9 weeks ago and never noticed because I’m still looking around and learning the car. In other words I don’t know this car and it’s history upside and down yet.
im going to take your advice by scrubbing it over and over again and using a hairdryer and see if it eventually stays dry. This could be it! Thank you!

General karthief said:

Pull the kick panel off and the door sil cover, lift up the carpet and if it is damp you'll need to dry that out too, at least I would,

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Definitely going to do this. I’m starting to think maybe no leak and it’s been wet since I bought it and it just needs to be dried out with the hairdryer and microfiber rags, etc. I will pull off the covers and get in there good under the carpet and keep at it until it’s bone dry then see again next time it rains hard. I’m hoping it just needs to be dried as you guys said. Good info!

90sickfox said:

Two things. Silicon moisture packs under the seats and carpet will help keep condensation away. They are odorless. They are cheaper available so don't order what's on this screen shot pic. Dri-it is a good brand though.




My favorite is the hanging closet moisture damp rid. It smells good like febreeze but may have to air the car out a bit before driving but no more musty storage smell. I've hung them off the hanger hook on a few cars of mine that I let sit outside. You have to check them and make sure they don't get full.



Thinking about it.... I need to go to the store and pick up some of these.

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Awesome suggestion!!!!!! I never thought of using that in the car. I actually use DampRid canisters in the laundry room behind the machines and boiler room with small bags of charcole to absorb moisture. Didn’t think to put that in the car. Thank you for bringing this to my attention as well as the Dri-it moisture packs. I didn’t know of them. I’m going to to pick some up tomorrow. Regardless of having a damp issue or not this is a great idea to keep inside while the car is in storage. Thanks!

90sickfox said:

From your pics the car looks pretty clean. I apogee for the kinda sharp remarks earlier. Some people come in with some rough stuff and there's no way of knowing without a pic. I think that's some old moisture just hanging around. Hopefully when it warms up you can get us some more pics of that beauty.

What's hiding under that ash tray door ?

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Thank you and no worries about the remark. Lol I completely get it. All good! Yea, in my opinion she’s pretty clean and there are lots of things I can do without much effort to make her even cleaner and bring some of the issues back to life. Small things for me to address but nothing major that I’m aware of yet. Hope it stays that way. The ashtray door would just flap open and hang a bit sideways. I had to fish it out. Lol that’s a thin bead of butyl tape hold it flat and shut for now. Just temporary. I picked up a replacement ash tray, lighter, and door spring from LMR. Once the weather cooperates over here I will see about reattaching the spring and making it work again. The plastic hinge looks fine so I think it’s just the spring that needs to be replaced. Then I will pop in the new polished ash tray and clean lighter to complete that compartment and move on to the next thing. But yea, good eye, just a little puddy holding it down until it can be fixed properly. I didn’t want to use tape or anything that would leave a marking behind.
The Butyl will peel right up and for now seals it in place.
Thanks for the compliments. I’m happy with her so far and excited to fix all the little issues. Pics to follow for sure. Thank you again!

7991LXnSHO said:

I’m betting on a firewall or windshield leak and condensation since door weatherstrip is taken. Does it have a sunroof?

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No sunroof....
I have the door and firewall weather stripping so those will be replaced soon.
Between the new weatherstrippings and drying out the carpet I think it’s going to be ok (optimistic) and if not then yea, I’m gonna have to dig deeper, possibly windshield or something else. I have a feeling though it’s old moisture that just needs to be dried up. Time will tell but whatever it takes I will deal with it whichever way this goes. I’m open to all advice and ideas so
Thank you for that.