Water all under driver's side carpet.

[rominewa]

2007 Outback Wagon. I have lots of water under my front and rear driver's side carpets. The pads under the carpet squeeze out like sponges. Probably a gallon or more under there. It's clear water, so it's not a leaky heater core. There's no moonroof, so it's not a clogged moonroof drain. If I pour water onto the cowl near the driver's fender, it runs out beneath, so the cowl appears to drain on that side.

I live in Washington, so it's rainy and cold. I haven't run the AC in months. Would a clogged AC drain cause a problem if I'm not running it?
New to the forum, but a quick search didn't reveal any answers.


Dan

[plain OM]

I think you've addressed some of common possibilities, although an open window, or one that is not sealing tightly against the weatherstrip shouldn't be overlooked.

A blocked AC evaporator drain usually leads to water on the front passenger side (Is that side dry?) and would occur when using, or shortly after using, the AC. The AC is normally automatically turned on whenever the heater control is set to either of the two windshield defrost positions (even though the AC button is not pressed and the light is not on). So while it's not common for a blocked drain to affect the driver side, this can't be totally discounted if the defrost is being used, especially in high humidity weather.

Are there any other signs of water after a heavy rain, e.g. on the seats, dashboard, headliner?

Is the water only under the carpets or is the carpet pile (i.e., fibres on top) also soaking wet?

Has there been any work done on the car recently? (Have you owned it since new or is this a recent acquisition?)

Could the water be from snow brought in on shoes or boots that melted and collected underneath the carpet (where it won't dry out quickly)?

[Wagondude]

There are flexible conduits to each of the doors for wires running from the car to the doors. If any of these are damaged, you could get water intrusion through them. Based on your description, you are probably looking for a leak around the driver's side doors. Could also be a leaky windshield if it was improperly replaced. Try sitting in the car while someone sprays it at the carwash to see if water leaks around the door glass. Also, check around the doors for loose, torn, or missing door seals.

[rominewa]

After pulling the driver's seat out and pulling up the carpet, and testing with a hose, it turns out to be a bad windshield seal. The water was coming in on the left front side of the driver's foot well under the little footrest.

[mi_sat]

Originally Posted by rominewa

After pulling the driver's seat out and pulling up the carpet, and testing with a hose, it turns out to be a bad windshield seal. The water was coming in on the left front side of the driver's foot well under the little footrest.

Weird! Hopefully that's under warranty.

[plain OM]

Nice to hear that you found the origin.

Were you able to identify the location of the seal leak (top, side, corner)?

Was the windshield ever replaced? Was the car ever in a serious front or side accident. It's rare for the original seal to let go -- there's often some other signs of problems/stress such as cracks in the glass. If the car was in an accident, or the windshield was replaced, then it's possible that the windshield opening is slightly out of shape, or the edges weren't cleaned properly when the replacement was installed, both of which could compromise the seal.