[Corsa C 2000-2006] Wet Floors, Need advice

[robbo87]

Hi guys, firstly sorry if this is in the wrong section, Couldn't decide which section was best for this problem.

I bought a corsa c 2005 facelift a few weeks ago and have noticed that the floor at the front on the drivers and passenger side is soaking wet underneath the mats, Like literally if i push the carpet it squeezes water out like a sponge. Went to my loca vauxhall dealer who didn't actually look but said the passenger is due to a bad seal on the fuse/bcm box and the drivers side is likely to be bulkhead seals leaking and it's a long job to do.

I can't physically see water coming in down the pedals or anything, infact above the pedals the carpet is dry but where my feed would rest is soaked and it's gone through the the rear on the drivers side too.

I've poured water over the side windows just to check the door seals and they seemed fine, I don't want to go pouring water over the windscreen incase I end up just having water pour in again.

Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I also have looked for leaves etc blocking stuff up but can't see anything, there was also a plastic passage to the right of the bulk head lower down that looked clear and I could get my fingers through.

I have taken a few pics, although they may be no use but the main thing ive noticed is a small hole under the washer bottle that has a lot of water sitting there.

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the next few are under that battery and side of bcm

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[GRAHAM.C]

If you had a pound from every cross owner who has had this problem you would be a rich man.Leaks on the drivers side are usually where the servo brake unit bolts to the baulk head needs to be resealed.And on the pass side the bcm cover needs resealing.You will find hundreds of posts on these faults.

[Vegas]

As above, especially in the winter

[robbo87]

[hairy]

Graham - my daughter's corsa (05 plate) has had this problem for over a year now and I've had a good look at it about 3 times now, each time removing more parts and attempting to seal things up as per advice on these and other threads. Our leak has always been just the drivers side and was only noticed when the car started to run badly - the ECU was reporting an accelerator pedal issue which turned out to be it was flooded ! As you say it's an all too common problem with these. I've tried plastering underseal around the bulkhead mastic seal and this worked for about 3 months. However, as I've still not fixed the leaks fully I'm interested in your comments above. Last time I removed stuff around the bulkhead I removed the servo and master cylinder and replaced the gasket there. Interestingly, the old gasket didn't look too bad. I'd always thought many of the posters blamed the gasket for failure and were implying water seeped in between the servo body and the bulkhead. Yours is the first time I'd seen the bolts/holes highlighted as sources of leaks. If our leak is still coming from this area (I'm not totally convinced it is) have you any advice on how to best seal those bolt holes in addition to having the gasket. Is it a matter of packing some silicon rubber around them once you've finished reassembling for example ?

ps Robbo - good luck when you investigate your probs further

[robbo87]

I've been doing some more digging around and i'm wondering if it has something to do with the doors.

i removed a panel on the dash next to the light switch aswell as having a good look under the dash and centre console around the clutch pedal adn that all looks dry, as is the carpet underneath it.

this is the area i'm talking about



I can't see a spec of dampness in that part, i'm guessing that if thats where the water was entering that part would be damp too? or am I wrong?

just to add i've found a small hole that looks like its been drilled here which im guessing someone previous might have done to help drain the water out?

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The dampest part is just infront of the seat, i took this plastic trim of the bottom of the door next to the seat and the carpet was all wet and the metal also looked a bit damp. and im wondering if water is coming in sort of down over the wheel arch/front wing and in down that way possibly.

[Aaron]

Made sure there's no blockades in the rubber drain tubes? @tomush might be better guy to help but his wasnt a door leak
Loads of threads about leaks though on internet.

[tomush]

If its drivers side then it'll either be heater matrix (unlikely but possible) or the brake servo seal (highly likely)

[robbo87]

Both sides are wet although the drivers side is worse and has gone through to the back.


Where are the rubber drain tubes? are they around the door? sorry if that's a silly question.

i have checked the 2 drains that are at either side of the engine lower down and those are clear. Also when I took the trim panel of the bottom of the door I could see small amounts of water underneath through the holes for the clips , it didn't seem like it was enough to soak the carpet or if it even had a way to get through though.

I've got it booked in a garage next friday and he quoted 180ish if it's the servo that all needs stripping and resealing but i'm hoping he'll atleast check that is what's leaking before diving straight in (literally...) and doing all that only for it to be something else.

Just top top off a brilliant day i've also found a nail in the shoulder of one of my tyres so that will need replacing before i go away tomorrow too.

I've also dabbed the carpet loads with paper towels to soak bits of it up and it was clear and just seemed like rain water.

[tomush]

There is the same type of seal on both sides, you may be unlucky enough to have both of them perished to an extent that that are leaking.

From the photos you have shows it looks like the drivers side one has definitely gone from what I can see.

It'll have gone to the back as it soaked the carpet through so it'll spread. I had the same problem and 'fixed' it myself.

[robbo87]

So is this the seal that goes round the door edge, or the body edge if that makes sense? sorry I'm not very clued up when it comes to seals.

Would I be right in thinking that if the servo was where water was getting in it would be wet under the clutch and other pedals and in that corner?

I'm going to the lakes for a week tomorrow and it looks like nothing but rain so I'm guessing i'll soon get a better idea of where it's coming in.

[Drift]

I had this and looked at all the threads before taking action.
As I always go cheapest/easiest fix first and being into 4x4 offroad cars believe me it saves money and time.

The brake servo gasket looked good but below the servo where the water runs into the drains the bulk head seal didnt look like it had sealed from factory (it was still painted over and unmolested) so I used some flexi gutter sealant over the top, I only had to remove the washer bottle to get more access and a better view.
Its been a couple of weeks through all the storms and no more leaks, I am lazy and the heater can dry out the carpet, Dont have this issue with my offroader regularly fills with water so has rubber floor matting lol.

[tanktop]

Have you flushed out the two drain plates under the bonnet (against the inner fire wall) and removed the battery and checked the rubber seal behind?

Worth removing all the effected carpets until you stop the issue as it will start causing rust, rot issues, damp, mould and horrid smells.

[robbo87]

Thanks for the info, Taking it into the garage this morning and they are going to look at the servo/pedal box area.

Where are the 2 drain plates you are refering to? I've checked 2 big drains either side of the engine which are clear, I also noticed a hole under the washer bottle which looked like it was full of water, I stuck something down it to try and clear it and that doesn't look as bad but the car seems to have let more water in over the last few days.

What would be the best way of removing the carpets? From what I've seen it looks like a big job and I wouldn't want to cause any permanent damage. The area under the pedals themselves looks dry as a bone, it's only further down where it seems to pool that is wet through, is that indicative of the servo leak? I'd be amazed if that much water was getting in through a door seal or something. I'm gonna have to look at getting the carpet up at some point when the weather gets a bit better, I just don't know the best way to go about it.

[tanktop]

Re carpets

Work from the back under (Back seats) front too seats will need to be removed (Disconnect battery for that) but mainly trim will need lifting away which are just metal clips that will be good to be reused. If it doesn't remove check the internet as you don't want to be replacing things for no reason.