why might my passenger floor be wet with no signs of leakage anywhere? This is in a 2003 Honda Civic.?

Question

I noticed a musty smell about a few months ago, and found out the passenger side floor in my car was wet. So I used a power dryer to dry it up. Then used febreze to take away the smell. It seemed to have worked until this a.m. when I got in my car and noticed a musty smell, then checked the floor and it was wet. I have checked the door, the seal, all around the window and windshield but find no evidence of leakage. Someone told me it could be the a/c but I haven't used the a/c in ages, just the heater lately. I have had the car since new, so I have been the only owner. I used a wet/dry vac to suck up the excess water and put febreze on it again but I need to see what is making the floor wet. Also, I have only noticed it twice in a matter of 3-4 months, and this time it was raining a lot when it did happen, the first time I'm not sure because it was covered up with a heavy duty rubber floor mat. Help!!!

I just went out and checked the car......it was definitely coming from behind the glovebox, so i was checking under the hood and around the wipers.....and to my surprise my windshield seal is completely pulled apart.....a good 5-6 iches all along the seam of the windshield.....how in the hell can that happen and how much would it cost to fix that?

Answer 1

1st check fluid level in either the over-flow tank or radiator, if it's low then you more then likely have a heater core leaking.

Answer 2

The air inlet box in front of your windshield may have clogged drains.Remove the panel that covers the wiper linkage and look for the drains at each corner.Pour some water into the channels in the box,if it does not drain quickly,the drains are clogged.Clean them so that water runs freely out the drains at the bottom of the front fenders in front of the doors.Tree leaves are often to blame. If the car were older ,the box could be rusted.I had this problem in a '94 Protege.The common denominator between your problem and mine is "after heavy rains".A coolant leak would leave a sickly sweet smell ,not a musty smell. ADDITIONAL COMMENT I think that the seal you found fits over the top edge of the plastic panel that you remove to access the air inlet box.My sister also had unexplained water coming in to her '97 voyager. She thought it was that rubber ,but when I removed the panel,her drains were plugged with shiny new pennies!(2006)You have to remove the wiper arms to remove the panel.Those windshields can't leak at the bottom because the glass runs several inches below the internally -sealed edge of the opening.Water will flow into the air duct,behind the glove box, if it can't flow out of the drains.Find the outlets of the drains,they are usually plastic tubing 1/2 inch in diameter(location explained above).Give them each a quick blast with a garden hose.This will clear the drains temporarily ,but you need to know what was clogging them and whether or not the air box is rusted.You need to have someone handy remove that panel.The small rubber seal on the plastic panel is not critical to have.My sister's van was fine ,no water came in after I cleared the drains,even though the little seal was toast.If you put water on your windshield,it runs down to the back edge of your hood and into the airbox.If it isn't running out the drains quickly ,the drains are clogged or partly clogged.Get them drains running.

Answer 3

Even in the winter, your air conditioner is used when you turn on "defrost" to remove the humidity and dry the air. So the a/c drain could be blocked -maybe with ice?- and causing this- especially if the liquid you cleaned up doesn't smell like antifreeze-

Or maybe it IS the heater core.... hope not, that's more expensive.

later:

A cheap fix is dry it out and apply some silicon rubber sealant (goop) around the area. You can get it in clear or black, and will work for years, until you can afford a professional job.

.

Answer 4

you need to check your coolant level.your heater core my have a small leak .,,look under your dash at your heater box for any signs of antifreeze.
also water leaks are hard to find you may half to remove some of your interior and let a water hose run over your car for a while to determine where the leak is.

Answer 5

it sound's like your heater core is leaking .The heater core is located on that side of your car up under the dash be hind the glove box .Look at the coolent level . If its low that's more likely where your leak is.Take it to a shop and have it fixed because it's not a fun job to do .I have worked on car's fer many year's and i hate heater core's when they have to be changed.Good luck.

Answer 6

Some cars have a drain plug underneath in the carriage. This is to prevent large spills from staying in the car. There are also sometimes drain plugs in the trunk. You might be able to take your care to a mechanic and have it lifted up to see if one of the plugs is missing.

This exact thing happened to me in my trunk a few years ago.

I hope this helps.

Answer 7

Sounds like you may have a heater core leaking you might want to check your water level in your radiator.

Answer 8

When you use the defroster the AC compressor runs to dehumidify the air. You need to check the drain hose.

Answer 9

its your heater core leaking,,in behind glove box. the musty smell is anti freeze ...

Answer 10

well because its winter and it will be wet from the snow or rain or wut ever if not that then it could be the heater core leaking if there is one in a civic over there