DB9 getting a bit damp

[Simpo Two]

My DB9 coupe has to live outside and I don't put the cover on unless the car is clean. Hence for a lot of the rain over the last few weeks it's been exposed to the elements.

It looks as though the windows are sealing against the rubber, but it's getting condensation, and it's getting worse. I've put a passive dehumidifier on the centre console but it's not doing much.

Are there any powered dehumidifiers suitable for cars? I see mains ones but I don't think you could run a cable into the car without letting rain in, and I can't find any cordless dehumidifiers.

[ctdctd]

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COYCYQI-Dehumidifier-adap...

and a 12V ciggy cable

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modonghua-Replacement-Coo...

Or a heated garage

Edit - they are not much good when it's cold - happier above 10 degrees.

Edited by ctdctd on Saturday 7th December 19:21

[bogie]

I used to use a rechargeable dessicant dehumidifier similar to this in my old Elise . https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/md100/amcor-m...

Unfortunately I lost it on a house move, and then the Elise too couple of years later. Never bothered to replace as my Vantage is not that bad, although during winter months I leave one of those dessicant bags in the cabin which seems to do the trick.

[Jon39]

Simpo Two said:

My DB9 coupe has to live outside and I don't put the cover on unless the car is clean. Hence for a lot of the rain over the last few weeks it's been exposed to the elements.

It looks as though the windows are sealing against the rubber, but it's getting condensation, and it's getting worse. I've put a passive dehumidifier on the centre console but it's not doing much.

Are there any powered dehumidifiers suitable for cars? I see mains ones but I don't think you could run a cable into the car without letting rain in, and I can't find any cordless dehumidifiers.

Sorry to hear that John.

I am sure that you have already worked out, that there must somewhere be water, or moisture inside your car.
A mains dehumidifier would certainly quickly dry everything and eliminate the condensation, but the water now present will presumably continue to enter the car.

When I have had that trouble on a daily car, we found the passenger footwell carpet was wet, therefore rainwater coming in due to faulty drainage below the windscreen. The drain was blocked with tree debris.

We have for years used these dehumidifiers every winter to dry washing. It does the job remarkably quickly. Hang washing on airers in the small bedroom and it is dry in just a few hours. The room becomes warm too, but a little too noisy to enjoy sitting in there.

We do see charger cables being run between door rubbers in AM showrooms, but I would not do it on my car.

[Simpo Two]

ctdctd said:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/COYCYQI-Dehumidifier-adap...

and a 12V ciggy cable

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Modonghua-Replacement-Coo...

Or a heated garage

Edit - they are not much good when it's cold - happier above 10 degrees.

Aha my stalker I keep the car plugged into a battery conditioner but would it be sensible for the car to power above device for maybe a week between uses? The 10C thing might rule it out too.

bogie said:

I used to use a rechargeable dessicant dehumidifier similar to this in my old Elise . https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p/md100/amcor-m...

Unfortunately I lost it on a house move, and then the Elise too couple of years later. Never bothered to replace as my Vantage is not that bad, although during winter months I leave one of those dessicant bags in the cabin which seems to do the trick.

It needs a bit more than just a desiccant unfortunately.

Jon39 said:

When I have had that trouble on a daily car, we found the passenger footwell carpet was wet, therefore rainwater coming in due to faulty drainage below the windscreen. The drain was blocked with tree debris.

That's a good point; I'll have a ferret about inside. Oddly enough for the last three times I've got out of the car I've had a slight feeling that my butt is very slightly damp (no rude comments please!) - but I don't see how water could get onto the seat.

Jon39 said:

We have for years used these dehumidifiers every winter to dry washing. It does the job remarkably quickly. Hang washing on airers in the small bedroom and it is dry in just a few hours. The room becomes warm too, but a little too noisy to enjoy sitting in there.

We do see charger cables being run between door rubbers in AM showrooms, but I would not do it on my car.

That's the problem with a mains one. It really needs to be powered by its own rechargeable battery, but they don't seem to exist.

[Calinours]

If it's wet, getting condensation in windows, and unless you are leaving windows open or are climbing in soaking wet, then it's leaking water in.

I'd suggest finding the leak (as Jon suggests), addressing the cause not the effect. First eliminate the heater matrix (low coolant, sweet glycol smells), then try to find where in the floor is wet, look under carpets in front footwells and in boot (obvious places). Usual suspects would be door seals, then boot seal, then windscreen/glass seals. Make sure any drain channels under front and rear screens are not blocked with organic (tree) debris.

Best of luck.

Edited by Calinours on Saturday 7th December 21:53

[Simpo Two]

Thanks Calinours, that will be my job tomorrow morning - if it's not bloody raining!

[Caddyshack]

Check online where all the drains are and gently use some strimmer cable to run them through, my boxster was blocked with lots of old leaf gunge. If it has a sunroof there will be drains in there too.

[Simpo Two]

I've now had the chance to poke about inside and this is what I found.

I'm not sure where drainage holes are but I looked under the bonnet near the windscreen and there was no sign of blockage or standing water in the wrong place.

In the cabin, there are two damp patches but they don't seem connected.

First, just inside the driver's door:



Second, under the driver's footwell carpet on the right hand side. This seems to have been damp for some time as the insulation has gone manky and crumbled away. The damp extends a little to the left just under the grey edge.

Whether this is rainwater that's got from the location above, or something else, I'm not sure.

Thoughts welclome!

[Calinours]

It certainly looks like the drivers door seal Simpo.

[Simpo Two]

Calinours said:

It certainly looks like the drivers door seal Simpo.

Thanks, that's better than a busted heater matrix!

There's no sign of any water marks between the two, but a thin layer of talc is a good boater's trick to trace where drops of water have run.

[Simpo Two]

I've been doing more investigating. The tissues I pushed into the obviously damp area came out wet and have been replaced with more.

So where's it coming from?

There is no connection I can see between the damp patch inside the door mirror area and the floor. After washing the car you can see a few drips inside the glass...



... but these drain down into the door itself, not into the cabin. About 18 months ago the door mirror was removed for respraying, but it still doesn't explain water under the carpet.

With the bonnet open I ran water from a hose down the windscreen; it drained down the channel and came out behind the front wheel in several places. Couldn't see anything blocked.

Feeling up behind and above the damp patch, there's no sign of any water. It's almost as if it's coming in from underneath...

Anyway, I now have two passive dehumidifiers inside, and have the cover on, so hopefully it will stop making clouds inside...

[5s Alive]

As the door mirror (and possibly the door card/trim panel) has been removed, water could somehow be tracking from inside the door to behind the A pillar and then down under the carpet. Possibly following the wiring loom through the rubber wiring conduit/grommet from door to A pillar? Popping out the rubber wiring conduit from either the door or the A frame would be a quick way to check.

edit: tracking water ingress is incredibly frustrating. Good luck!

[Simpo Two]

5s Alive said:

Popping out the rubber wiring conduit from either the door or the A frame would be a quick way to check.

Thanks; I don't suppose you have a DB9 or similar and could post a photo showing the bits you mean? I'm not an expert with cars. I'm sure the door card has been removed.

Behind the carpet is a good thought; my boat played that trick that too - and the water comes out miles from where the leak is.

[5s Alive]

Simpo Two said:

Thanks; I don't suppose you have a DB9 or similar and could post a photo showing the bits you mean? I'm not an expert with cars. I'm sure the door card has been removed.

Behind the carpet is a good thought; my boat played that trick that too - and the water comes out miles from where the leak is.

DB9?, I wish!

It will look something like this. They can also split or perish and permit water ingress. Most are push fit and easily levered off with a plastic implement or just finger manipulation, ideally when warm. Ought to easily pop back in with a little silicone spray, silicone grease or plain old washing up liquid. Some may have solid plastic inserts and/or be held in with plastic push pins or other fixings.

[Simpo Two]

Ah that bit, right. I'll check tomorrow and report back.

Thanks

[Genie Chaser]

Would suggest that the water is tracking down the glass, down the door forward of the door card and seeping under the 'A' pillar trim and to the floor panel. Probably requires the card removal, readjust the mirror position and make sure the glass is fitting correctly into the seal.

[Simpo Two]

I checked the rubber connector thingy and it's all dry. It also slopes upwards from door to car body so unless it's full of water and acting like a U-bend, it's not the culprit. I prised the bottom edge out and it was all dry.

Genie Chaser said:

Would suggest that the water is tracking down the glass, down the door forward of the door card and seeping under the 'A' pillar trim and to the floor panel. Probably requires the card removal, readjust the mirror position and make sure the glass is fitting correctly into the seal.

Thanks Genie. I've visually checked the entire area and there's no sign at all of any water or any water marks where it might have run. Door card removal is above my skills level so it would have to wait until the next service.

However the area opposite the door mirror is definitely wet; the mystery is how it gets there, and how it gets down to the footwell, if that is the cause... all the areas between are dry...

[5s Alive]

Simpo Two said:

I checked the rubber connector thingy and it's all dry. It also slopes upwards from door to car body so unless it's full of water and acting like a U-bend, it's not the culprit. I prised the bottom edge out and it was all dry.

Genie Chaser said:

Would suggest that the water is tracking down the glass, down the door forward of the door card and seeping under the 'A' pillar trim and to the floor panel. Probably requires the card removal, readjust the mirror position and make sure the glass is fitting correctly into the seal.

Thanks Genie. I've visually checked the entire area and there's no sign at all of any water or any water marks where it might have run. Door card removal is above my skills level so it would have to wait until the next service.

However the area opposite the door mirror is definitely wet; the mystery is how it gets there, and how it gets down to the footwell, if that is the cause... all the areas between are dry...

If you pull the rubber seal away from the door aperture there will be a small gap between the metal of the A pillar and the interior A pillar trim.
(airbags are behind the trim so don't push anything into the gap). This should enable you to eliminate the possibility that water is tracking down from above. If it's restricted to the area directly adjacent to the mirror attachment points then at least you would know that this is likely to be the culprit - if you are certain that it's not coming from that corner of the windscreen. It's a frustrating process of elimination but you will get there in the end.

[Simpo Two]

5s Alive said:

If you pull the rubber seal away from the door aperture there will be a small gap between the metal of the A pillar and the interior A pillar trim.
(airbags are behind the trim so don't push anything into the gap). This should enable you to eliminate the possibility that water is tracking down from above. If it's restricted to the area directly adjacent to the mirror attachment points then at least you would know that this is likely to be the culprit - if you are certain that it's not coming from that corner of the windscreen. It's a frustrating process of elimination but you will get there in the end.

I'm sure it's something to do with the door mirror being removed. They managed to crack the plastic triangle inside which I wasn't pleased about. Perhaps I can get them to check/fix it FOC.

I'll have another look tomorrow!