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I understand that there are several drains around the sunroof and below the windshield that can become clogged and cause water to enter the cabin. I'm still trying to determine exactly which drains are problematic, but in the meantime I need to get rid of the water. What is the best way to get rid of all of the water that is in the floorboard? I currently have about an 1" to 1.5" of water sloshing around the interior of my car while I drive...
I have seen some mention removing a plug grommet, but I'm a bit concerned that by removing the plug, I may simply be allowing the water to enter into a cavity that is less accessible rather than truly draining it from the car.
Can anyone confirm that removing this plug is a good way to drain the water or is there some other way that is better?
Im thinking remove the carpeting is the only way to really dry everything out, at least pull it up and towel dry everything under it. Even if left damp it can lead to rust and maybe mold issues. Wet vac to suck up as much water as possible then air dry.
Found some diagrams for the carpet, insulation, sunroof drains, and seems theres a bunch of various plugs and grommets all over the car. Diagrams are for my 2010, should be similar to other models im thinking.
Looks like theres some cable ducts that run along the bottom also. Ive read where people have issues with water getting into wiring connectors down there.
Im thinking remove the carpeting is the only way to really dry everything out, at least pull it up and towel dry everything under it. Even if left damp it can lead to rust and maybe mold issues. Wet vac to suck up as much water as possible then air dry.
Found some diagrams for the carpet, insulation, sunroof drains, and seems theres a bunch of various plugs and grommets all over the car. Diagrams are for my 2010, should be similar to other models im thinking.
Looks like theres some cable ducts that run along the bottom also. Ive read where people have issues with water getting into wiring connectors down there.
Drains below windshield.
Thank you for the info! This is helpful. Do you think that it is safe to pull any of these plugs to drain the water or is there a specific plug that I need to pull?
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
I had this problem earlier this year and ended up removing the plugs in the floorboard on the driver's side where the carpet was soaked. I also used compressed air to blow out the sunroof drain channels. While I'm not entirely sure it was the sunroof, the drain line that parallels the A-pillar was clogged. I removed the plugs to keep water from pooling should there be another leak. Under the car, you have splash shields that should keep any water from entering through the holes (though I can't make any promises about critters, such as mice, that might look for a nice home this winter).
A problem you may have is an error code pointing to the fuel quality sensor, which sits under the chassis in the proximity of the pillar between the front and rear doors. If that happens, you have water that entered the connector to the wiring harness where it passes through the floorboard. Disconnect the sensor wiring from underneath the car and let the water drain out. You may want to blow it out with compressed air and/or hit it with electrical contact cleaner.
I had this problem earlier this year and ended up removing the plugs in the floorboard on the driver's side where the carpet was soaked. I also used compressed air to blow out the sunroof drain channels. While I'm not entirely sure it was the sunroof, the drain line that parallels the A-pillar was clogged. I removed the plugs to keep water from pooling should there be another leak. Under the car, you have splash shields that should keep any water from entering through the holes (though I can't make any promises about critters, such as mice, that might look for a nice home this winter).
A problem you may have is an error code pointing to the fuel quality sensor, which sits under the chassis in the proximity of the pillar between the front and rear doors. If that happens, you have water that entered the connector to the wiring harness where it passes through the floorboard. Disconnect the sensor wiring from underneath the car and let the water drain out. You may want to blow it out with compressed air and/or hit it with electrical contact cleaner.
Might not be a bad idea leaving the plugs out. It's not real clear to me what drain is the issue at this point. Even after cleaning them, the sunroof drains seems to drain kind of slowly to me, but perhaps they are draining fast enough and the problem is elsewhere.
Fortunately, I don't have any electrical issues at the moment. It's actually pretty amazing that I don't considering the amount of water that has accumulated under the carpet. Hopefully I don't have perpetual gremlins in the future. I've considered filing an insurance claim, but I'm not optimistic about how that would go.
2015 SL400 (M276 Turbo), 2014 C350 Sport (M276 NA), 2004 SL500 (M113), 2004 Audi TT225 (BEA)
Originally Posted by morelor
Might not be a bad idea leaving the plugs out. It's not real clear to me what drain is the issue at this point. Even after cleaning them, the sunroof drains seems to drain kind of slowly to me, but perhaps they are draining fast enough and the problem is elsewhere.
Fortunately, I don't have any electrical issues at the moment. It's actually pretty amazing that I don't considering the amount of water that has accumulated under the carpet. Hopefully I don't have perpetual gremlins in the future. I've considered filing an insurance claim, but I'm not optimistic about how that would go.
The sunroof drains exit in the front wheel wells behind the liners. When I blew compressed air into the top, a lot of water initially came out, confirming a clog. The drain is in the front of the sunroof opening on either side at the top of the A-pillars.
You may have read where I posted elsewhere about gremlins invading a 2008 Infiniti G35 I had because of similar flooding of floorboards. In that case, I was actually experiencing problems and found water pooled under the carpet. I took pictures of the water and wet carpet and error codes on my scan tool and submitted an insurance claim which was paid -- they totaled the car. The agent explained that once gremlins set in, they are too hard and expensive to get out. Hopefully, I caught the water in my C350 early enough.
To file an insurance claim, you may have to experience an actual loss (i.e., problem). But, you may want to talk to your insurance company anyway to establish the date you first detected the beginning of the loss if problems occur later.
The sunroof drains exit in the front wheel wells behind the liners. When I blew compressed air into the top, a lot of water initially came out, confirming a clog. The drain is in the front of the sunroof opening on either side at the top of the A-pillars.
You may have read where I posted elsewhere about gremlins invading a 2008 Infiniti G35 I had because of similar flooding of floorboards. In that case, I was actually experiencing problems and found water pooled under the carpet. I took pictures of the water and wet carpet and error codes on my scan tool and submitted an insurance claim which was paid -- they totaled the car. The agent explained that once gremlins set in, they are too hard and expensive to get out. Hopefully, I caught the water in my C350 early enough.
To file an insurance claim, you may have to experience an actual loss (i.e., problem). But, you may want to talk to your insurance company anyway to establish the date you first detected the beginning of the loss if problems occur later.
Yeah, that's part of the reason I have been hesitant to file an insurance claim. I'm a bit afraid that they will want to total it and I'm not too sure I'm keen on that. I don't really want to part with it due to the work/money that I have in it at this point. And I suspect that they are not going to give me enough money that is going to get me anything remotely equivalent 😩
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2012 C350 || Remove water in floorboards
