Wet Carpet in Cars: Where Did That Come From?

With the recent onslaught of hurricanes, flood-damaged cars seem be just about everywhere. Awareness has been raised among Americans to be careful in buying these restored vehicles. However, a small percentage of cars also suffer from water damage without it being even exposed to the slightest of flood. Evidence of this is only present in wet carpet.

One of the reasons for wet carpet inside your car is the air-conditioning system. Clogged A/C tubes can cause water to drip down on the passenger side, thus the wet carpet. In order to avoid this, you have to conduct a regular check of the tubes. Make sure that they do not have debris big enough to clog your system.

Another reason why you have a wet carpet is cracks near the door. If your vehicle has some cracks, these could let the water in especially when it is raining. It could also let water in when you are doing some car washing.

Faulty rubber door seal is also a primary reason for wet carpet. The rubber sidings in your vehicles door might no longer be working leaving some openings where water could come in.
Depending on the make of your car, some sunroofs could catch water and have it flow inside your car. Heaters can also fracture and leak due to rust and corrosion if not checked regularly.

Some cars also suffer from water damage and wet carpet when parked in a slanting position. The culprit in this case is the improperly placed wires which could act as conduit for water from the A/C to travel to the carpet. The inclined position of the car makes it more possible for the water to move.

Damaged evaporator core box can also be the reason for the water inside your car. Since this car part is not easily accessible with it being hidden behind the dashboard, damages to it is not easily detected and might take years before it would be discovered.

Another probable reason yet is plugged up drain slots in the doors. Rain water hitting your car’s window drains through one of the slots at the bottom edge of the door. You can unclog these slots wit the use of a thin bladed knife. Open the door and carefully examine its bottom edge. The narrow slots that you could see along the lowest edge of the exterior “skin” of the door are the drain slots.

Upon inserting the knife into the slot, pull it in and out while also swinging t back and forth inside the slot. This should break down whatever is causing the blockage and allow to water to drain. Be careful though, as water could drain out and spill on you.
Using a garden hose, let water run along the lower edge between the window and the bottom of the widow opening.

Keep in mind, however, that this could only work for small debris. If you suspect that there could be large debris stuck in the drain slots, you would need to take out the inner panel of the door and remove the debris.

There could still be other reasons why you have a wet carpet inside your car. This could include windows and sunroof inadvertently left open. Just the same, knowing where the water came from is already a step towards the solution of your problem.