# Liquid on passenger seat floor



## dschrier (May 6, 2002)

I went to start my car yesterday when I noticed that my front passenger seat floor had about an inch of water on it. It had just rained heavily the last few days and I didn't drive so I thought my windshield had started to leak, but then my father said radiator fluid or something might have leaked out and the resevoir bottle for the coolant is almost empty. I've never had the temperature guage on the car go above midline suggesting that everything is fine. Is it possible for water from the water pump or radiator fluid to escape into the passenger side of the front seat? Anything I should look for? I have a 90 b12 by the way, 5-speed.


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

If the heater core is leaking badly, yes. Is it water or coolant?


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## dschrier (May 6, 2002)

It is slightly slippery, but much less so than actual coolant, but it is a yellowish brown, but that could just be due to any dirt and grime in the carpet on the floor. I wasn't aware of there being another heating unit in the car, stupid me, but I assume that cycles coolant through it as well. I drove my car about 200miles on saturday, with a passenger in the passenger seat for most of the way. I drove home by myself at night, so if it started to leak then I wouldn't have noticed it. It was the first really hot day of the year here in NH on saturday. The coolant level in the resevoir bottle is at min right now with the car off, which it should be at. The temperature guage never went near hot though on my hour drive home that night so I'm not really sure what happened. I'm going to take a real look at it later when I have some help.


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

What kind of coolant are you using? The difference in color should be _really_ apparent.


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## dschrier (May 6, 2002)

I don't know what kind of coolant I have actually. To be honest I got my coolant changed about 40,000 miles ago at jiffy lube and haven't looked at it since, since I've never had a problem with the cooling system. If I put a piece of white paper in the liquid it is a rusty color. It feels like water to the touch, but there is a slight slipperyness to it, but who knows what could be in the floor to cause that. I know coolant itself is very very slippery and usually a bright yellow/green color correct? I'm not too sure how the whole cooling system of a car works, but could there be just water that leaked out of the heating unit or even the air conditioner blower motor? I didn't use my AC though. I know its very difficult trying to diagnose a problem through someone elses explanation of it, but i appreciate all the help!


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

I don't see any way you'd get an inch of water from condensation off the A/C unit. If you did, it would be completely pure water anyway, except for what might have been on the floorboard. Here's what I'd do. Clean out the water that's in the floorboard and grab a hose. Find somebody to sit in the car (or just check every few minutes) as you spray the car down thoroughly. Hopefully you can find a simple rain leak into the cab.
That coolant needs to go - change your coolant at least every couple of years (20,000 miles or so), and check it more often than that (at least every winter) to verify that it's still capable of handling the temperature extremes it will be subjected to. It should be either a 'glowing' green color or orange depending on which type of coolant you're running. Flush what's in there out completely (you can get a flush kit at WalMart for $5 or so). Re-fill with fresh coolant mixed 50/50 with distilled water. Run the engine for 10 minutes or so and then let it cool off. Top it off again, and keep an eye on it over the next week to make sure you got it full and that it's not leaking.


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## dschrier (May 6, 2002)

I've poured about 2 gallons of water over the car then got inside periodically to check if anything was leaking in. There are no water spots on the cealing, and there is no visible water marks anywhere in the car except on the floor where the puddle is. I just filled up the radiator with water and only put 1/4 of a cup in before it came to the top by the cap, so I don't think it was coolant that was leaking. There is no smell to the water at all either like coolant has. I've never seen any water at all in my car aside from the trunk, so it would be odd to suddenly have a huge puddle in the front seat when I've never even seen a drip I would think. I am very perplexed by this. It is possible that the window was open a slight crack since my gf likes to open the window all the time, but there is no water at all on the seat, unless it dried already before I saw it, but the amount of water on the floor does seem like a very large amount. I will change my coolant again, but I was told every 60,000 miles is fine for coolant. Better safe then sorry though, especially on an old car. Also, the kind of coolant that was used is a green coolant, and there is no green at all in the water on the floor. Thanks for the help I really appreciate it.


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## fastpakr (Sep 18, 2002)

You need to eliminate the puddle that's already on the floor in order to find out if more water is coming in. Have the car completely dry on the inside before you start trying to re-create the leak.


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

I had a similar problem. When I picked up the car last Jan., I had to pull the plugs to drain the water b4 I could drive it. Anyhow, the car was left for dead at the Oregon coast and it rains alot. I found that the outer window seals - the ones at the bottom of the window - they were all dried out and pulled away from the glass like 1/4 inch or so. So pine needles and twigs and crap fell inside the doors and plugged up all the drain holes. The doors filled up with water and it drained inside the car. That was in addition to the back window and the tailights and the body seam under the trunk hinge. The door panels were pretty soggy so be careful you don't pull the snaps through the cheapass pressboard panels like I did. Those seals are real easy to replace


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## dschrier (May 6, 2002)

Yeah, I think I diagnosed it to external rain, maybe by my passenger who didn't close the window all the way. If I keep the car this winter I am redoing all the doors, weather stripping etc, since everytime it rained and snowed I couldn't open my doors and now the handles are all screwed up.


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## Webfoot (Apr 24, 2003)

lol - ditto. Found all the pcs to the passengers handle in the bottom of the door.


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## CERBERUS XE (Feb 2, 2004)

*Bringing the thread back to life*

I was looking at the old threads as i took notice to this old one. I have the same problem with mine, and because it is so old did you find the answer to the leak?


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