Hi All,
I changed the cabin filter the other day (I didnt break the clips :) ). I didnt take the whole thing off, kinda sqeezed the filter in (one corner got very slightly bent). No more stagnent smell.
However, I heard people talk of leaking water due the seal not re-fitting with the winscreen properly. From what I can tell it wasnt a perfect fit before I took it off anyway, its now little less perfect.
It has been in the rain several times since but I cant feel the wet carpet in the passenger footwell. Does that mean its not leaking or is it that its not leaking enough and water is getting soaked up by all the carpety stuff under the hood?
How do I test for this leak and is it worth spending £13 on the adhesive stuff from Ford?
Its a 2001 Y 1.6L
Thanks
{teleported across to Technical Matters}
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 08/05/2009 at 13:35
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I can't advise on pollen filters but I can on a wet car.
I owned one a few years back that leaked through the n/s front door trim. Because the padding underneath soaked up the water, the carpet didn't feel wet until there was no more absorption left and you'd get in the car and find a pool of water in the footwell.
Only real way to check is to lift the carpet and get a hand under the underlay, I'd say.
HTH
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When I changed mine last year I did break the clips, so I replaced the whole panel and used the butyl sealing strip from Ford to get a perfect seal with the windscreen. There was no gap at all and it never leaked afterwards.
The sealing strip is only a few pounds and the two together cost around £25 IIRC. The strip is a long piece of foam with paper strips on each side that you remove to reveal the (very) sticky surface.
How much of a gap do you have between the base of the windscreen and the panel ? If there is a gap, the foam butyl strip itself will be the only thing stopping the water getting down into the pollen filter housing (and ultimately into the car), so it's probably only a matter of time before it starts to let water through.
If I was you, I'd be tempted to see if there is enough play on that top edge to fit a new sealing strip without removing the panel. The sticky nature of the strip will make this difficult though, as I doubt you'll have much of a gap to play with. Be aware if you go down this route, that you could risk making the existing seal worse or even breaking the clips if you prise it hard enough.
I have heard of people (and garages !) bodging it with DIY-type sealant - you can get clear stuff so it may not be too noticeable when squeezed into the gap, but you'll have to make sure the surfaces are thoroughly clean and dry (same applies if you use the strip).
If it was me, I'd want to sort it one way or another rather than wait for leaks to become apparent, even if it meant replacing the scuttle panel. I've had old cars with wet carpets before and it's not pleasant.
I figured that it was well worth paying £25 to avoid this and the total cost of my DIY major service was still well under the price I'd pay a garage to do it, even with this extra cost !
Good luck with getting it sorted.
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