Water ingress into cockpit

[Colin Mill]

The 'new' type heater was introduced on about May 2006 and when you look down into the heater casing you see just the blower motor in a compartment that has drains in both the left and right front corners. The heater matrix is in a compartment below the blower compartment.

[Unclefester]

Seems there must be (at least) 3 heater types if Colin is right about something new being introduced in May 2006, as there's been some form of fresh air heater from way before that, as it's on Stationary M25s 2002 SV and ditto our 2002SV.

 

Could be they improved the drain arrangements, as our car lets in masses of water, and I have done nowt about it as I was under the impression that they were all prone to this, the TADTS syndrome.

 

Prior to the first type fresh air heater, which would have coincided with the bonnet panel with the heater vents, there was a recycling air heater which was a very heavy unit which fitted into a longer rectangular cutout in the flat 'shelf' of the bulkhead.

 

I don't think there was any problem with these leaking water into the interior as they seem easily sealable and take no fresh air in through the bonnet, so no leak pathway exists.

 

So it looks like it's 'mastic gun to the ready' time, eh?

 

Can't wait.. ☹️

 

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds..ooooh hooo hooo!!...

😬 😬Abbey Road Time-Machine *eek*

 

 

Edited by - Unclefester on 25 Jul 2007 04:24:04

[Colin Mill]

When I still had the 2005 style heater I was contemplating making up a shallow inverted tray effort that would allow air into the heater around the edge and shed water off into the 'gutter' the heater has just inside the lip (I think there were already some holes in this but it may just be that I planned to drill some (sorry - vast antiquity is not kind on the memory!)

 

I have made a baffle plate for the new heater that slopes down at the front to protect the blower motor and make sure the water finds its way to the drains. If I ever have the heater out again I will fit a plastic back plate to the blower compartment. Without this the narrow seal between the heater and the bulkhead is all that stops water running off the back of the blower getting into the car.

 

Colin

 

Edited by - Colin Mill on 25 Jul 2007 08:43:02

[Setok]

Prior to the first type fresh air heater, which would have coincided with the bonnet panel with the heater vents, there was a recycling air heater which was a very heavy unit which fitted into a longer rectangular cutout in the flat 'shelf' of the bulkhead

 

OK, that's the one I have! I was kind of wondering where the air was coming in at and had decided to take a closer look next time I'm at the car. Well, that explains why I'm not getting water in the footwells then. The few drops that I do get must be coming through the edges of the pedal box or something (and only when there's a heavy downpour).

 

So ... how much does it weigh?

 

(I was actually surprised that my car weighs a fair bit more than what I was expecting for a 7)

 

---

Kristoffer Lawson

[db]

So the guy in the workshop next door has offered some heat-curable silicone to seal the heater in. Sounds ideal.

 

I think the main leakage point is the foam "seal" between the back of the heater and the top of the scuttle -- does that chime with everyone else. My car is 3 years old, so I think it's a middle generation heater. Does this mean that I'm getting wet feet from ingress via the heater no matter what I do? (plastic bag over louvres when parked?)

 

My ... Preciousss!

[Stationary M25 Traveller]

Yes !

 

Std silicone is good for hundreds of degrees C, so no real challenge around outside of heater enclosure !!!!!

 

******************

And you run and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking...

 

And racing around to come up behind you again. new link to photos

[db]

Right - spent a happy few days with staff pouring water into my bonnet with my head in the footwell and think I've identified most leaks.

 

For reference, in my car the worst was on the battery sill on the passenger footwell, where the heater joins the scuttle at the top and near the top of the pedal box on the driver side. i'm not sure but I think the very edges of the sill may have been leaky too. No longer.

 

Wickes all purpose silicone sealant is a bit wet going on, but seems to have done the trick. A finger nicely smears it down with masking tape galore to keep it neater than it might otherwise be.

 

A bit of self adhesive neoprene went round the back of the foam around the heater. This seems to have helped enormously, but I think some silicone might help around there.

 

My ... Preciousss!

[Colin Mill]

Well done! My footwell was perfect even with a couple of thunderstorms but the hood finally let a few spots in just above the doors. I looked at using some tent seam sealer but I did not like the way it remained tacky and using talc on it on the inside of a black hood did not appeal. In the end I worked some beeswax into the stitching/stitch holes from the outside (hard work!). Anyway, so far so good.