When it’s just not your day! Mishap with Cuprinol Autumn Gold spilling in the boot of my car!

sujsuj

I thought I had wrapped this up yesterday after saying thanks and all... but I drove my car today and realised there's a sloshing water sound coming from the back. Sounds like there's still a bucket-load of water trapped somewhere that hasn't drained.

I’ve already drained three areas, but what should I do next? Should I remove the underside cover? Would that require any specialist tools or is it doable as a DIY job? Thanks!

WIAWSNB

sujsuj said:I thought I had wrapped this up yesterday after saying thanks and all... but I drove my car today and realised there's a sloshing water sound coming from the back. Sounds like there's still a bucket-load of water trapped somewhere that hasn't drained.I’ve already drained three areas, but what should I do next? Should I remove the underside cover? Would that require any specialist tools or is it doable as a DIY job? Thanks!

"I’ve already drained three areas..." What do you mean by this?

caprikid1

Might be time to use a Dehumidifier, might help make sure any electrics dry out quicker, residual water in electrical connectors left too long can cause all manner of fun !.

WIAWSNB

sujsuj said:

I managed to remove the bottom part of the rear seat, but I still haven’t seen any water draining from underneath. I may need to remove the underbody tray to let the water out. Please see the additional photos. Thanks.

Oh dear.
I think you can assume that the water got past the rear seat and on to the floor, so I suggest the rear floor carpets come up too.

First, tho', I guess it's worth seeing if these holes in the underseat lead to a sealed cavity which could hold the water. 

If you shine a torch in there whilst also placing your eyeball close, do you see reflections? You could shine in one hole at an angle whilst looking in t'other. 

You remove that round cover - what's below? The fuel pump? Any water get in there?

Anyhoo, carpets up - this may first require peeling back the door seals - and look for other drain holes.

Do you have a wet&dry vac? If so, get some flexible tubing - ideally clear and around 6mm ID - and tape it firmly to the hose, sealing off the open end. Use that to suck away inside every hole and cavity - you should instantly see if any water is being captured, so keep focusing in that area if so. (Clear tube can be had from hardware stores, eBay, pet shops - usually polyurethane or similar, and used for pond pumps and stuff. Get clear)

sujsuj

WIAWSNB said:

sujsuj said:I thought I had wrapped this up yesterday after saying thanks and all... but I drove my car today and realised there's a sloshing water sound coming from the back. Sounds like there's still a bucket-load of water trapped somewhere that hasn't drained.I’ve already drained three areas, but what should I do next? Should I remove the underside cover? Would that require any specialist tools or is it doable as a DIY job? Thanks!

"I’ve already drained three areas..." What do you mean by this?

What I meant is that I removed the grommets in those three places and drained the water from the car, so those areas are now clear of water.

sujsuj

I can hear a sloshing sound, like water moving around, when I drive or brake. I also noticed coloured water (Cuprinol Autumn Gold) leaking from holes under the seat, which suggests there's a cavity beneath it that's holding water. I removed the underside cover but couldn’t find any drainage route. I've attached some photos showing the water spilling out after hard braking.

sujsuj

WIAWSNB said:

sujsuj said:

I managed to remove the bottom part of the rear seat, but I still haven’t seen any water draining from underneath. I may need to remove the underbody tray to let the water out. Please see the additional photos. Thanks.

Oh dear.
I think you can assume that the water got past the rear seat and on to the floor, so I suggest the rear floor carpets come up too.

First, tho', I guess it's worth seeing if these holes in the underseat lead to a sealed cavity which could hold the water. 

If you shine a torch in there whilst also placing your eyeball close, do you see reflections? You could shine in one hole at an angle whilst looking in t'other. 

You remove that round cover - what's below? The fuel pump? Any water get in there?

Anyhoo, carpets up - this may first require peeling back the door seals - and look for other drain holes.

Do you have a wet&dry vac? If so, get some flexible tubing - ideally clear and around 6mm ID - and tape it firmly to the hose, sealing off the open end. Use that to suck away inside every hole and cavity - you should instantly see if any water is being captured, so keep focusing in that area if so. (Clear tube can be had from hardware stores, eBay, pet shops - usually polyurethane or similar, and used for pond pumps and stuff. Get clear)

The rear seat has been removed. I can hear a sloshing sound, like water moving around, when I drive or brake. I also noticed coloured water (Cuprinol Autumn Gold) leaking from holes under the seat, which suggests there's a cavity beneath it that's holding water. I removed the underside cover but couldn’t find any drainage route. I've attached some photos showing the water spilling out after hard braking.

I've already partially removed the rear carpet and found some holes that helped drain water from the rear floor area. Although the sponges are still damp, there's no longer any water pooling in the rear carpet. The remaining water seems to be trapped inside the rear seat cavity, and I couldn’t find any drainage route from there.

bjorn_toby_wilde

I don’t think you need to take up all of the carpet.

It sounds like your diagnosis is correct. The water has made its way into a cavity under the seat.

WIAWSNB’s suggestion of a wet/dry vacuum with a thinner hose taped into the nozzle is a good idea. You could push the thin hose down through the hole and suck out the remaining water that way.

WIAWSNB

sujsuj said:

If the carpets are one piece with the front, and impractical to fully remove, then prop the rear ones up instead. Keep fully ventilating the car on dry days - all doors and hatch open.

Then get sucking. 

You know where the liquid is.

You also might be able to pick up a cheap electric 'inflatable' pump on your local Marketplace or similar, the type for lilos and chairs and beds, not the type for tyres and high pressure items. Ie, high volume, low pressure types. You can also get them 12V, but make sure you don't run your car battery flat (it would take many hours...).  Once you've sucked, set it up blowing in one hole, and see if air blasts out t'other. If so, leave it running for at least an hour. Possibly for a loooot longer.

GrubbyGirl_2

Nothing to say of any help, sorry, but I think you've made a cracking job of cleaning up so far!  I carry a lidded plastic box in the boot of my car to put anything in that might spill.  My friend took the mickey out of me for this as I also have a boot liner he said it was overkill............I'm going to show him this post!  Good luck with the rest of your clean up.