Roof – How to establishing the cause of wet passenger carpets, lower boot and rusting sills

Owners will find they have a damp carpet, and wet carpets in the rear of the car or even in the front. Mildew throughout the car is another problem. We think that most of the problems come from the roof and rear top boot (which is a wet boot). If the damp is on top of the seat then it may be the roof but in our experience 7 of 10 leaks are the boot.

Over the past few years, The Figaro shop has developed some techniques for tracking and curing water leaks. As the Figaros get older we are seeing more and more leaks. Usually due to perished or cracked seals. Sometimes they can be replenished and stuck again but sometimes they need replacement. This is not to say that sadly water leaks are one of the hardest faults to diagnose…

A POSSIBLE SOLUTION
The design of the floor pan allows water to run down from the lower boot and under the seats. You may wonder why it takes this route if your drain holes are clear and your wet boot tray is clipped in. We have found that it runs over the seal and hopefully, the images will help explain this and how to potentially cure it. Here we are demonstrating how the rear window can be manipulated.

It’s metal-backed and once moved will hold the position. Test that when you pour water into the centre of the back of the seal, with the upper boot open, it runs only into the boot channels, not through the gap where the arrow is.

In the image on the right, it shows ‘gully ‘A’. Here we are demonstrating 2 things.

1 – The big rubber seal in the gully that touches the lower edge of the metal part of the roof is stuck in place correctly and securely.

2 – The point where we state ‘cut channel’ is the weakest part of the design. If you pour water down the gully you may find that when it runs past the ‘cut point’ it runs over the edge, this is the most common point for directing the water into the car. You need to make this cut very carefully in order to re-channel the water.

Don’t cut right through the seal just the upper band, and only big enough to re-direct the water around the gully rather than over the edge. With either of the two failures pictured the water will leak down the back of the latch and over the side of the plastic boot tray into the boot and then the cabin making its way to the footwell.

The next image shows two places this will be apparent, it also often makes the latch go rusty so look out for that as a clue. The latch should be dry. You can see this in the ‘dripping area’ picture here. Hopefully, this will help your interior to look good and last a long time. Please be careful though we can’t take any responsibility if the rubber is cut too deep or for any other damage.

This is just what worked for us. Well worth a watch if you use your Figaro come rain or shine and or keep your car outside. The roof and top boot are vulnerable areas where water can enter the car which in extreme cases can lead to wet carpets and rusty lower boot areas & sills which can be expensive to fix.

Club founder Kevin Fagan explains the different drainage areas and how water drains from the car using a watering can to test it! Thanks to The Figaro Shop for some of the tips.

HOW WATER MAKES ITS WAY TO YOUR CARPET
The design of the floor pan allows water to run down from the lower boot and under the seats. You may wonder why it takes this route if your drain holes are clear and your wet boot tray is clipped in. We have found that it runs over the seal and hopefully, the images will help explain this and how to potentially cure it.