Drying out the under-carpet (and electrics?)

[AutoMonkey]

Hi folks,

Long story short - my XC70 recently had a close encounter (not a collision!) with a fire hydrant, resulting in the passenger cabin floor getting flooded with 3-4 inches of water. (Apparently the water made its way in through the ventilation system).

I was able to pump the water out quite quickly, and the ventilation system has since been dried out (by the dealer). However, the carpet (or more specifically the high density foam beneath the carpet) is still quite wet. Does anyone have any advice and experience on how to dry this out (e.g. has anyone removed the cabin carpeting of their XC)? I don't want to have a mold problem down the road.

On a related note - I've noticed an intermittent electrical problem that may be related to the residual water. When the car is parked, the electric seat adjustments on the drivers side work just fine. However, after I start driving, the controls go dead, and I have to stop the car again before they will come back to life. Anyone have any ideas?

TIA,

AutoMonkey

[gibbons]

Taking the carpets out is a monster. I had mine "peeled back" while installing Sirius and a PA300 amp under the passenger seat. To fully remove the carpets, you would need to remove the seats (easy), and the center console (very hard).

Have you lifted the carpet from the edge (after removing the door sills)? The carpet doesn't have the typical foam or juke backing. It has large foam blocks laminated to it which hold the carpet a couple of inches above the floor pans. As I recall, the foam seemed to be closed cell, which would not absorb water. But then again, I may be wrong.

I would remove the sills, lift the carpet, and mop the water out of the floor pans. The residual in the carpet would be no worse than what we in show country deal with getting in and out of our cars with snowy shoes. Sort of. We have those cool Volvo mats which hold water like a swimming pool so the carpets don't get wet.

[al_roethlisberger]

I don't know about recommending a "drying out" process, but I was just reading through the 2004 owner's manual, and they have a clear warning about the SRS system being dangerously impacted if the interior floor is ever flooded... and to "take it to a dealer immediately" or somesuch(going from memory here) :rolleyes:

I can only assume there is some risk of electrical malfunction of the system if wet :confused:

[Art]

I recall someone mentioning in a previous thread about using a dehumidifier to help dry out the remnants of moisture in their upholstery. Might be worth looking into.

[birddog]

We had used a pail of this stuff we bought at a boating shop when the a/c line backed up in our 854. It absorbs moisture. It worked very well. Never had any damp or mildew smells. But obviously this would only help after any standing or noticeabe water was removed.

[Jack]

You might try a weekend holiday in the desert or here in Colorado. Things don't stay wet very long here! What's a dehumidifier? :D

[AutoMonkey]

Thanks for the feedback guys... Can anyone advise on how to take out the seats and/or door sills?

AM

[gibbons]

Sills? Start at the front where it rolls into the kick panel. Just pull it backwards (perpendicular to the surface) at the front. The little clip will release. Work your way backwards, lifting upwards (perpendicular). The clips will pop out. About 5 pops and it will lift out.

Seats? Move the seat until you can the the mounting track bolts. Put the seat back way forward. Remove the power harness plug from the seat. Remove the plastic bolt covers (4), and remove the bolts. Lift the seat out.

It was interesting, when I put in our PA300 amp, the passenger seat had to be removed. The amp kit included 4 new bolts just like the ones removed. I don't know if Volvo assumed the installer would loose the original bolts, or if they think that these bolts should only be torqued once and then discarded.

[drymocke]

I have a similar problem and have raised the carpet up and let the heater go for 6 hours. Everything drys except the high density foam, which seems to absorb water but not want to let it go very quickly. I squeezed as much out as I could but it's still damp. My next step will be to try a dehumidifier.

[JRL]

If the foam (jute underlayer) stays wet for a a while, you will NEVER get the mildew small out, you will need to replace it
Call your insurance company

[wgriswold]

Here is what I would do. Open up the area under the carpet through the sill area as has been described here and clean it up as best you can. Leave it open. Then to West Marine or any boat supply store and get two dehumidifiers and several refills. Put the dehumidifiers in the car and when they are used up refill them and when they no longer absorb water your car is the driest one in your area. You might put a small heater to keep the temperature at 70 deg F or so. The water will migrate througth the air to the dehumidifier but it might take some time, several days.

[Ozzie]

I don't know if Volvo assumed the installer would loose the original bolts, or if they think that these bolts should only be torqued once and then discarded.

And Volvo says the answer is: "torqued once".

Who would've thunk....

oz :eek: