Poida4x4's Disco 1

I tried to take the the carpet underlays out today but it became more complicated than I expected pretty quickly. I started on the passenger side by taking the seat out, and then figured I needed to get the gearbox tunnel console off which made me feel like I was opening a can of worms. It became clear that the underlay and parts of the carpet are connected across the gearbox tunnel between the passenger and drivers sides, and removing them intact would take a lot more disassembly. The underlay is really sodden and bloody stinks. I'm tempted to cut it where it meets the tunnel so I can remove it and dry it right out, and treat the floor. I can't see a big problem with this. Can you?

I don't think it's been that wet for long. Or maybe it has been here and there and it is again. As I've said, the car was kept undercover by the previous owners. There's a few rusty marks but they won't take much to treat.

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I've had a bit of a look for the source of the problem and found some good leads to look into further. These plenum drain holes; where are they? Under the scuttle board? How do I look under there? It looks a lot like it's this spot at the top of the windscreen. I'll pop the A-pillar cover off (you just pry it off a bit right?) and run a hose over it when I get the carpets out.

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Hey ive been chasing some similar leaks, i folded the top windscreen seal back and pumped some sealant in there. Seems to have stopped that leak, I read that they leak from the heater intake also under the scuttle panel in front of the windscreen. Apparently you can fold up a roof for it to stop the water getting in but I havnt looked into it further.
Cheers Jim

Check the opera windows too. It can leak there and then run to the front. Sunroofs also leak.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

Check the opera windows too. It can leak there and then run to the front. Sunroofs also leak.

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These are both fine. Good tips though. I reckon it's to do with the windscreen but have to investigate more. I only had a bit of time so focused on getting the wet carpet out to dry.

dunno! ... but from the looks of it, those wiper blades look like they're on backwards

Your floor looks very similar to mine. I’m going through a similar process on my D1 as and when there is time and note the same frustrations about removing the carpet and sound deadening. I have also removed the rectangular bitumen patch to check for rust, and was pretty good other than a few spots of surface rust. Mine has sat outside under a gum tree for 11 years and the passenger side carpet was often damp, yet no major rust in the floor on that side. I have tried to find the leak, initially suspected windscreen and a grommet behind the window wash tank. Tested several times with a hose and watering can, but no water entered. For now I believe my issue is the door weatherstrips, which have lost there flexibility.
Check the Alpine windows - another rust hotspot. If the window rubbers have any pumps then it’s a sign of rust underneath.
Also remove the fiberglass sill finishers and check the sills and the plastic foot tread on the rear bumper and the plastic cover under the rear door as these areas are also places where dirt can build up and cause rust. Good luck!

I cut the carpet along the base of the tunnel where it met the floor of our D1, giving easy access and allowing it to be easily refitted.
I painted the floor with rust converter, left the acid to work for a few days, then painted the floor with several coats of paint containing rust protection.
You may also need to get underneath and do the same treatment from below.

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Originally Posted by DiscoMick

I cut the carpet along the base of the tunnel where it met the floor of our D1, giving easy access and allowing it to be easily refitted.
I painted the floor with rust converter, left the acid to work for a few days, then painted the floor with several coats of paint containing rust protection.
You may also need to get underneath and do the same treatment from below.

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Don't forget to check the boot floor too.

Also check if the heater core is leaking. Ours was and dribbling onto the floor. As an alternative to replacing the heater core, it is possible to just block the coolant from flowing to the heater, and live without a heater.

Well I carefully cut the underlay so that I could remove it and it's drying out now. It holds a whole bunch of water eh!

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The floors look OK. They'll clean up reasonably easily.

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I got some help with a hose to try and find out where the water is coming in. My first suspicion of the top of the windscreen seems to be incorrect. Hosing down that spot doesn't seem to lead to water coming in. The A-pillar under the plastic cover is dry, and it doesn't run down the side wall. Spraying at the bottom of the windscreen and filling the plenum does result in water coming in on the passenger side. It drips down around the heater fan. It seems to me that the plenum fills up and it leaks in behind the bit above near the bolt on the top right of the next pic. At first I thought it was that middle bolt but the water level seems to stay above that. The plenum drain hole appears to be clear.

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I need to spend a bit of time just confirming things. I couldn't get water to come into the drivers footwell with the hose. From the look of it, it might be the door seals. It wasn't as wet nor as rusty as the passenger side.

It's all way more than I'd hoped to do, but best to get it right. I'm still having fun too. Incidentally, my kid locked the doors with the central locking and I tried to open the rear (boot) door with the door locked. Now I can't open it at all, inside or out with the lock open. Any tips on this? I imagine it's going to involve pulling the skin off the back. Annoying because the back is full of front seats etc!

I assume you've tried locking and unlocking it with the remote?
Is there an unlock button on the inside of the door?

Re the underlay, I recommend you replace the underlay with a waterproof insulation.
If you search 'Car Builders' you will find an insulation product which is waterproof and may be called '4WD Insulation'. I recommend you buy a couple of boxes and use it to replace the original insulation, which holds water.
When you install it, cut it into sections for easy future removal.
Also recommend you use rust converter and then paint the floor with paint with rust proofing. I got it from Bunnings. This will keep the floor okay for several years.
Maintenance now will pay off later.