Wet Driver's Mat With Air Conditioning On

[sparrow2]

I have had my 59 registration IQ3 from new and driven it about 40,000 miles and it has given me very little trouble until now.

In December I found the mat in the driver's foot well to be damp. To be precise there were two round rings of dampness on the mat and underneath the mat the carpet was wet for an area of a few inches. I booked the car in to the dealer, switched the air conditioning off (up to now I have always kept it on) and each evening put a towel and a weight where the dampness was. By the time I took it to the dealer the dampness had practically gone. They gave me a lovely Aygo to drive (though a bit noisier than my IQ3 I thought) and had the car for four working days but were unable to find anything wrong! I have driven the IQ3 for about 3 hours in 2 days with the air conditioning on again and I can see a small spot of dampness again! I attach a photograph. What is my best course of action? I have extended the warranty of the vehicle.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Have a look at post 28 of the following topic - http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/152715-water-in-footwells/page-3

If you don't wish to do this yourself especially as the car has an extended warranty, show a copy to your service department and ask them to consider whether your car has the same issue. It is a fix that seems to have worked for others.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Whilst you're down there, has the cabin air filter been changed? It's on the passenger side behind the center console. It's a bu**er to get at and is often forgotten for that reason. Once you find it by your fingers it's an easy job to remove, check and replace if required.

I doubt the cabin filter is causing any issues that you are experiencing, it's just good to check it's not blocked or mouldy.

[sparrow2]

Have a look at post 28 of the following topic - http://www.toyotaownersclub.com/forums/topic/152715-water-in-footwells/page-3

If you don't wish to do this yourself especially as the car has an extended warranty, show a copy to your service department and ask them to consider whether your car has the same issue. It is a fix that seems to have worked for others.

Thank you, I have written a mildly worded letter of complaint to the service department and quoted this. In the meantime I am putting a tray over the damp spot whenever I park the car - I want to see if I catch any drips!

[sparrow2]

Whilst you're down there, has the cabin air filter been changed? It's on the passenger side behind the center console. It's a bu**er to get at and is often forgotten for that reason. Once you find it by your fingers it's an easy job to remove, check and replace if required.

I doubt the cabin filter is causing any issues that you are experiencing, it's just good to check it's not blocked or mouldy.

Thank you. I will see if I can get this out. It is supposed to be something an owner can look at - it is mentioned in the manual. However I have a service contract on the car and it is serviced each year. According to the schedule I should get a new one every two years!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Should ;)

It's a part that appears to get missed. It is easy to DIY and you could at least check it to make sure it has been changed.

[sparrow2]

I had a look at the "Air conditioning filter" today. I studied the picture on page 331 of my "Owner's manual" trying to relate it to inside the car quite a while to figure out what to do. However once you have figured it out it is quite easy. The key point to understand is that the filter is aligned across the car and behind the centre console. The filter came out together with lots of dried leaves many of which went over the passenger mat. However other than that it did not look too bad. I show pictures of either side of it. According to my service record it should have been changed on 19/11/13 and inspected on 19/11/14 and I find no reason to disbelieve this. I cleaned it as much as I could by blowing on it and decided to investigate whether I can get a relatively cheap air gun to blow air at 72 psi for 2 minutes next time as it recommended in the "Owner's manual". Although it did not look too bad I decided that, in view of the number of dried leaves that came out with it, it was well worth cleaning several times between services.

As an update on what has happened since I wrote my letter of complaint, the garage phoned when they received it and insisted they had thoroughly tested it in their workshop and found no fault. We agreed that I should monitor the situation for a bit. The large patch of dampness that appeared after 3 hours of operation in two days has now shrunk to a very small circle of dampness. I keep a tray there whenever I park the car and have not yet found any drips in it. However I have only made short trips since doing this. I am wondering whether a long trip is required to make the problem occur.

[craggle]

That filter is filthy and needs changing, it will be the original one for the car, they are very rarely checked on services.

New filters can be got on eBay for less than £15, A hell of a lot cheaper than a air compressor to blow air through it. I change my one every couple of years now, They are so cheap it's easier just to pull it out and slide a new one in it's place.

The tray is not going to catch any drips as the leak will not be a drip, it will be coming in under the carpets and soaking upwards.

Craig.

[sparrow2]

Thank you. I shall stop by in the dealership tomorrow on the way to work and see what they have to say about this! I have a service contract with the car and if this has not been changed as per specification I deserve a refund! Moreover I have already written in a letter of complaint that once the problem is identified and fixed I expect the carpet and any underlay to be replaced since I have kept up the guarantee!

As an update to what has happened the spot was completely dry this morning. My wife and I drove to the seaside (90 minutes) and it was still dry when we got there. Whilst the car was parked no drips occurred into the tray. However driving back some light rain occurred and on inspection when we got home the damp spot had reappeared!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

That filter is disgusting and unless you live in a very smokey area next to a bus depot or power station, I doubt very much it was replaced 2 months ago! Especially considering dried leaves fell out.

Don't worry, it is often forgotten in the IQ but I hope they didn't charge you! You might consider getting one off eBay or your local autofactors as Toyota dealers want to charge £40 for one. I changed Mrs Cabbies for about £10 inc p&p off eBay. Works a treat and made a big difference to the freshness in the cabin. Her old one had some mould on it.

[sparrow2]

Thank you. I have a service contract. They insisted that it was cheaper that way. However they never itemise exactly what they do. Never the less it specifically states that it should be changed on a full service and inspected on an interim one in the service book. I shall be insisting on them fitting a new one free of charge tomorrow and refunding me for the one they did not fit in the past!

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Well it could have been there 10k miles if you live or drive in a city. On my Prius they're meant to be changed every 20k miles, but because I originally used the car as a taxi it was in town a lot and I'd change the cabin filter every 10k. Some times it would be black at 10k, though maybe not as bad as yours.

I thought you said yours was changed in November 2014 and I doubt it was. If it was November 2013, then fine. It's surprising how much crud is in the air; sucking up all the exhaust from that bus in front of you at the lights.

I bet you'll be checking it every time now. I've always manually checked mine since I bought a second hand Mondeo 20 years ago. There was always a musty smell despite it having a full service history. When I checked the cabin filter (a real hard to get at one in the engine bay) it was crammed with all sorts including moss!

Always check it myself now as dealers often seem to 'forget'.

[sparrow2]

Thank you. When I go to the dealership tomorrow I will just ask them whether they changed it in November 2013 and not positively assert they did not. In all events I think I have now discovered what causes the damp sport in the front carpet to appear - it is a long run in damp weather.

[sparrow2]

I went to the dealership this morning and showed them the damp spot and the photographs of the air conditioning filter. They have given me some special paper to put under the mat when I park the car which should identify for sure whether the leak is coming from below or above. With regards to the filter although they agree my service book clearly states it should be replaced on a full service their service sheets only state it should be inspected. They said that, in fact, it was not too bad. Never the less they have given me a new one free of charge as a goodwill gesture.

[tarquin]

Hi sparrow 2

Its all down to wether you have a car that is before 10 plate. In the service book on my 59 plate it says that it is changed on a full service and is part of the service contract. But on later models Toyota changed the service book to say that they will change the filter but at cost to the customer. Thats why a new service sheet you get when a service has been done show inspected only

David

[sparrow2]

Thank you. This all makes sense now. At my next full service (next December) I will show my service book which explicitly states that it should be changed and see whether they change if for me free. I have a service contract and pay a little each month for my servicing - they told me it was cheaper that way. The question is does the contract entitle you to what is printed in your service book or to what Toyota subsequently recommend? I actually already indirectly asked this question when I complained and they gave me a new air conditioning filter as a good will gesture - which tends to indicate they may not do it in the future.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

They normally try and charge £40 for a new filter! You can buy non Toyota filters of various qualities for much less than that and fit it yourself.

[sparrow2]

There was an article on page 9 of the Driving supplement of the Sunday Times today about air conditioning filters. It listed their benefits but implied you only get these benefits if they are changed each year or 12,000 to 15,000 miles.

I changed mine yesterday. My wife and I drove to London this morning (an hour's drive). My wife said she did not have to blow her nose in the vehicle as she usually does. Normally when we come back from London in the late afternoon I start to get a little sleepy which I cure by chewing some chewing gum. However today I did not need any as I never started to feel at all sleepy.

It was raining a little when we drove to London. My mat and carpet were dry when we started but the same circular damp patch as in the photograph I showed earlier was there when we finished. However there was not water on my trousers or shoes. I think the water is coming from below. Initially the fact that the marks were circular made both me and the garage think the water was dripping down. I shall drop in at the garage this week and report my findings. Basically the marks dry out on short journeys in the week but reappears after a long wet journey at the weekend. Hopefully the garage will eventually sort the problem out with a little diagnostic help from me.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Probably a blocked a/c drain plug which has backed up and leaking. Easy fix - assuming you can get to the plug.

[sparrow2]

Well the problem certainly very mysterious. The garage had the car for 4 working days and could not find the fault. I dropped by today to discuss the matter. I mentioned the air conditioning drain tube that has been mentioned elsewhere and they agreed that they had seen a few IQs with that problem - but it was the passenger's mat that had got wet and not the driver's mat. They would look at the problem again but thought it best not quite yet. They said it may be difficult to replicate a problem that only occurs after an hour's drive in the rain. I will mention the plug you refer to next time I go there but I had previously been assured they had thoroughly checked the air conditioning was all working normally. I inquired whether any expensive electronic equipment might be damaged but they said such a small damp area should not be a problem in that respect. So I shall just continue to monitor the situation for a bit.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Hmmm. Does your rear washer work? Does the damp patch smell or is it just plain water? You don't have a bottle of water trapped under a seat that's leaking every now and then? Are there any damp patches on the headlining near the windscreen? Check both sides as water can find a level.

Have you added any hands free kits, sat navs, dash cams or otherwise tinkered with the wiring around the windscreen? Sometimes condensation can gather on the wires which may be touching the cold glass and then drip down - big long shot, but struggling to think what else it could be. Any damage to your drivers side mirror? Is the rubber around your drivers door ok or has any been damaged or kicked off?

[sparrow2]

Thank you. I checked all your points. The rear washer works fine. The damp patch does not smell yet. I have checked under the seat for bottles and there are none. The headlining looks fine. I have never fitted anything additional. The driver's side mirror is fine. I have looked at the rubber around the driver's door. It all looks in good condition.

So it is still a mystery.

Someone phoned from the garage and asked how things were going. I explained that at the moment there is a small damp patch (shown in my initial photograph) which appears when I drive in the rain and then dries out when it is not raining. We decided it would be best to monitor the situation a little longer. In particular we initially suspected the air conditioning but we are now thinking that may be a red herring. I shall see what happens if I drive it in the rain with the air conditioning off. However eventually it will be booked into the garage for them to have another look.

I should not be too concerned. They have only had the car four working days. My previous car (a big Audi) eventually had a very wet carpet after I had stopped the guarantee. It took the dealership 14 days to fix the problem and they charged me £1700 - though that included replacing all the carpet. It was a sun roof drain tube which had disconnected. I vowed never to have a car with a sun roof again. This car has not got a sun roof and I still have a problem! At least I have kept up the guarantee on this one.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Any missing grommets under the car? Do you park on a slope?

[sparrow2]

Thank you. I had a good look yesterday both under the car and with the bonnet up at the interior bulkhead and could see no obvious sign of missing grommets. However the ground clearance quite small and the engine bay very packed and it was difficult to see clearly. To do a thorough examination the car needs to go up on a ramp and I am not going to attempt that myself. Next time I book it into the garage I will mention this though. The car is normally parked on a very slight slope with the nose lower.

I think I may have had a break though. Yesterday was the first day I washed the car after it had come back from the garage. I am pretty certain they had washed it before they returned it because it was quite clean when I picked it up. I checked whether there was a damp spot as in my first picture before I started. There was not. As I have done for years without any problems before with any cars I have owned I hosed the car down to loosen the dirt, washed it by hand with a little car shampoo mixed in a bucket of water using a wash mitten, rinsed it with a hose to get rid of the shampoo and then dried it with a chamois leather rinsed out occasionally in a bucket of clean water. There was no damp spot when I had finished. Unusually I then parked the car overnight in the garage because my wife was still out shopping in hers (which usually goes in the garage). This morning when I checked the carpet the damp spot was there! I will see if this happens next time I wash it.

The basic problem I have is that the car has been four working days at the garage and they say they cannot reproduce the problem. If to reproduce the problem consistently all you have to do is wash it and leave it overnight I think they will be able to reproduce the problem the next time they have it. Once they have reproduced the problem I believe there will be no problem. Funds will be available from the insurance company to investigate properly. They will be able to take the carpet up and then see exactly where the water is coming in! To be fair to the garage I believe in their previous investigation they were concentrating on the air-conditioning which may be a red herring.

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Is it as simple as snow on your shoes that's melted?