Where to get vehicle carpets dried in Wellington?

[treone 645]

Over the weekend I got water into my second car. It was parked on a slight incline with the nose up and water has pooled in the rear footwells. Worst is passenger side but both sides are water looged. I have removed about 2l of water so far. Also the front are damp.

I think I've found the cause - two missing bungs in the lower a-pillar by the doors!

So I now need to get them dried and cleaned. Does anyone know where to go or have any recommendations (good pricing would be even better!)? Is this a specialist thing or something car groomers can handle?

A quick google and Chemdry seems to be an option - any thoughts?

Thanks in advance and cheers.

[gjm 3258]

I have a similar problem with our Mercedes - sunroof drains blocked, perhaps, or something like that.

Got most of the water out, And have lifted the carpet in the rear as much as possible. Then using a hair dryer on a low setting for a few hours, pointing under the carpet.

Biggest issue is the foam backing to the carpet. Great for noise deadening, even better for soaking up and holding large quantities of water.

[HaNs 226]

Chuck a dehumidifier in the car for a few days

[melowpuf 19]

Insurance? A huge downpour and lots of malting trees in a big storm a few months ago saw the death of my E34 touring.. Filled the drain passages with the fur/berry stuff from the trees and overflowed into the ecu box and through in to the drivers foot well. Surprise surprise it wasnt the double sunroof leaking which was my initial suspicion. Opened the bonnet and saw the ecu box swimming. Opened the "sealed box" and the ecu's were under water.

Rang insurance as the ecu's got all jiggery pokeried and didnt want to work. I could have easily replaced them myself but my concern was further issues down the track with wiring looms. Further discussions with Glenn scared me further as there may have been airbag wiring looms and what nots that go under the carpets.

Insurance came with a tow truck and 4 hours later rang me to say it was a write off. Payout was in my account later that evening.

I have never seen an E34 die like this, ecu's swimming under water, and I have dismantled many many many of these over the years.

Maybe an option? depends if it was a sudden or gradual filling (mine was definitely linked to the storm the day before).

Edited May 31, 2016 by melowpuf

[treone 645]

Thanks for the practical suggestions. Done some basic enquiries today and dehumidifying is the most common advice I get.

Interior removal (expensive!) and removing the carpet is also popular but expensive!

Am game to attempt an interior removal but as its a later model car with integrated safety systems and possible recoding of car if battery is discounted is a bit beyond my confidence level. And unfortunately I require a sizeable garage to do get under cover and dehumidify over a few days. My garage can only just fit the car but can't fully open doors etc.

Thanks Melowpuf for the insurance insight - I've also considered this as an option and insurance options is becoming a probability.

Cheers!

[gjm 3258]

I've been looking at dehumidifiers for the car. The usual house ones are a little impractical at 10L capacity - they're just too big.

Bunnings list a 'baby' dehumidifer at 2L - http://www.bunnings.co.nz/arlec-dehumidifier-2l_p00222078

The dessicant based systems would be nice but they are also quite large and at upwards of $350 they're aren't cheap.

[treone 645]

That seems to be a good cost effective option - will have to go check out the local Bunnings store...

[skidz 197]

Take the carpets out and take them to ChemDry - it is the only effective way to do it.

[keen 6]

Over the weekend I got water into my second car. It was parked on a slight incline with the nose up and water has pooled in the rear footwells. Worst is passenger side but both sides are water looged. I have removed about 2l of water so far. Also the front are damp.

I think I've found the cause - two missing bungs in the lower a-pillar by the doors!

So I now need to get them dried and cleaned. Does anyone know where to go or have any recommendations (good pricing would be even better!)? Is this a specialist thing or something car groomers can handle?

A quick google and Chemdry seems to be an option - any thoughts?

Thanks in advance and cheers.

I had a car get caught up in a flash flood in a street the water just got over the foot well but it was deep in the floor, I worked straight away with towels till the main volume was gone and just the mats were wet then I got the house dehumidifier set it up on the back seat and carefully closed the door till the power lead was not jammed in and left it for 4 days emptying the fluid container as required and it did the job well, I was pleasantly surprised.

[Olaf 3309]

Hi Greg

suggest you try the following.... get a wet-vac. hire a rug doctor from the supermarket, including the upholstery attachment. Use this to suck as much of the moisture out of the carpet as you can. You could take the opportunity to use chems to clean the carpets while you're at it.

Hire a dehumidifier from somewhere like HirePool or Projex. They usually have a few different models. lash up an extension to the hose that outputs the condensate and feed it out of the car - needs to flow downhill.

With the carpets vacuumed, and a good dehumidifier in place I would expect the car to be pretty well dried out after a day or so.

Once it's good and dry, then you could look at removing interior, etc etc... I can't think of the benefit of removing them while they're wet, heavy, and likely to get out of shape. I'd be looking at electrical connectors, moisture repellent, contact enhancer etc.

Was it an e36?

[treone 645]

Cheers Olaf. I think I will be busy for a few days

Just have to ensure that I've got the source of the leak first - so lucky that sunshine is forecast for the long weekend to start the process of drying out the tops.

Not an E36 but the E60 . And it seems to come down to $2 bungs arrrggh! Not that local BMW know how to source them! But that's another story lol.

Will also be checking the other common leak areas - sunroof drain pipes, doors etc

[Olaf 3309]

oh. e60? I know little; have heard they do flood, that there are a number of control modules in the low-point of the floor round the back seat area, below sound deadening and carpet. e.g. - if the water's found its way in there they could be drowned. Here's hoping you're not in trouble.

I think the guys at Page European have been seeing this happening on e60's, you might want to enlist their help. Here's hoping your electronics are intact. Let us know how you get on, Greg!

[Olaf 3309]

hey Greg, got an update?