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[addy]

Behind the glove box area, there is lots of stuff hiding the scuttle wall area.  That is one of the reasons, I removed the pollen filter housing. It is awkward getting to the nuts, but they aren't overly tight. For the time taken, trying to fight around the area inside, taking off the housing meant, I could get to the whole scuttle area, inside the engine bay. Allowing the cleaning and sorting of any rust problems. Then seam sealed and repainting of the area.

[johnnydog]

It was suggested when this subject was discussed in a previous topic, that the housing couldn't be removed without excessive dismantling from inside the car as the housing was installed on the bodyshell before the majority of trim was added.
addy  - you didn't happen to take any photos of your removal of the housing? Or can you post where these mounting bolts are located as I may need to address this issue on one of my cars.
Any pointers gratefully recieved!

[addy]

Hi Johnnydog

Sorry I only have ones where the housing is removed.  This was on a 1995 Omega, but I cannot see it being any different on the later models. 

There are three small flange nuts, inside the car. As looking at the housing behind the glove box, you should be able to see them once the glovebox is removed. I also took the piece of trim out under the glove box, for more access. It fits into some plastic clips fitted to the bulkhead. I didn't have to remove anything else. The nuts are a flange type and a size 10 spanner if I remember correctly, I used a small ring spanner for ease of access. Then a long socket to finish them by hand. One of the bolts that is molded into the housing, was just turning on mine. So once I got the other two nuts undone, I gently prised the housing off the bolt. When refitting, I used some seam sealer around the, foam gasket on the housing and pushed some into, the hole where the bolt that had come out went. The nuts were done up to where they felt tight, then just a little bit more. I didn't overtighten incase the other bolts decided to start turning. Once it was all tightened back up it has not leaked. Hope this helps.

If you use this photo looking in the engine bay side of the scuttle, where the housing has been removed as a reference. You should be able to see roughly where the nuts are inside the car. It wasn't a hard job, just a bit fiddly especially the top one.



The housing off the car, showing the captured bolts. And the hole where the other one, that was turning was meant to be.

[TheBoy]

In my case, which I knew didn't have to last another 20yrs, I cleaned up the area, fabricated a bit of thin aluminium sheet to the right size and shape, put a m6 nut and bolt through the middle, silaflexed it all, and attached it to the pollen filter side, using the m6 stud to pull it in place from footwell side.

That was 2 or 3 years ago, AFAIK its still water tight.

[robson]

Thanks The Boy Excuse my ignorance but could you give me a bit more info like what needs to be dismantled to achieve your repair method.Shame to get rid of a car for such a small but important problem.

[TheBoy]

Thanks The Boy Excuse my ignorance but could you give me a bit more info like what needs to be dismantled to achieve your repair method.Shame to get rid of a car for such a small but important problem.

Firstly, have you proven that's were the water leak is?

My method just involved the card bit above passenger footwell, the plastic kick panels, and peeling carpet back.

If you have a lot of water in the car, peeling back to the wiring loom across the bottom of footwell is needed to use a wet and dry hoover to suck the water up - it can hold quite a lot!

[robson]

No I am not sure that the water is from here but knowing how far you went with stripping gives me an idea where to start. I did have the problem of a blocked pollen filter area some years ago so am very careful to make sure that it is not blocked in any way.I therefore know that a lot of water can be present under the carpet etc.My coolant level is not reducing so I can only  think that it is corrosion at the base of the scuttle drain area.

[Doctor Gollum]

And the only way to verify that is to strip it down to check.

[johnnydog]

Thanks addy - very helpful reply and much appreciated

[Rangie]

Awful problem water ingress never had it in any of my Vauxhall's, but every Ford I've owned leaked badly would never buy another, hope you get it sorted successfully.

[cam.in.head]

they can leak around the windscreen if the seal between it has started to lift or wasnt done 100% if it has ever had a windscreen replacement.by this i mean the glue not the trim. mine had a small gap down one side which was visible with a hosepipe and the pillar trim removed.
there can also be rust issues which can hapoen mainly along the lower edge .this strip is known to rust due to the route the water takes over it especially if the lower trim/seal is displaced.
when i had my new windscreen fitted they said some of the glue was unbonded doen the side and across the bottom.not saying this is yours but it can leak there.

[Valentin]

Hi there,

Yesterday we had a very violent and massive rainfall in the Nantes area. After 10 minutes with the wipers at full speed, I realized the windscreen was suddenly very foggy. Then I switched on the AC to full windscreen, which solved the issue, until I decreased the fan speed, but the fan didn't respond. In fact, all the AC system never responded to any action on the control panel, even if I switched it off, it was still blowing air at full speed. Then... I saw that the carpet on passenger side began to be wet !

After switching off the car, the AC fan stopped. I took a look at where the water came from, and there were drops on the plastic panel just under the glove box. Not in the air ducts, just on the corner near the central tunnel.

I inspected on the engine bay side, and found out the famous blocked drain in the scuttle just under the cabin filter. But all the junctions between the scuttle and the bulkhead are totally rust free. Do you think the level of water was so high that water entered the fan's duct ?

After 2 hours waiting in the sun, the AC restarted and was totally fine. I hope the water didn't damaged or corroded any electronic component 

I will make further investigation by removing the carpet and cleaning all the scuttle area, and put pictures here 

[Doctor Gollum]

That the fan stopped suggests that either the motor or resistor got wet.

And if the windscreen got wet inside, then you had water at least into the pollen filter.

Check very carefully as the carpet can feel dry on top but the foam underneath can easily hold several litres of water underneath.

[Valentin]

Okay I managed to free the clogged drain yesterday, it comes out in the wheel arch and it's easy to reach with a screwdriver to take out all of the dirt inside.
The cabin filter was totally wet, then I removed the filter holder to have more space

There were living organisms in there






After cleaning I poured 2 liters of clear water and the drain is totally cleaned, the flow is large, 3 or 4 seconds for 1 liter.
No rust on the junctions areas


I dried the inside as much as I could, removed the glovebox, peeled out the carpet, the black insulation underneath the carpet was not very wet. As you said, the foam on the junction floor/transmission tunnel was soaked in water, not easy to dry. Then I tried to reach the bulkhead to check any rust. I guess everything is spotless here.


I think you're right, water came inside the fan and ducts, I found some dry drop marks on the foot ducts edges.