Not only Rovers that leak...
 

The advantages of moving from my beloved Rover to my Insignia are clear – no more wheelbarrows of money every month, and the automatic gearbox I’ve wanted for a long time.


One of the major disadvantages, however, is the quality of the supporting forums… sadly this kind of car seems to attract – shall we say – a more juvenile subscriber. So, for example, when I posted today that I’d found a pool of water under a seat, the response I got was “Did you pi55 yourself!”


So… back temporarily in grown-up territory… although the Vauxhall is 9 years old, it was in storage for years after its owner died, and has only 13,000 miles covered, so it hasn’t done much living – mostly it’s like a new car.


Today I was fishing under the front passenger seat for something, and found a pool of water (there’s a kind of depression in the floor below where the warm air outlet is, and it was full of water. The carpet is soaked all around it too, though the foot wells and everywhere else seem dry.


Like the Rovers, these cars are known for some leaky areas – but every post I could find everywhere concerned the boot, rear foot wells, or occasionally the front ones, which are all dry. It doesn't have a sunroof.


Any ideas chaps? Hard to tell for sure with the centre console in place, but there doesn't seem to be a water trail up to the matrix or anything… and wouldn't it smell anyway?


Thanks :D

“Fishing for something” usually requires some water, now you need to determine if it’s rainwater or coolant.

I use a 30% mix and I can’t say it smells that much, although neat anti-freeze certainly does. Could you soak some up with a sponge and test with an anti-freeze tester? Or rub some between your finger & thumb, greasy will mean anti-freeze.

The warm air outlet suggests it could be matrix related, but haven’t a clue as to why it should just be localised to just that area, nothing under your driver’s seat?

Sorry know nothing about Vauxhalls/Opels, other than the Insignia was badged under many different names, eg Buick Regal. Perhaps try an Opel forum.

Good hunting, (or perhaps fishing :})

Yeah… if only I’d had your post before soaking most of it up with tissues :duh:


I’d say, when I squeeze the tissues, maybe my fingers feel sticky rather than greasy- same thing maybe :shrug:


Well I poked some kitchen roll up the air outlet, and it was dry – but maybe it had dried up since this afternoon, who knows. There is absolutely nothing on the driver’s side equivalent – having to make assumptions here, as I don’t know a lot about these things, but I’d have thought the left and right hand outlets would join at some point further up, and wet both sides to the car

I guess it’ll end up at the mechanic’s – I run out of ability/enthusiasm fairly quickly these days :o

Thanks Mike

My son's BMW, coupe, leaks and fills the battery compartment , so has to use a cover during damp times.
Did this before we got it, corroded the pass through battery cables and completely immobilized the car, this included the electric boot lock., so could not get in the car at all .

Wondrous design..:duh:

Is the coolant level in the expansion tank low? That'll tell you whether the matrix is leaking or not.

From what I can remember, my Beemers had their batteries in the boot... was his the same? I'd kind of understand it better if it WAS my boot, but there's just no obvious route for water to get to where I'm finding it :shrug:



Talk about the bleedin' obvious which only occurred to me in the early hours of the morning! Header tank looks pretty full. Another thing I noticed is that the coolant is bright pink in colour, and when I soak some of this stuff up with a tissue, it isn't...


Had another thought then... I remember reading years ago about a child dying after drinking antifreeze because it apparently tastes very sweet, so I did.


Tastes like water to me :shrug:

Possibly air conditioning drain clogged, and overflowing to somewhere it shouldn’t?
I can’t imagine it would create “pools of water” but yah never know.


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All suggestions welcome! I've just discovered there is supposed to be a big rubber bung under the car somewhere near that point... will try and lift the car a bit later and peer underneath to see if there's a gaping hole :eek:

Does it have a sunroof?

Nope. Oh, apparently that message is too short, so I can't post it. Nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.