[2004 V70] Awful passenger footwell leak, no grommet like XC70!

[crimsonv70]

Hi everyone,
I was hoping to get some guidance on a repair for a really bad leak in my car and hopefully document more of this common issue. I've done a lot of interior upgrades and have posted guides online to help people out, but I've never had to deal with something like this.

My car was parked on the sidewalk for a week during the storm and the entire carpet got flooded. Apparently this is a common problem, due to a pretty bad design flaw (according to research and YouTube videos).
From what I understand the problem arises from 2 common issues:

1. bad seal around the air intake under the windshield cowl

2. bad grommet (right angle rubber outlet) which channels water from the sunroof out to the firewall via a small tube.

I took a look at my sunroof and it definitely looks clogged, I tried pouring water and nothing came out:
http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/organ ... sort=3&o=9
http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/organ ... sort=3&o=1

The left side looks much better:
http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/organ ... sort=3&o=6

However, unlike all the videos I've been finding online, I do not have a rubber grommet to help the water exit the firewall. Even worse, the tube for the sunroof drain is not clear, so I can't see where it's clogged
http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/organ ... sort=3&o=8
http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/organ ... sort=3&o=4

I can't get to the exit of the tube without disassembling the entire dash, as far as I can tell. oh mannn I don't want to do that. The water does seem to be trapped in the top, for right now though.

So here are my questions for you wise Volvo owners:
1. Does anyone know of a guide for V70 (not XC70) for this kind of repair?
2. Do I need to take out the dash?
3. Has anyone tried forcing the water out through a pump? I was thinking of buying an aquarium pump to rig something up...
4. Are there any other known locations for this kind of leak to come in?

I already tore out all of the carpet (when I put it back in I'll be making a video guide for how to do this correctly, since the ones I found on YouTube are actually incorrect) but obviously I'd like to fix the leak before putting a new carpet in...

Thanks for your help!

[abscate]

There is an upgrade to the dash water grommet on the 2004 and earlier P2 models, check your VIN at the dealer to see if your car has been done. The warranty period usually expires 10 years from the TSB date, but sometimes you can talk them out of the free parts.

Unplug your sunroof drains with a stiff wire or plastic rod. Plan on doing this once or twice a year if you park near trees

[crimsonv70]

Ah, thanks for the info. Do you think the previous owner might have done the upgrade early on?

[oragex]

Unplug your sunroof drains with a stiff wire or plastic rod. Plan on doing this once or twice a year if you park near trees

It also happens just from rain, in particular in large cities, where the rain picks up the dust from the air, and this dirt leaks past the glass seal into the drains and clogs them. Happened to me, I was careful not to park near trees or to leave the sunroof open, still where I live there is a lot of dust and got the drains clogged this way. A good way to know this, is when the car windows look dirty/dusty right after a heavy rain.

[crimsonv70]

Hey thanks so much for the advice!! Still working on this and will report back when done

[crimsonv70]

Hey thanks so much for the advice!! Still working on this and will report back when done

[oragex]

I have a few videos on my channel see link in the signature. For the sunroof drains, its easy to feel if the roof liner is wet near the handles. Fun fact, the XC90 has those plastic drain tubes twice as large, less chances to get clogged. It iis good to pull and let the carpets dry only once you fix the issue - usually both front and rear ones get wet (I filled some expandable foam between the seats to stop the water travelling to the rear if it gets wet again)

[crimsonv70]

Hey thanks so much for the advice!! Still working on this and will report back when done

not that any one is deeply invested here after 7 years, but I did fix this a while back! I really love this forum and you guys are so nice to help!

The carpet was reaally toast. Days of bleaching and laying out in the sun did nothing. It was left soaked for days, maybe weeks when it was in the car and it was just done for. Pretty sad.

I ended up going to the auto yard and pulling all the carpet from a junked car. It was tan, and not quite a perfect match, but close enough. I was lucky to find one without bad stains n stuff.

Replacing carpet is a real job. Both seats need to come out as well as the plastic for the center console.
I used the trick of adding a cutout plastic cleaner tube cut in half to line the air intake under the windshield cowl. This was the culprit, sadly. The drainage holes under the cowl just get clogged with leaves and then it fills up and floods everything. Yikes!

If your car is parked out in storms, I highly suggest to inspect this every few years. Remove the cowl with the black push clips, remove windshield wipers, and check drainage holes on the sides. Dont get in the mess that I got, if you can help it!

[DavidE7]

The plastic channel at the base of the windshield leaks if it isn't tight and sealed onto the windshield. The factory windshield fits very tight when the channel has been cleaned from the 20+ years of dust and dirt accumulation. The channel doesn't fit tight on any of the 4 aftermarket windshields on the Volvos below. I sealed the channel to the windshields with clear silicone and eliminated leaks through the HVAC inlet.