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Wet Carpet Passenger Side

45K views 50 replies 23 participants last post by  mike.parks 
#1 ·
I had my oil changed at the dealer several days ago and had the radiator fluid flushed and replaced. I began to notice a swishing gurgling sound when I stopped. Tonight I discovered a very wet area underneath the dashboard on the passenger side. I haven't had time to look around yet, but any ideas on what this this could be would be appreciated. Thanks
 
#3 ·
I just went out and dabbed the carpet with a paper towel and it is clear and has no odor. But the water I hear swishing around is apparently underneath the carpet. It has been raining here the last few days and earlier it was raining pretty hard, so I will check it out come daylight.
 
#5 ·
For what it's worth, the carpet sits on a foam insulation block. The floor pan will hold several gallons of liquid; it'll never evaporate. If you pull the seat and some trim you can lift the carpet to get to whatever is sloshing. Leave the carpet propped up and you'll be dry by February.
 
#6 ·
Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I just took a first look and I have a small lake underneath my passenger seat(the sloshing I heard). The carpet under the dash feels only slightly wet. I am now going to wet vac the water out. I took a quick look this morning for the evaporator hose and did not see it, but I will look for it after I wet vac everything. I will get back to y'all, many thanks, and off I go looking for the wet vac.
 
#50 ·
Thanks for the replies gentlemen. I just took a first look and I have a small lake underneath my passenger seat(the sloshing I heard). The carpet under the dash feels only slightly wet. I am now going to wet vac the water out. I took a quick look this morning for the evaporator hose and did not see it, but I will look for it after I wet vac everything. I will get back to y'all, many thanks, and off I go looking for the wet vac.
Underneath the tream that covers windshield whippers their is two drain hole ,should be one on each far side ...they get clogged and they should be a good size opening like on the fire wall side ,where air comes through....if clogged and it holds enough water to go in at the opening, you'll have lot of water in floor boards and behind dash ,the sloshing noice , it happened to my wife's car ...
 
#7 · (Edited)
Yup, you are right. The wet vac cannot get under the seat and repeated dabbing with towels does not look like it will get it out(although I have removed about 3/4 of a gallon). And worse, it looks like it is going to rain. Thanks for the Response.
 
#8 ·
I just removed the front seat, foam and the trim and lifted the carpet. There was about 2" of water sloshing around. I have almost got it all out. I have my eye on what looks like a plastic grommet on the floorboard but it does not appear to be removable. Now, first order of business, find the evaporator hose and clean it(anybody know the easiest way to it?). Thanks to all for your replies.
 
#10 · (Edited)
Yes, it did seem like a lot of water. And the carpet below the dash would be very wet, which it is not. One other possibility I will have to investigate is the automatic car wash I go through. It dumps a huge amount of water(under pressure) on the car. I have often been concerned of it blowing one of my seals. I have looked and don't see any blown seals at present so I will have to keep looking. Since I have everything sopped up, I might take it to the car wash and see if I can locate any leakage.

Edit: Nope, not the car wash and its been raining the last several days. Its beginning to look more and more like the evaporator hose. I'll have to take it somewhere to get it up in the air.
 
#11 · (Edited)
One more thing I forgot to mention. While I was at the dealership, I had the console trimmed on the driver side according to the recall. I now notice a hose on the other side of the console under the carpet going into the floor. It is quite wet in this area. I cannot see where the hose is coming from but believe it is the evaporator hose. Any ideas?
 
#12 · (Edited)
I am currently trying to get the console out so I can remove the part of the console that was trimmed. I have removed the screws and retainers but something is still holding it in. At first, tt appeared that it was the evaporator drain causing the leak, but when it rained last night, it flooded the floor again. When the weather gets better I will try to clear the drain from the bottom, but for now I would like to see where it is coming from and the cause. Any ideas on the console removal would be appreciated.

Also, I will be checking inside the cowl area to see if leaves have stopped it up. Starting to look like that may be a possibility.
 
#14 · (Edited)
After removing the cowl, I looked about 6 inches under the cowl, on the firewall, what looked like the evaporator pipes or heater core pipes sticking out of the firewall. It appears that there is a torn piece of material or plastic that covers it. I am not able to get my hand in there to do anything but it appears that it would create a leak. And, there is a small amount of mushy dirt around the drain holes that drain into the fender. I'll clean that up and hope for the best.
 
#15 · (Edited)
There was a small amount of silt around both drains. It did not look like it would cause a pileup of water but there was dampness in the air inlet, so I am hoping this is it. It appears the silt was caused by oak tree pollen and leaves that worked its way down toward the 1 1/2" square hole in the fender, that serves as the drain.


Thanks again to everyone for their advice.
 
#16 ·
Ok, so I just had this issue on a 2013 Versa Sedan and have a few tips...Checking and clearing A/C condenser (evaporator) tube is always a good idea. Use an air compressor blower nozzle to blow out any blockage. Best to do this from the interior. Remove glove box to get access to the tube, disconnect and blow air through it. To remove existing water under carpet first located drain tube near passenger from wheel. It is seated by a rubber boot you can wiggle free allowing water on the floor board to drain faster. Peel up plastic door trim on passenger side and in my case driver side (had 5 gallons of water lol). Park on hill or incline vehicle with front lower. Use shop vac with micro cleaning nozzle to suck up water that pools on edges of floor under carpet.

The real culprit like this poster found was the cowl drain was plugged. To clean you have to remove cowl by windshield. There are youtube videos but basically start by removing wipers then 5 clips. Once that is off you will find drains that go to fenders on both passenger and driver ends. Mine had mud like blockages. Recent heavy rain could not flow out and instead went into passenger compartment through the cabin air intake. Clean the drain holes well and pour some water in to be sure it flows out through fender behind front wheels. Reinstall cowl and wipers. SOLVED.

To dry out the carpets parking in sun with floor heater on high with windows cracked helps. But ultimately parking in garage with windows open and a portable dehumidifier on did the trick.

Hopefully this helps someone because most forums point toward A/C being the culprit when most likely it is the plugged cowl drain. Might start cleaning yearly to avoid this reoccurring but it took 6 years to happen the first time. Good luck for anyone else with wet carpet syndrome ?
 
#36 ·
I posted this year about the wet floorboards on passenger side. My niece blew water with her leaf blower starting on driver side across to passenger side through top of cowl since I couldn’t get wipers off. Then my neighbor took his air compressor hose and blew a/c line which seemed blocked. Did the whole shop vac, towels down at night, doors open during day, propped up carpet, baking soda deal. No more problems until this weekend. Got in car. Stinks. Water in passenger side again! Doesn’t Nissan have to fix this?
 
#17 ·
We bought a 2018 Nissan Versa Sedan that recently flooded with water inside on the passenger's side. We discovered it when my wife got in and put her feet into a puddle on the floor of the passenger's side. She had noticed a sloshing water sound while driving in the months prior, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. We took it in to the Nissan dealer, and they told us it was all our fault and charged us almost 600 USD to clean it up. They put on some good theater about how they'd never heard of such a thing and we were to blame for water leaking into the inside of the car.
Turns out that there are some serious design flaws on the Versa which allow water to collect below the windshield and, when the collected water doesn't drain, it flows into the car on the front passenger side floor. There is a water trough under the windshield wipers that runs from one side of the car to the other. Much like a gutter, it collects water and has two very small drains on each side. When the drains get plugged, like drains inevitably do, water collects in the trough/gutter and will slosh back and forth. There is an entry hole--for cables--about the size of a large book above the trough that then lets the built up water flow right into the passenger side floor. Especially when you are driving and take a turn, the water will slosh up through the hole and into the front of the car. There's a thick pad under the floor carpet that will soak up some water, but after awhile it becomes noticeable. The health danger is that the water has nowhere to go inside the car and will get musty and moldy.
I asked the Nissan dealer--Power Nissan of Salem--how water could possibly end up getting inside the car, and how that could possibly be our fault. Why was there a place where water could collect in the engine area, a drain that could clog, and a hole where water could easily get inside? The manager was very evasive, unwilling to admit anything, and adamant it was our fault. We apparently let leaves fall on the car, which turned into debris that clogged the two drains, which led to the flooding. The manager and others in the shop were all frowning at us for allowing this to happen--they insisted it was clearly our fault for parking the car outside, in the rain, near a tree where leaves could blow on top of the car. We paid almost $600 just to get our car back and left terribly frustrated. The problem looks like it will recur considering that the drains are bound to get plugged up again. It's probably just a matter of time, since it rains a lot in Salem, Oregon.
Long story short: Nissan allowed a serious design flaw in the 2018 Versa Sedan that leads to flooding and wet floorboards. There should not be a place for water to collect, nor a drain that is prone to clogging, nor a hole for water to flow inside the car. One guy captured this whole story well on Youtube (see Nissan Versa Passenger Water Leak by Tony Sinatra, Jan 26, 2019, ). Part of the problem is you have to remove the windshield wipers and plastic covering in order to see where the water collects, otherwise you will see nothing and be left wondering where the water is sloshing around and getting in.
Had I known of this design flaw and the problems it would lead to, I would never have bought the car. It's time for a recall, an engineering design change at Nissan so future cars don't suffer the same leaks, and for dealerships to be honest about the problem. Buyers are not responsible for water leaks inside new cars.
 
#18 ·
We bought a 2018 Nissan Versa Sedan that recently flooded with water inside on the passenger's side. We discovered it when my wife got in and put her feet into a puddle on the floor of the passenger's side. She had noticed a sloshing water sound while driving in the months prior, but couldn't tell where it was coming from. We took it in to the Nissan dealer, and they told us it was all our fault and charged us almost 600 USD to clean it up. They put on some good theater about how they'd never heard of such a thing and we were to blame for water leaking into the inside of the car.
Turns out that there are some serious design flaws on the Versa which allow water to collect below the windshield and, when the collected water doesn't drain, it flows into the car on the front passenger side floor. There is a water trough under the windshield wipers that runs from one side of the car to the other. Much like a gutter, it collects water and has two very small drains on each side. When the drains get plugged, like drains inevitably do, water collects in the trough/gutter and will slosh back and forth. There is an entry hole--for cables--about the size of a large book above the trough that then lets the built up water flow right into the passenger side floor. Especially when you are driving and take a turn, the water will slosh up through the hole and into the front of the car. There's a thick pad under the floor carpet that will soak up some water, but after awhile it becomes noticeable. The health danger is that the water has nowhere to go inside the car and will get musty and moldy.
I asked the Nissan dealer--Power Nissan of Salem--how water could possibly end up getting inside the car, and how that could possibly be our fault. Why was there a place where water could collect in the engine area, a drain that could clog, and a hole where water could easily get inside? The manager was very evasive, unwilling to admit anything, and adamant it was our fault. We apparently let leaves fall on the car, which turned into debris that clogged the two drains, which led to the flooding. The manager and others in the shop were all frowning at us for allowing this to happen--they insisted it was clearly our fault for parking the car outside, in the rain, near a tree where leaves could blow on top of the car. We paid almost $600 just to get our car back and left terribly frustrated. The problem looks like it will recur considering that the drains are bound to get plugged up again. It's probably just a matter of time, since it rains a lot in Salem, Oregon.
Long story short: Nissan allowed a serious design flaw in the 2018 Versa Sedan that leads to flooding and wet floorboards. There should not be a place for water to collect, nor a drain that is prone to clogging, nor a hole for water to flow inside the car. One guy captured this whole story well on Youtube (see Nissan Versa Passenger Water Leak by Tony Sinatra, Jan 26, 2019, ). Part of the problem is you have to remove the windshield wipers and plastic covering in order to see where the water collects, otherwise you will see nothing and be left wondering where the water is sloshing around and getting in.
Had I known of this design flaw and the problems it would lead to, I would never have bought the car. It's time for a recall, an engineering design change at Nissan so future cars don't suffer the same leaks, and for dealerships to be honest about the problem. Buyers are not responsible for water leaks inside new cars.
When I got the cowl cover off, I noticed that the air intake was wet. I removed the console and the glove box and never did see exactly where it was coming from on the inside(kinda hard to see up there). I still park under a tree but use a windshield cover for snow that covers the cowl during the time the tree is dropping leaves and pollen and have had no further problem with the drains clogging. And I clean the cowl area more often also. As you can see from the video, the drains are quite small. Even if it clogs just halfway and encounters a heavy prolonged downpour, it may create a problem. A larger drain would be an improvement.

I removed the trim and seats(you need a T50 Torx Bit preferably with a 1/2" drive to remove the seats) in order to clean up the lake underneath the seat and dry the carpet. I would say it took me about an hour to get the seats out and the carpet propped up to dry, but I am slow. Then I waited a week or so for it to dry out. So, just something to be aware of.
 
#19 · (Edited)
I wrote this cause I called a dealership and they quoted me 600 bucks to blow it out and run a diagnostic and 2 hours of labor and im not sure what else cause i hung up. It will take you an hour to an hour and half at the max then drying time. I used those blue fans for carpet drying and someone mentioned a leafblower. The drain is under the cowl on the passenger side on the inner fender under a black plastic cover looking thing and on the driver side there is also a drain about same spot as passenger side. To remove the cowl take the plastic retainer clips out and remove the windshield wipers. You can do this without removing the windshield wipers if you remove the clips that hold the cowl in place loosen it and then next take a metal hangar and make it straight and fish it in and clear the holes. There is no tube the water evacuates into a body cavity so once you've pushed it through your good. I suggest taking off the windshield wipers and take cowl off and get every piece of crud out. Once water has made it inside your holding about 4 or 5 gallons under the floorboard. Take your passenger seat out. You will need a t50 bit to remove 4 bolts that hold the seat in. Before you pull it out lean it back and u plug the 3 wiring harnesses. Now remove it out the back passenger door. Get a sponge like the one in my pictures, park facing downhill so the water pools upfront. Pull the crapet up as much as you can and just start getting 1 spongefull at a time unless you have a wetvac . As you can see there is a LOT of empty space BELOW the passenger seat that can literally hold gallons. BUT.. what i found most interesting was that you see a round rubber plug thats painted the same as the car. I played with it for a minute pondering if i should try to push it through but decided against messing something up. But once i sat down and looked closer i can see that it IS A PLUG that was left in at the factory !! You can see the word PUSH on it. Thats a secondary drain so if there is a backflow it doesnt come into the cabin and pool the way it does. UPDATE: a mechanic buddy of mine said yes that is a secondary drain to drain a vehicle after an event but not to leave it like that because rain and hitting puddles can introduce water into the car.
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#42 ·
I have a in 2015 Nissan Versa Note that I purchased in May 2021. I noticed my rear passenger floorboards we're soaking wet with puffy mold growing. I thought my big water jug must have leaked out on to floorboards. When I came home I took the wet carpet out and hung dried them. A week later they were wet again. So I jumped on Google and started educating myself. So the information on the Cowl reservoir. I gently took the main cover off a deeply cleaned it out. I made a small hose from my aquarium fit it snuggle over my air compressor power dust/tool. I fed it down the tiny drainage holes. I then cleaned with hot soapy water. It was draining great. I noticed the intake air hole was only an inch up from the reservoir. So I decided to change that stupid design that should have law suits against them. I had recently took down my swimming pool and had cut it up. I got a piece of it from the junk pile. I took aquarium silicone, about 5in high swimming pool material, and glued it over most of the air intake hole. I left it to dri over night before replacing the cowl cover. I prayed for it to work. So far it's December still 0with no wet floors and the defrost works wonderful. I hope this may help someone with their Versa. It's a simple fix anyone can do. Good luck and Merry Christmas.
 
#24 ·
First time on here, but i saw this post and I also had some water in my 2014 Versa on the passenger side. Not sure if someone said this or not, but the water sloshing around is probably under your cowl. Take the vipers off, remove the cowl, and you will likely see that the drains on either side are plugged up. Its like a gutter full of water under there. You will also notice that there is an area cut out that leads to your cabin air filter. When the drains get plugged and the water level gets too high, the water spills down into the cabin air filter compartment and out onto the floor on the passenger side of the vehicle. I'm curious, when they changed your oil, did they also wash your car with high pressure water? this would have been enough water to free up all the debris under the cowl and make it run toward the drains
 
#25 ·
No they did not. I am unsure if that would have unclogged the drains as we had about 3 weeks of torrential rain and that didn't unclog them. I also thought the sloshing was coming from the cowl but it was not the case. There was at least a gallon or two of water underneath the carpet.
 
#28 ·
I’m not saying that the water would have unclogged the drains, it might have made the debris float and flow toward the drains clogging them. The three weeks of rain could have made the debris flow toward drains and clog them. Did you ever find out where the water came from?
 
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