Evening ladies and gents. It appears that there is still moisture in the cabin of my beloved "ole bessie", following the previous post

After a sharp, short burst of rain that happened during the storms that we've had on the UK (Storm Eunice) its been noted that the drivers/passengers window and Windscreen had mist/condensation on them. 

Before you all REEEEEEE me in the replies about the tailgate, light clusters and spoiler being a point of water ingress. after storm Eunice, the boot is completely dry. cold, NOT damp, but dry. dry as in "there is no water ingress into the boot." it must be known that I hadn't got round to re-sealing the boot. just how things worked out. (short days, unexpected bills. being generally miserable because of the season and the world in general at the time of this post)

My initial knee-jerk reaction is that the windscreen needs resealing. However, and quite possibly unrelated, the dial for the blower control towards the foot-well has always been "stiff" when selecting to and from the foot-well. I don't think the foot-wells have ever really been particularly hot even on full heat, at least on the drivers side (as I've never been a passenger in my own car, I'll have to test it). the heater on all other settings works great. I mention this as driving back from my dads I put the heater on and straight away "that smells damp! 😳". 

I also have my dads car at my house for safe keeping (which, conveniently is ALSO a Focus but its the CC3. its essentially my car with a drop top roof an automatic gearbox with half the mileage. same engine, face-lift trim panels, with a couple of extra trick bits (heated seats and sat nav) there is some resistance to the blower control going to the foot well, but not as much in mine.

Has anyone got any experience of this? was it a quick undo some trim, apply sealer/put the tubing/ducting back/replace x part and button it back up?

I have a Haynes manual, a socket set, precision socket set, but lack a little confidence/uncomfortable taking cars apart (un-ironically I am a PC nerd/technician by trade, and yes I build PCs for funsies)

I'm comfortable doing the small stuff: i.e. batteries, bulbs, changing wheels/trim pieces etc. but ACTUAL mechanic-ing I tend to take my time.

I'm debating taking this on as a quick and dirty project as on the face of it, it sounds like something that wont take much or long? I am hoping I don't need to basically dismantle the dash to get at it (my expectation is I will) If the dash has to be ripped out, I'll be getting REAL friendly with my local mechanics 😂😂😂

 

Just as a follow on from this, I have consulted "the youtubes"... the dash is coming out, as there's mounting screws behind the dash that attach it to the chassis/bulkhead (i couldnt quite make it out on the vid)

so, it'll be going to either my local garage or a mobile guy i go to (hes not exactly reliable, but his rates are reasonable and does the job right), depends on who picks up the phone first 😂😂😂

EDIT: not gonna lie im kinda p155ed that why i didn't put 2+2 together sooner, like an idiot (ie the car is cold and damp in the winter, not so much in the spring/summer/autumn) although to play devils advocate, i didnt really notice it much until i had it valeted due to a moldy interior as it had just been sat unused and unloved through the pandemic.

the cost, not so much, whether i got it done now or... er... 13? 😳 years ago when I got the car? doesn't change the cost as it needs doing.

Edited March 10, 20224 yr by kingarthur83rd
added thoughts and self-deprication

Just a possibility - have you checked the ventilation exit points ?  If the damp air cannot get out, and you are not using aircon on recirc to dry it out, then the interior will stay damp.  On older cars without aircon, leaving the vent on recirc would make the car damp.  A problem on a friend's early Mondeo was a soaking wet pollen filter that have never been changed !

11 hours ago, kingarthur83rd said:

Just as a follow on from this, I have consulted "the youtubes"... the dash is coming out, as there's mounting screws behind the dash that attach it to the chassis/bulkhead

I'd be interested in a follow up to this, as I've always been told that for the dash to be completely removed from my 2005 Mk2, the doors also need to come off. Due to the manufacturing process of the dash being installed first, then the doors being put on after therefore concealing the side fittings of the dash!

Stephen,

The 2005-09 Haynes, Ch11 para32, does not state anything about removing the doors - a lot of other bits, but not the doors.

 

Oh - but you do have to turn the car upside down if you drop any screws !!!!!

And I'm sure you are not that old you can remember a gas mantle !

On 3/10/2022 at 11:38 AM, StephenFord said:

I'd be interested in a follow up to this, as I've always been told that for the dash to be completely removed from my 2005 Mk2, the doors also need to come off. Due to the manufacturing process of the dash being installed first, then the doors being put on after therefore concealing the side fittings of the dash!

The doors definitely do NOT need to come off to remove the dashboard, I pulled the dashboard out a few years ago to sort out a leaking heater matrix.

On 3/10/2022 at 8:51 AM, Paulkp said:

Just a possibility - have you checked the ventilation exit points ?  If the damp air cannot get out, and you are not using aircon on recirc to dry it out, then the interior will stay damp.  On older cars without aircon, leaving the vent on recirc would make the car damp.  A problem on a friend's early Mondeo was a soaking wet pollen filter that have never been changed !

I seldom use re-circ. the pollen filters have been done a couple of times. I'm fairly confident the issue is that has the dash trim doesn't line up/sit flush with the windscreen (as I have come to reasonably conclude someone has been in there before and not buttoned it up properly) which basically means potentially opening pandoras box, we'll see. I'm hoping its a straightforward job for the garage, as along with this, the AC needs repair, and the bodywork could do with a spruce, as i intend to keep the car on the road until either it dies or the government says I cant because its a gas-guzzling 2.0 thats puking so many bad emissions its killing the planet, forcing me to buy the ST LineX 182 😂

"Bad Emissions"

London ULEZ:  My sister has a comparitively new diesel, and needs to pay £12.50 to get inside the North Circular to get to St Pancras Cemetery in Finchley, North London.

I have a 2008 Focus ST3 (Turbocharged V5 Petrol) and get in FREE!  It is thus cheaper for me to detour up to Luton and pick her up, and then drive back down to Finchley !

(The really annoying bit is that you could through a stone from our family graves to the N.Circ!)