Two years ago my 1994 Astro developed a fishy smell and wet carpet in the front, both driver and passenger sides. Turned out to be drains from the cowl area, blocked by oak tassels, water backed up through heater. A mechanic blew out the drains. Water stopped collecting. Fishy smell went away, leaving musty carpets, which eventually dried out with help from wet-vac, baking soda, and hot dry summer weather.
But now a leak is back. It's only on the driver side. The smell is musty, not fishy. I was having some body work done anyway, so I asked the gent to check the drains up front again. He did, said they were OK. He had the cowl drain webbing off, so he said he put silicone sealer on the seams down in there, just in case there was a leak along the seams somewhere.
But after a rain, I still have a soggy carpet on the driver's side. I can get it dried out within a few days, with wet-vac, baking soda, newspaper, and airing-out. But when it rains again, the carpet gets wet again, in those low places -- one low spot is right behind the rubber heel-rest pad, and the other low spot is alongside the door edge. The wetness appears when the car has been sitting parked in rain for a day or two, so it's not from splashing up from road/street puddles.
The newspaper soaking up the water turns yellowish-brown, but I figure that may be rust under the carpets dissolving in the water and wicking up. The baking soda turns more pinkish-reddish, and I don't know why that happens. The dampness/water has no odor at all, but if the van is closed up, it smells moldy/musty, which makes sense because mold must be growing under the carpet.
Any ideas for how to find and fix this? Thanks!
But now a leak is back. It's only on the driver side. The smell is musty, not fishy. I was having some body work done anyway, so I asked the gent to check the drains up front again. He did, said they were OK. He had the cowl drain webbing off, so he said he put silicone sealer on the seams down in there, just in case there was a leak along the seams somewhere.
But after a rain, I still have a soggy carpet on the driver's side. I can get it dried out within a few days, with wet-vac, baking soda, newspaper, and airing-out. But when it rains again, the carpet gets wet again, in those low places -- one low spot is right behind the rubber heel-rest pad, and the other low spot is alongside the door edge. The wetness appears when the car has been sitting parked in rain for a day or two, so it's not from splashing up from road/street puddles.
The newspaper soaking up the water turns yellowish-brown, but I figure that may be rust under the carpets dissolving in the water and wicking up. The baking soda turns more pinkish-reddish, and I don't know why that happens. The dampness/water has no odor at all, but if the van is closed up, it smells moldy/musty, which makes sense because mold must be growing under the carpet.
Any ideas for how to find and fix this? Thanks!