Got to chase this down. Don't know if is is antifreeze or rain water. Going to remove the cowling against the window.

The front window was replaced about 5 years ago, a possibility.

I hope it is not the heater core, replaced one before in a son's 945. No real coolant loss. It looks like the water is showing near the driver's side center console on the carpet.

The coolant/water in the cubby is only near the cigar lighter.

I know the this is messing with the electronics, wherever, because a some of the idiot lights came on during idle while just running the car heater, but finally went out. When I checked, no indication of water on the relays.

Tom

I said found not fixed.

I thought I had replaced the window and took it to a trusted glass outfit that had replaced glass in 3 or 4 or 5 of my cars in the past 25+ years.

They checked their records via VIN number while I called the insurance co.

Glass place: Nope, no records of replacing windshield on this car.

Insurance company: Nope, no records of replacing windshield on this car.

1) Wrong glass installed. The most trusted outfit glass business is out of the auto glass business two months ago but they still do commercial glass and didn't want to touch it. (Potential rat's nest and I don't blame them.)

2) Glass is maybe too short top to bottom. They glued the cowling to rubber and maybe beyond to the window.

3) I separated some of the rubber on cowling with a putty knife but is was too hard and thick to separate in the middle and two feet to the right. I may use a sharpened hacksaw blade, (grind the teeth off to make a blade) to cut the remainder sealant.

4) Two options, A) If I remove the cowling, clean and repack the shit out of the area with new shit. But no sealing to the cowling. B) Take it to another glass place and shell out the cash for a new window and god knows what else. There would not be an insurance Co. involved to keep them honest.

Tom

What is the engine coolant coming from?

The factory glass is sealed using butyl rubber tape and some mechanism to support the glass so it does not move through the decades. On 240 and older, spacer blocks support the glass.

The auto glass industry today uses urethane as an adhesive sealant.

Auto glass companies are terrible at removing the factory butyl rubber and, if a less than ethical technician performs the windshield replacement, won't remove what remain of the factory butyl rubber.

Also, you may have other windshield pinch weld, windshield pan issues such as rust. Windshield technicians are not auto body.

I had these problems with a 1992 240 GL I bought near Boise Idaho in 2007. The windshield was cracked yet was a replacement.

I had to deal with rust and seal using the POR-15 process. So far so good in 12 years. Yet my first goof in windshield install mis alignment.

Also, auto glass is made in China junk that is a kit with a metal frame around it the flexible insert that serves as reveal to cover the windshield edge to pinch weld gap.

You won't find the real Trempex, Sunex, or Saint-Gobain windscreen that do NOT have the metal frame around the cheapo China glass windshield. Cheapo china glass is inferior optically. Maybe it is better now. I'm unsure. The clear plastic shatter binding layer between the two glass layers has a milky quality to it.

Saint-Gobain was the final supplier in of 700-900 glass, I guess?

From the Volvo 700-900 FAQ:
https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/BodyGlass.htm


--
Beh.

Not coolant. rain water!

Bad weather in NC. "The sun will come out tomorrow..."

Actually it is sunny out now. Got to get the cowling off. I hope my grinder was returned.

I will inspect, assess and address, I hope today. Depending on what I find it could be just a packing. Rust is a strong possibility though. I have watched windshields R$R and often the knife used the cut the window sealant scrapes the paint off the sealing surface of the windshield frame.

Possibility that a new windshield will be needed. We'll see...

Tom

Hi Tom,

You can get butyl rubber for use in a caulking gun thingy.

If you get the brightwork trim off, you may be able to inspect, find the leak, and plug it.

Inspect the gasket. I'll guess for the replacement the windshield technician will use the urethane adhesive. Windshield technicians use a hot knife from inside the windshield to cut through the adhesive.

The other source for leaks are any point anything passes through. Yet persistent leaks may also be at the bulkhead plates, each left and right, as the factory gasketing can fail.

Yet as you had your windshield replaced, and you resolved the leak is at the windshield to windshield pinch weld and pan seal, be a little careful as urethane is tough to impossible to cut through. They techs use a hot knife from inside the windshield.

For the butyl rubber gasket, you would use a cutting wire and pass through the gasket using lever wedge thingies to lift of the windshield.
--
Beh.

(Edit: Typing and editing this post at the same time as Spook. Great minds think alike, laugh)
Unless you can tell it’s coolant by the colour, smell or slightly sticky feel then the first and easiest thing to check for wet carpets is the A/C evaporator box drain. It's a little black plastic elbow that sticks out through the firewall on the passenger side. There may or may not be a drain tube attached. On a turbo it will be behind the heat shield there. Poke something like a small screwdriver into the elbow and swirl it around to loosen any debris in the bottom of the box that can easily plug the drain. If that's it you will soon know as the box can hold a lot of water before it overflows out into ducting and gets to the carpet. Like Spook said, compressed air can also be used to blow debris away from the drain area inside. Unless the debris later flows out then if it happens again you might end up having to disconnect the intake duct from the fan to be able to access and vacuum the bottom of the box.

Has the screen in the windshield cowling dropped down? That’s how debris can easily get in to plug the fender sill drains on either side of the car, even getting sucked into the air box by the fan.

If the storage box below the radio is getting wet then it's hard to imagine it being the heater core. I can see why you're thinking windshield rather then heater core as it's difficult to imagine it getting wet from any lower source. A leaking heater core could spray in all directions and it’s just going to stay in the air distribution box and find its way down to the carpets. The only thing I can possibly imagine is a pin hole leak in the heater core upper neck shooting up behind the box and that's just not likely. The only sources up high that I can think of would be condensation, a windshield leak, rust perforations or a spill, none of which are common.

Rather than remove the cowling, I’d attack it from inside the console carefully blotting up high for further evidence of the source. If you don’t find anything wet up there then the heater core goes back on the most likely list. I hope for your sake it's that little drain and at this time of year with high humidity and the defrost A/C on there can be a lot of condensate.
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Dave -still with 940's, prev 740/240/140/120 You'd think I'd have learned by now

Thanks, I had to direct my attention to the window because of the water at the cubby hole. The factory vent screen is fine. I have been reinforcing the efficiency of the vent screen by overlaying copper screening over the top of the factory screen. No or low speed galvanic corrosion with the alum cowling. I even made a template to cut it for the next car which is the subject 945. On the 2 or 3 940s found muck, small leaves and pine needles.

Did one heater core and one evaporator replacement on 940s. A son got the 244 so I won't have to worry about that one, ever.

I could not consider the heater core since the coolant couldn't get that high. Had to investigate and I think the window is the problem.

Tom

Dear javalion,

Hope you're well. Take a fresh, white paper tower and absorb some of the liquid. If coolant is present, it will discolor the towel.

The heater box drain tube exits the firewall on the passenger side of the engine bay, below the air conditioner accumulator/dryer canister (aluminum color). The drain tube's end is flush with the firewall, i.e., the tube does not protrude. Air conditioning condensate trickles down the firewall and is airflow-dispersed.

You can clean the drain pipe by using a piece of thin coat hanger wire, with the tip doubled back, so that there is not a sharp tip. Use sand paper to smooth any sharp edges on the wire.

Slowly and gently push this clean-out rod into the drain pipe. If you meet an obstacle, pull back and then rotate the rod, while pushing gently. If there's debris clogging the pipe, this should penetrate debris and let water drain.

Under the cowling, there is a drain hole at either end. To see if the drain hoses are clogged, pour a small amount of water into the drain. If the hoses are clear, you'll see water on the ground near the leading edge of each front door.

If you have any doubt, use a longer length of thin coat hanger wire with a doubled-over tip to probe the hose. Smooth the tip of the clean-out rod, as above-described.

Alternatively, you can use compressed air to blow-out any debris from these drain tubes, as any debris will end-up on the ground.

Hope this helps.

Stay well!!

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Zerex GO5 is almost as clear as water. Took a 244 in for an inspection a while back and a mechanic said your out of coolant. I kneed the bumper to show coolant sloshing.

The floor water just clear, but dirty due to 26 years of dirt. When I get the cowling off I will make sure it looks factory clean.

Thanks, Tom

When the heater core leaks you'll have mist on your windshield when the defrost is on. .Check you cabin air intake box drains for clogs.

I am trying to!!!

thanks, tom

Finding coolant outside the engine cooling / passenger compartment means something leaks coolant. I'll guess your heater core. I'm unsure.

Some Volvo 700 - 900 series articles for you.

https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/Cooling.htm

https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/HeatingAirConditioning.htm

https://www.brickboard.com/FAQ/700-900/HeaterCoreReplacement.htm

--
Beh.

Thanks for the information.

MEH