Picked up a new (to me) 2006 S this week in Texas. On the way home (Arizona) I went through some significant rain. By the time I got home, the drivers side footwell was flooded - I mean lots of water. It seemed to be coming in around the pedal area but I can't be sure. I dried it out and drove it around yesterday with the AC running. There didn't seem to be any water so I don't think it was AC condensate but can't be sure.

I did a forum search and came up with a number of threads with a similar problem except they all seemed to be related to the sunroof. I don't have a sunroof.

I know this is probably a warranty issue but the nearest dealer is 125 miles away so if it's a relatively easy fix I'd like to do it myself.

Great car when I get this fixed.

Marv J

 

I had this same problem. I left my car in my work parking lot during a very very heavy rain, and when i went out to the car the drivers footwell was completly flooded. There were no obvious signs of where the water came in (roof around sunroof was dry, the seats were dry, no obvious water marks on the doors or the kick panel). I've read some threads where a sunroof drain comes disconnected near the drivers footwell, but since you dont have a sunroof, that isn't the problem. It sounds like there was quite a bit of water in your mini, so I doubt its from the AC. The next thing I would check is the firewall to see if there are any places the water could get in.

 

I believe the drain for the AC is on the passenger side. Open the bonnet & look behind the master cylinder at the firewall. You will see a large black plug. Is it intact & in position? If not that could be the source of your leak.

 

Check the rubber around the steering column that runs through the floor. If your car ever had the subfram pulled from it, is rubber boot is certain to be discombobulated --- you get the point!!-- from the floor causing a major leak. There is two sides to the boot, one for the inside of the vehicle and one for the outside of the vehicle. Sounds like the outer boot is dettached from the upper boot allowing water in. Hope this helps.

 

SRICHS may have nailed it. There was a short length of the boot (about 1 ") where the inner side of the boot was on the outside of the floor. No daylight showing and fairly tight fit so hard for me to imagine that I could get that much water through it. Now I have to wait for a good rain to go out and drive.

I hope the car was built this way and the subframe hasn't been pulled. It's supposed to be a 5K mi car with no damage or repair history.

 

I am having a similar problem, I posted about it here. There are two drains all MINIs have, one above each A-pillar, that normally would drain water off of the roof to beneath the car. One of yours may be blocked as mine seems to be. I believe you can test it by pouring water into either drain and checking to see if it runs out underneath or not.

 

One of the guys I work with told me of problems with the rubber gasket around the lower parts of the doors (I have and he has an '05 MCS) and he said it was a known issue @ MINI. Check your seals under the rear view mirrors area when you open the door and make sure you don't have a leak source there.
I personally haven't had a leak yet but I heard about it so I thought I'd share.
Good luck!