I noticed that the carpet in the front passenger side footwell of my 2004 S60 T2.5 w/ sunroof is wet with water. I don't know the source of this water. Can anyone tell me where the water may be coming from and how to fix the problem? Also if I have to lift the carpet up to clean out the water under the carpet, can anyone tell me how to remove the trims/panels that hold the carpet down.

 

sounds like a heater core check another member for heater core replacement I need to do the same thing good luck, sorry cant help you with the carpet haven't started that yet

 

If it's water and not coolant, then it may be a leak from the outside and not the heater core.

 

Touch the carpet with your fingers...if your fingers become "oily" and smell like syrup, it's coolant. If it is the heater core, I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have. It is advisable to lift the carpet to dry (also the insulation) but determine whether or not its coolant. Perhaps someone spilled a bottle of Perier in the front passenger seat and neglected to tell you...

 

if you have been using the AC lately, then most likely you have a clogged AC drain.

Remove the console right side panel and take a look in there, you should see the drainage hose.

 

I think the problem is water and not coolant. What I forgot to mentioned was that I just replaced the windshield and also that I bought the car not long ago and I don't know much about the history. I took the car back to the place where the windshield was replaced and the guy did a water test. After several minutes we saw water running down from under the dash. He said the problem is probably coming from clogged filter cabin under the cowl. I told him to remove the cowl so that we can do further investigation. He was ready to remove the cowl, but he said removing the cowl will damage the cowl clips and I didn't have replacement clips on hand. I always think that you can remove and reuse clips. Anyway, I'll go back as soon as I get new clips. One more thing, I asked the guy to explain to me how he replaced the windshield without removing the Cowl. He said in Volvo you don't have to remove it and that the channel/seal below served as guide for istalling new windshield. Is this true?

 

I think the guy who replaced your windshield may be wrong. First of all I'm pretty sure there i sno cabin filter under the cowl so you wouldn't want to tear that apart for no reason. The cabin filter is located under the dash on the passenger side. You need to remove the console panel 1st. Couple of torx. then you remove the panel under the dash. Another 2 er 3 torx can't remember. Then there are 4 torx that hold the cover on for the cabin filter. Pretty easy job, but probaly not the cause of your wet carpet. I'd try the AC drain just like jda2000 said. If it's not that then maybe your windshield is leaking or you have an exteranl leak underneath the car.

 

Perhaps I may be able to help. I just recently suffered this setback as well.

I recently bought a used 2003 S60 from a private owner, and all was well. However, with these past 2 weeks of pouring rain we have had here in Buffalo, I noticed my passenger side floor soaked one day. So I dried it out and kept a cautious eye on it. It was in a moderate rain after, and didn't show signs of leaking.
One day it was in pouring rain again. I drove the car only 15 miles or so, and it only sat parked in the rain for 1 hr and a half. On my way home I defrosted the windshield using the A/C blower, and when I got home I noticed the wetness was back. It was less severe than the first time, and I was able to confirm it was coming from the front, behind the glovebox down into the wheel well, and had nothing to do with the doors or sunroof. After searching the internet and forums (including this forum and this thread), I discovered this is a common problem, but there are numerous possible reasons.

So I bit the bullet and brought it in to the local Volvo Dealer for service. They ran a hose on it for 30 minutes, came back to me and said that they didn't see and leakage. I quickly informed them that there indeed was one, and that there was the possibility of the A/C unit being a factor. As I said, the second time it happened I used the A/C while it was pouring, and the first time I might have done that as well. Since they were asking $110 just to find the problem, I strongly encouraged them to try again knowing this. Finally they came back saying they found it, after I had helped diagnose. They said it was a leak in the windshield seal with the wiper-well/cowl. The reason they did not first realize this is because the leak is very slow. However, it leaks directly into the blower motor (like some online sources suggested), and therefore the spread of the water down to the passenger foot well is accelerated when the blower is on (using A/C to defrost/defog) during rain. So you essential end up forcing water into your car unknowingly.
So moral of the story is, a poor seal on the replacement windshield was the reason for the leak. After calling the previous owner I found out that it was replaced 6 months ago, and perhaps can get this resolved under the warranty. We'll see.
I personally don't get how a glass company produces a model specific windshield and can't get it to fit and seal perfectly. With the rain sensor, this windshield is obviously highly specialized to the S60. They must simply be poor substitutes for the original glass sadly, seeing as this happens to a lot of owners I guess. Oh well.
One other note, make sure you confirm that there is no electrical damage to the A/C unit or other components from the leak, and remove/replace the pollen filter because it will be soaked and possibly mold.

As always, I hope this helps.

I'll let you know how the fix goes.