[nocturneblue]

Yes the air intake aka 'snorkel' is for the passenger compartment ventilation. 'Pax' = lazy way of writing 'passenger'.

I've never taken the carpets up but I do know that the black rubber U-channel trim that runs along the edge of the carpet in the footwell (by your right calf on the driver's side) will pull away from the carpet and body seam easily enough and you can then get your fingers behind the carpet easily. The seal is just a push fit, easy to get back on, so I suspect the idea would be to pull away a couple of feet of that trim if possible to give you good access to underneath the carpet. You're not taking it up, just feeling behind it for damp. Same on the passenger side.

The MGF/TF is a leaky car - or can be. It's just one thing to rule out.

 

[Hogweed]

Thanks, I'll check that when the weather permits... why oh why are "standard" garages just sufficiently narrow - by a few inches - as to preclude using them to work on one's car

 

[36270k]

I have had one Lion battery - never again. I have a Moll battery from Germany which is very good - I do not know if it is available in the UK.

The car really should not leak like this, but a waterproof cover is probably the way to go. However, I would try to identify the source(s) of the leak.

In the Porsche forums there are lot of failure reports with Moll batteries. I have recently purchased a Bosch 075 for the TF

 

[Hogweed]

Okily dokily... Mike Satur isn't around, so I bought the other one. Sadly hasn't really helped - first really cold night on Friday here, water in the door pull again, rear screen dripping etc.

The cover is a very loose fit, so I'm wondering if I could get some sort of waterproof insulating blanket to put underneath it... any ideas?

Thanks

 

[nocturneblue]

Large cell bubble wrap ;0)

 

[Hogweed]

Large cell bubble wrap ;0)

That's actually not a bad idea, except the thought of trying to wrestle it into place on a windy day...

Anyway, this is what it looks like in the mornings after windy nights

 

[nocturneblue]

The half cover I have has never blown off and I'm on the coast (west coast). At the front it's held down by the windscreen wipers, which I guess is standard for this type of cover, but also velcro loops around the wing mirrors and by sort of fat piping excrescences on the inside (waited a long time to use that word) which slot inside the door shut lines and boot shut line etc.

Look on the bright side, if it's windy, it won't be cold generally speaking and you won't have that condensation problem ;0)

 

[Hogweed]

Pah - west coast indeed, I'm in N Ireland, coldest place in the known universe... I got the same kind as you, but I find the excrescences aren't really held in by the door shutting - I can pull them out again with no effort at all...

You're probably right about the wind/cold though... I was out flying about with the roof down today

 

[nocturneblue]

I'm surprised your piping 'excrescences' pop out - mine don't. Even taking into account the Norn Iron weather I find that surprising 😁

Don't take this as criticism, but are you loading those bits of piping into the door shut lines correctly? I used to try and slide them in from the top with the door closed, but found that didn't really work (for me). Maybe I wasn't doing it right, but I developed another method.

The only way I have found that works is to crack open the door just a little bit, enough to slide in (down) the front bit of piping easily, then nearly close the door (leave it open by an inch) so the front piping is pinched and can't escape, then place the other bit of piping for the rear of the door in position then slam the door shut that last inch on it. Kind of tricky as it's hard to slam shut a door that's only open an inch but it can be done. Opening the door wider to help slam it more easily is impossible as the door/window pulls the cover out with it, defeating the object.

If that doesn't work or you're trapping those bits of piping satisfactorily already, well, you're living in a wind tunnel!

 

[Hogweed]

Ah-ha... ummm... errr this is embarrassing. I didn't notice that there WERE forward excrescences, only the rear ones. So that may be a factor

So thta means that it's actually EVEN MORE difficult to put the sodding thing on than I thought... yes, I think I already use your method for trapping them at the rear of the doors, but they're very easy to pull out again if you feel like it.

I suspect, given the nature of doors, that the forward ones are probably more important than the rear... I'll stick it on when it's dried (washed it today ) and let you know.

And yes, I DO live in a wind tunnel - this place is known for it. The wind howls in from the Atlantic to the southwest, diagonally across NI to Belfast, then up the valley between the Cave & Carnmoney Hills, which produce a venturi effect accelerating the breeze up to just subsonic, then terminates in my driveway.

 

[nocturneblue]

Ah! I'll let you into a secret - I didn't notice the door excrescences/piping at all when I first got the cover Just that big one at the very back that is trapped in the boot shut line.
Well, the forward excrescences not being secured may explain why the cover comes off like that - the magnets aren't going to hold very much on their own and I find the wipers aren't 100% secure either in the highest winds. Once the wind gets under the cover at the front, the velcro on the wing mirror straps probably lets go as well.

Hopefully the front piping hold downs will make all the difference for you!

 

[Hogweed]

Ah! I'll let you into a secret - I didn't notice the door excrescences/piping at all when I first got the cover

Bugger... it's worse than that. The reason I didn't notice them is that there ISN'T one on the passenger side

There IS one on the other side... but I suppose I wasn't expecting one there when there wasn't one on the first side I tried to fit.

Looks like I've got a faulty one

 

[nocturneblue]

Daaaamnn! Well they're not supposed to be made like that obviously - mine has one of each either side. I think you ought to get in contact with the cover company - and attach that photo! Not fit for purpose in that state is it? Even if you've had it a while, that is not wear and tear, it was faulty right from the get go. Statutory consumer rights and all that.

 

[Hogweed]

Yeah just done it.

Always happens to me

 

[Daveyboyz]

I got a Bosch battery with a lifetime gauruntee. Used it a few years. Parked the car up for 5 years and somehow after a charge its still good.

 

[nocturneblue]

Daveyboyz,
That's bizarre. If I let my battery go dead a few times for a few weeks it's toast. Sulphating of the elctrodes and all that. Tried all the usual solutions - lengthy recharging/discharging/high loads etc. Putting Epsom salts in the electrolyte. None of it ever recovered the battery. What's funny is that I think one of the three batteries I've trashed by leaving it uncharged for too long was a Bosch ;0)