Hi, first post in here so don't bite :)
I've had my Clio dci (2004) from new, and not had any (serious) problems with it until now. On my way back from Glastonbury a month ago (after forcibly having the car pushed by three people through the car park mud) I noticed the sound of running water coming from underneath the car (may have been from the engine, hard to pinpoint when driving). It comes and goes, and is doing it at the moment (very loudly, sounds like a river), but it only does it when the car heating system is turned on (does it whether the A/C is on or off), and only does it when the dial is turned 75-100% hot. Also, the front carpets, especially the driver side, are absolutely soaking and have been for weeks, and the inside of the windscreen gets very steamed up.
And the scary bit, which has happened twice now in the last month, when driving along with a clear windscreen, suddenly in the space of two seconds the whole thing will complain steam up rendering me completely blind. Fortunately both times it has happened have been on local roads where I've been in the left lane in plenty of space, but it has the potential to cause a fatal incident. I've had one person look at it quickly (his first thought was the pollen filter was clogged up but this was checked and turned out to be fine) and couldn't find anything immediately wrong with it (granted he was only here in passing for five minutes), and his only suggestion as to the cause was that the bit under the wipers on the driver side that covers the pollen filter bay was no longer sealed fully, and that it could simply be the vast amount of rain we've had getting in through that loose seal, but we've had a few nice days in Bradford lately and nothing's changed, and it's starting to bother me now. I've searched high and low online and the most useful thing I found said this:
/on
Misty Windows that don?t clear, wet carpet, steam from dash vents, smell of antifreeze [Anything watercooled with a heater ] Submitted by Dave C
Happens when the heater-matrix (which carries hot water from the engine to warm the cabin) springs a leak due to corrosion or damage due to excess pressure. The first sign of this might be a wet carpet in the passenger side foot well. Unfortunately it?s probably also one of the first components that gets placed in the car when constructing the interior, and typically means the removal of the dash-board in order to repair or replace. It?s a big job and shouldn?t be undertaken lightly, and it?s also important to find out why the matrix has deteriorated. A failing head-gasket leading to pressurization of the cooling system is a common reason (check for a leaking or flow restricted radiator in conjunction with this). The best action you can take against preventing this problem, is to ensure that you have your coolant changed every two years, and to ensure that the system is appropriatly flushed each time.
/off
This sounds scary and not good, but doesn't account for the river noise, and I've found nothing anywhere online that suggests what that noise is. Anyone any ideas?