All fixed

[NeedaE30]

Thanks guys!

[Exodus_2pt0]

At a loss of words.

Never seen anything like it. Only thing that comes to mind is if someone had a mechanical oil gauge at one point and the line broke. Still doesn't explain why the shits everywhere.

I'd be ripping the entire interior out for cleaning.


Hell could have been the remnants of a messed up prank or act of revenge. Lots of things can happen to a vehicle in 20+ years.

[kronus]

it's coolant dissolving the foam under your carpet. You should check your heater core for leaks.

[davesmystery]

Damn, that sucks man, what a thing to find out about your car. I can't think of anything that should have been near the inside of the car that would have done that, somebody must have messed up pretty bad when doing something to the car for a former PO, either that or something was spilled all over the interior and somehow seeped all the way through the fabric and then only the top was cleaned.

Does it look like it's done anything to the floorboards at all? Maybe you can just remove everything and pressure wash it out lol. Hopefully someone else can chime in with some better advice because that is really odd.

[kronus]

a heater core leak doesn't mean that your engine blew anything, chill.

does it smell like anything?

[NeedaE30]

Yea it seems like this oily substance has prevented any rust from starting on the inside of the rear floors... drivers interior floor is a little rusty but that is completely unrelated to this issue because it is dry and not covered in any oily residue whatever happened only happened to the trunk and rear seat & floors doesnt seem to have been spilled on the top side of the carpet then cleaned.. looks like whatever it was got there from between carpet this is so fucked up..

[NeedaE30]

a heater core leak doesn't mean that your engine blew anything, chill.

does it smell like anything?

I'm chill i was just responding to your statement with reasons why i dont think its a leaky heater core..

and yes this fluid smells like something neither me or my buddy can put our fingers on... definitely smells like some type of oil maybe olive oil or pb blaster... definitely not motor, tranny or diff oil.. But honestly i have no clue. don't think i've ever smelled anything like it

[cutsham]

I know you said it didn't smell like gas, but any solvent with similar properties can eat away at foam and other similar materials leaving a gel type substance behind.

[NeedaE30]

I know you said it didn't smell like gas, but any solvent with similar properties can eat away at foam and other similar materials leaving a gel type substance behind.

I agree.. but its definitely not fuel.. i pulled the cover over fuel pump because i thought thats where this shit was coming from and it is perfectly dry with nice clean lines/hoses I'm starting to think the trunk was flooded with some type of oil/solvent and ended up saturating the rear floor but i have no fuckin clue.. every time it rains.. water leaks through my tail light seals and somewhat puddles up in the trunk foam when i touch the water it feels exactly like this oily substance under the carpet... antenna grommet, tail light seals and rear vent window gaskets all on order but that still doesnt explain any of this. all trunk carpeting is ruined... the bottom carpet is saturated and the side panel carpets air half way saturated from bottom to middle... looks like im tossing every carpet in the car


But by far the rear floors are FAR worse than the bench seat and the trunk.. i assume because most everything that saturated the trunk and bench seat has slowly leaked its way to the rear floors

[NeedaE30]

I'm at a loss for words now..

[Holland]

Looks to me like your car had a history. If nothing is damaged than it's probably something in the previous life.

My advice, clean it up, check on it if the problem returns. If it does then diagnose and fix.

[SubDad]

this oily substance has prevented any rust from starting on the inside of the rear floors

the paint is in great shape every single section that is covered in this shit

baby flies/gnats in this shit when i pulled the carpet

UhOh. Up here in winter salt land (kinda like NH, maybe) I've seen some pretty strange stuff used as DIY rust proofing. People pull the carpets and pour whatever oily substance they happen to have a lot of at the time all over the floor. ("I know, let's use all this transformer coolant, that's cheap.")
Any kind of oil is going to eat the carpet foam.

'Course, there's flies, flies love good stinky oil. Somebody pulled the carpets, poured oil all over, had a coupla barley pops, replaced carpets. Flies swarmed during the Barley Interlude.

Clean it up, replace it with proper anti-rust stuff, move along. Sucks, but it's better than finding a view of pavement through the floor.

[NeedaE30]

UhOh. Up here in winter salt land (kinda like NH, maybe) I've seen some pretty strange stuff used as DIY rust proofing. People pull the carpets and pour whatever oily substance they happen to have a lot of at the time all over the floor. ("I know, let's use all this transformer coolant, that's cheap.")
Any kind of oil is going to eat the carpet foam.

'Course, there's flies, flies love good stinky oil. Somebody pulled the carpets, poured oil all over, had a coupla barley pops, replaced carpets. Flies swarmed during the Barley Interlude.

Clean it up, replace it with proper anti-rust stuff, move along. Sucks, but it's better than finding a view of pavement through the floor.

This was one of my theories But It almost seems like it was an accident because if it was intention i would think the front floors would have been covered as well.

Tomorrow i will removed the entire carpet, clean and degrease the interior

Anyone suggestions as to what to spray down or cover the interior body with to prevent rust after its all cleaned? should i bother trying to pressure wash the carpets? or am i wasting my time at that point? the fronts are good the rear is NASTY maybe cut the carpet in half and try to salvage the front lol any recommendations on a cheaper than OEM carpet alternative? I'm assuming my best bet is used

[Andy.B]

I have no idea what the substance is, but I am fascinated, and can't wait to find out! Subscribed, and good luck!

[TobyB]

My E36 had an entire Big Gulp of Dr Pepper in the back seat-butt- well. Disgusting as all
get-out, but a friend with a Dr Pepper problem identified it.

Took forever to get the crap to stop coming out from under the tar, etc...

t