Detecting and locating hidden leaks in car interiors

Do you notice wet patches under the mats, windows that steam up constantly, mould on the upholstery or an unpleasant smell of damp in your car? Leaks in a car’s cabin are among the most unpleasant and difficult problems to diagnose. Water can enter at one point but run and collect somewhere entirely different, hiding beneath the carpet and the insulation. Ordinary garages often refuse such repairs, because they demand a great deal of time and specific equipment.

ProKanal EOOD is the undisputed leader in non-destructive detection of leaks in car interiors for Sofia and the whole country. Thanks to our long-standing technical experience and our investment in latest-generation industrial diagnostic equipment, we find the exact source of water ingress without needless dismantling, guesswork and costly experiments.

Important: work in a controlled environment (the service is not carried out in the open)

Unlike building inspections, precise diagnosis of vehicles has its own specific technological requirements. This procedure categorically cannot be carried out outside your block, in a car park or in the open.

For ProKanal EOOD’s results to be 100% accurate and reliable, the survey is conducted entirely in a controlled environment at our enclosed, dedicated premises.

• Eliminating external interference: Outdoor wind, dust and the changing temperature of the air outside buildings disrupt the propagation of ultrasound and smoke, making the test ineffective.
• Complete isolation from background noise: Urban traffic and extraneous sounds prevent our ultra-sensitive digital receivers from picking up the fine micro-frequencies of escaping air or ultrasound.
• Stable temperature conditions: The enclosed hall allows us to maintain a constant temperature and humidity, which are essential for the correct and precise operation of FLIR thermal cameras and non-destructive Tramex moisture meters.

Why a leak in the car is dangerous for health and for the electronics

Water in the cabin is not merely a cosmetic defect but a serious threat that acts destructively on two fronts:

• A danger to health (mould and allergies): Wet carpet and the soaked insulation beneath it are a perfect incubator for black mould and bacteria. Because the cabin is an enclosed and small space, the driver and passengers breathe in highly concentrated toxic spores. This leads to allergies, chronic coughing, headaches and asthma attacks. Early diagnosis provides a clean and entirely healthy environment for you and your children in the car.
• Damage to the vehicle electronics: Modern cars are full of computers (modules), wiring and sensors positioned exactly along the floor, under the seats and in the driver’s footwell. Damp causes rapid corrosion, short circuits and expensive electronic failures that can leave your car stranded on the road.

Where does water most often enter a car’s cabin?

With the help of our methods we locate breaches in every critical zone of the vehicle:

• Blocked sunroof drains: The most common cause of a wet headlining, wet front pillars or water in the footwell.
• Compromised bonding on the windscreen or rear screen: Water passes around a poorly bonded windscreen (often after replacement) and drips directly behind the dashboard onto the wiring.
• Blocked drainage channels beneath the wipers: Leaves and mud block the drains under the bonnet and the water overflows through the cabin filter directly into the passenger’s footwell.
• Damaged door and boot seals: Torn or ageing rubber seals that let water in during heavy rain or at the car wash.
• Problems with the air-conditioning system: A blocked condensate pipe on the air conditioning, because of which clean water pours inside the cabin instead of under the car.

Modern equipment for non-destructive vehicle diagnosis

We don’t hose your car down in the hope that it will “leak” somewhere. The ProKanal EOOD team uses precise non-destructive methods:

1. Ultrasonic diagnosis (ultrasonic generators and receivers)

This is the cleanest and most precise method for testing seals and glass. We place a special ultrasonic transmitter inside the car’s cabin, which fills the car with high-frequency sound waves. Our specialist walks around the outside of the car with an ultra-sensitive scanning receiver and microphone. Wherever the seal or the bonding of the glass has failed (even a microscopic gap), the ultrasound passes through and the receiver detects it immediately.

2. Professional smoke machines (smoke tests)

For hermetically sealed systems and complex cavities we use certified automotive generators producing dense, safe smoke under slight pressure. We introduce the smoke into the cabin or into specific drainage channels. Wherever even the smallest wisp of smoke emerges is the exact path by which water is entering your car.

3. FLIR thermal cameras and Tramex moisture meters

With the FLIR thermal camera we scan the floor and the carpet in real time. Because damp zones hold a different temperature, the thermal camera outlines the precise boundaries of the flooded section beneath the carpet with no need for dismantling. With non-destructive Tramex moisture meters we measure the levels of deep moisture in the insulation, to understand how serious the flooding is.

Why ProKanal EOOD is the right choice for you

• Leadership and experience: We are a specialist firm that understands the diagnosis of fluids and air flows — we apply engineering solutions unavailable to ordinary garages.
• You keep your car intact: We work entirely non-destructively. Dismantling the interior is required only once the problem has been located and needs to be put right.
• National coverage: We are based in Sofia, but we serve and accept vehicles from across the country.

Don’t let damp ruin your health and the valuable electronics of your car. Put your trust in the leader in leak surveying!