"Oil" seeping from floor mats

[Mike Thomas]

I was detailing my (fairly new to me) car today, and when pulling out my decorative floormats (as opposed to the floorpan carpeting) discovered that the rubber backing on one of rear ones was exuding an oily substance. The floormat carpeting itself was clean and dry, but the bottom was really gross. I ended up piling up about 10 paper towels and stepping on it over and over to squish out the stuff, and out it came -- gobs of it. Anyone ever seen anything like this before?

The closest thing I've seen is the rubberized earpieces on a pair of Bolle sunglasses I had started "weeping". It was so gross that I threw them away.

[Joe Bob]

Your don't mention the year model. Some mechanical speedometer drive cables have been known to pump oil up from the transaxle due to a minor seal failure and deposit it on the driver's floor pan.....

[austin552]

True, mine is leaking in the tunnel.

[old man neri]

Master cylinder leaking brake fluid maybe?

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks for the responses, folks. Sorry I didn't make it as clear as I could have. First, this is a 1982 SC.

Also, this is the "decorative" floor mats that go on top of the carpet kit, in the driver's side rear seat footwell. The top of the floormat was fine, but the rubber backing was very oily. However, the carpet that the floormat sits on (the "base layer" that is partially glued in) was only a little oily on the carpet side (due to contact with the floormat in my mind), but not on the floor pan side, underneath. The floorpan was dry.

It doesn't seem like a fluid leak would work this way?

[Joe Bob]

Replace or remove the carpets, run the car, see what happens.....could be just crappy carpets that decided to just deompose into their base elements....

[spuggy]

Originally Posted by mikez

Replace or remove the carpets, run the car, see what happens.....could be just crappy carpets that decided to just deompose into their base elements....

+1. I had some old electronic equipment where the rubber "feet" just decided to turn into a sticky grease one day - sounds like it might be similar. If that isn't it, taking out the mats will let you get closer to pin-pointing the source.

[Mr.Puff]

It reminds me of what happens to tape .

[carrera turbo]

aw um! the oil goes in the rear of the car

ok sorry throw the mats far from car as they are not helping the resale

ok i agree with the tape thing?

[Mike Thomas]

Thanks all. I'm just going to replace the mats at some point. I have a Lloyd's rear deck mat coming, and if that matches well, then I'll order footwell mats.

[slw911SC]

Agree. Chuck em out - or keep stompin'! Any chance that oil - could may even be vegetable oil from someone's shopping trip - may have been spilled on the floor in front? Or even motor oil.

[c019740]

Has there been any degradation of the rubber mat? Sound like its either some deterioration or maybe something left under the mat thats liquefied somehow??

[c019740]

do you have a picture of it?

[Noel]

Originally Posted by old man neri

Master cylinder leaking brake fluid maybe?

This is what happened to me. Very common.

[FPB111]

Evidently they are British aftermarket replacements.