Rubber plugs in body bottom 850 - what for?

[franz47]

I helped my mechanic to change oil and flush the automatic tranny of my 850 TDI.
When the car was lifted I realized that several of the rubber plugs in the
bottom were missing. I checked - some of still present ones have holes some not.
What is the function of there plugs. Why do some have holes and some not? the
mechanic supposed that a marten probably has eaten them.
Franz47

 

[Johan Plane]

franz47 skrev:

I helped my mechanic to change oil and flush the automatic tranny of
my 850 TDI. When the car was lifted I realized that several of the
rubber plugs in the bottom were missing. I checked - some of still
present ones have holes some not. What is the function of there plugs.
Why do some have holes and some not? the mechanic supposed that a
marten probably has eaten them.
Franz47

My very limited experience says that they are to prevent water from
entering or help drain water away (the ones with holes in them). Some of
these latter may even have hoses coming trough them, draining moisture
or water from, amongst other places, the a/c evaporator beneath the
dashboard.
/ Johan

 

[James Sweet]

I helped my mechanic to change oil and flush the automatic tranny of my
850 TDI. When the car was lifted I realized that several of the rubber
plugs in the bottom were missing. I checked - some of still present ones
have holes some not. What is the function of there plugs. Why do some
have holes and some not? the mechanic supposed that a marten probably
has eaten them.
Franz47

They're to allow you to drain water if it accumulates within channels in
the body. Some of them also allow access to nuts and bolts that pass
through from the other side.

 

[franz47]

They're to allow you to drain water if it accumulates within channels in the
body. Some of them also allow access to nuts and bolts that pass through from
the other side.

That´s what I supposed first, too. But then I saw that the plugs have a fitting
part also inside the body hole, a few mm high, which causes that water drains
only when the level in the body rises above this level. When there would not be
any plug, the water would not stand inside the channel but drain out
immediately. So I have temporarily covered the holes with adhesive tape and made
a hole into the tape for draining. Haven´t asked about the price of the plugs
but I presume they will cost a little fortune. Besides the Volvo dealer next to
me has gone bankrupt and I will have to find another one not to far away.
Franz47

 

[Jon Robertson]

watch out for rubber munching martians here in down under oooortstalia or
Australia to you up there ,strange creatures eat GM cars away.Some call it
rust but we know otherwise.But of late GM cars are lasting longer as we have
a drought.I don't park my Volvo Near GM Holdens cause rust might be
contagious .