Water on the Floor inside the car

[socalfiver]

I'm in Los Angeles, where it's rained 6 inches in the past 5 days.

My car has been seeming leak-free as far as the sunroof is concerned, no wet seats when I get in.

Today, however, when I picked up a paper bag from the passenger side rear floorboard, it split open. It was soaking wet, and there's about a gallon of water (or more) soaked into the floormat and carpet.

WTF? Anybody have this problem before? Any suggestions on where this water could be coming from? The other floorboards are dry.

[T.Hanson]

Water runs down the back windscreen over the trunk. Surface tension, old trunk gaskets allow the waterfall to (usually) enter the trunk through or over the tail light gaskets.

If you lift the trunk mat you will see the little, or large streams going towards the cardboard seat back panel,...where they travel under the back seat to fill the rear floors.

Way to mitigate the flow is taping over any obvious cracks in the trunk gasket, pile towels under the trunk mat. When it stops raining and all the animals are off the ark, pull the rear seat and raise the carpet, sound proofing, to dry. Water steam is what makes the seat pad into crunchy dust.

[socalfiver]

Thanks! I've been stumped. I'll tend to my door seals ASAP.

[GripGreg]

Why do the door seals?? T.Hanson, aka Tom said the rr window & trunk gaskets.

[socalfiver]

I meant trunk and taillight gaskets, thanks.

[socalfiver]

The trunk gasket appears to be in good shape with no breaks, but I did indeed have leaking along the top of the right taillight. I took the opportunity to remove, clean and reassemble both taillights with a bead of gasket sealer where the gasket meets car and lens.

Now to strip the trunk and towel dry. More rain in the forecast, so I'll be able to check my work sooner rather than later.

Thanks again, T, Hanson.

[wkohler]

Also, make sure your sunroof drains are clear.

[socalfiver]

After having cleared up the taillight gasket issue yesterday, the trunk remained dry through the thunderstorms of the past 24 hours.

As it turns out, the front footwells are also waterlogged. I had thought they were dry yesterday, but the only dry footwell is the rear driver's side.

The wet carpets are making the interior glass really foggy. I'm going to pull the carpet out tomorrow and steam vac it. I'll leave it out until I get these leaks cleared up. I don't want moldy carpet.

Anybody have any suggestions on where to begin tracking these leaks? I've got 3 days of sun (or at least no rain) to try and sort it out. I'm not seeing any obvious places, like broken weatherstripping.

[wkohler]

Also, make sure your sunroof drains are clear.

[T.Hanson]

The good news is it never rains in California, or is it the Southern part, whomever the boob was singing that song. When it stops your main mission will be to dry the carpet and pads to avoid moisture ( fun word to say) from making rust holes.

That happens in both front floor outside corners, lower windscreen corners on the sills, I'm guessing from the sunroof drains being plugged and the windshield gaskets getting old and leaking. Thirty years worth now.

For what it's worth, e12 rust proofing was just about zero, to make pointing out vulnerable areas a moot point in all but dry and semi rainy climates. Any snow or salt, the poor things were eaten fifteen years ago.

They leak, period. If not very much, to drain and dry in between wetness, they can hang in there. The more frequent the wet, the more you have to bother checking the drains, drain holes under the doors, pads, etc.

New gaskets around the sunroof, properly adjusted, only allow the drains to keep up with the leakage. You'll see the front drain holes in the front corners.

Steel tubes at the top, to fit the rubber ones on with pinch clamps. Those go down the front doorposts, past the front speakers through a hole in the rocker panels.

If you are lucky, a fat piece of weed whacker nylon line might go in the top and poke out the bottom. Maybe with a dab of jabbing and whabbing. If not, maybe a blast with an air nozzle.

After that it's accepting the years of dirt, crud, maybe an errant screw or mouse turds will require taking things apart to pull the rubber tubes off, check for integrity, no cracks, clean them and reinstall.

[Mike W.]

How is your sunroof alighment? I've had leakage problems if the rear of the sunroof sat too low. It tests fine, you pour water on it and it's fine, the drains work, but in a heavy rain they'll leak if the seal isn't decent and the roof aligned.

[alotawatts]

Worth checking the rockerpanel drain/slots also.

[socalfiver]

Update:

I've removed the carpets and soundproofing/insulation that was waterlogged, and have allowed it to dry. Good news: no rust or corrosion underneath. I took this opportunity to redye the faded carpets. Not quite oem, but I used RIT to bring back their yellow/orange color.

During more rain, the passenger side floors again filled with water. The trunk remains dry.

This morning, I finally pulled the front speakers and pulled the drain hoses through. The RF hose was plugged with mud. In addition, the sill drains on that side of the car were plugged. I have cleared both issues, and water poured into the front drains now comes out through the sill drains. The LF drain was clear. I am unable to reach the rear drains, but there seems to be no blockage when I blow through the lower ends of the hoses.

More rain forecasted for Saturday. so i"ll be able to find out if the sills were draining to the floorboards.


Thanks for the tips.

[GripGreg]

What did you use to clear the drainholes of mud??

[GripGreg]

Ohh, and what do you mean by 'front drains' & 'sill drains'??