water getting in

Water is getting into my 96 VR4 with an electric roof. My first suspicion was the roof, but so far, I have not been able to specifically locate a leak in it. I've poured a cup of water into the track area of the sun roof and it follows the drain in the back straight out the car. It pours out quick from the back, so there is no restriction in the plumbing. So far I have only tested this on the passengers side since that is where the water is collecting in my car. Specifically, the water is pooling in the back foot area for the rear passenger seat, and under the passenger front seat. The carpet in the front where the front passenger would rest their feet is completely dry.

So far, I have not seen any evidence of water getting in through the door, nor do I see water getting inside when I pour water in the sun roof. Where else might water be able to get in? My sun roof seal seems nice and supple. If I need to replace it thats fine, but I would expect if water is flooding into there, I would see water spots on the interior roof fabric. Other than a few dirt stains from oil on hands, the roof fabric is mark free.

On a side note, I have a suspicion this problem has been around since before I purchased the car in 2004, but the previous owner mitigated it by pulling one of the rubber bungs on the floor in the rear out to let the water escape. I just recently stole a bung from a parts car, and replaced the missing one on my car, and now have for the first time seen this water problem.

I'm not looking forward to the cleaning I'm going to need to do soon to this car since it is starting to smell of funk. On the bright side, I see no signs of rust, though I am not going to let this continue so that rust can find a way to take hold.

Help me figure this out and nip the problem in the bud.

Rico

BTW. there is no water under the rear seats themselves. Only on the floor just in front of them.

Update! I think I may have figured it out. I suspect the water is getting in via the passenger door. I had my wife stand outside my car and hose it off, and I was able to see water flooding into the door cavity, and pouring into the cabin via the speaker. Also it was coming in via another opening. It likely explains why that speaker sucks. So now I need to figure out how to stop the water from coming in. The seal that goes around the door looks good and is not leaking. What is leaking is the window seal at the base of the window up front here the black triangle is. The black triangle is also cracked and pealing back some. Both are likely letting water in. Looking at it though, there is no way even a new seal would prevent water from getting in. The lower window seal seems only good for preventing most of the water from getting in.

For now, the plan is to redo the plastic liner on the door. That should help some. I'm not sure how to deal with the speaker though. Maybe I can fit a plastic liner behind it. I'll end up pulling it since it is not the original speaker anyway, and figure out how to waterproof the door better so that water that gets inside the door doesn't end up leaking into the car. Judging from the drains in the bottom of the door, the doors were never intended to be waterproof, but to instead just keep it flowing back out instead of into the car.

Further Update!
I just put everything back since I can't work on it anymore today, and a friend of mine is having his car tuned, and his tuner said he might be able to help with my car today too. Hopefully this weekend I'll be able to fix the problem. Gonna go to home depot and get some new plastic liner for the door, and make some sort of seal for the speaker.

On a side note, I just got back from my garage after putting my tools away and discovered a birds nest in one of my tool boxes. I guess I need to get out there more often and do some wrenching.

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h1...a/birdnest.jpg

Solving skills For the muthaphukkin win!

I'll consider it solved when I stop getting water in the car. But thanks to my awesome wife, I was able to figure out where it likely is coming in from. :)

I had something like this for a while (though probably not as bad) and it was getting in between the plastic trim strip above the door and the roof. I put some black rtv in the crack as neatly as possible (I taped it off) as a temporary fix and it seems to have worked.

mine is for sure at the front of the door. I have the panel off the interior of the door, and when my wife took a hose to it, it flooded in through the front and then started to pour in through the bottom of the speaker and through the hole where the door lock and window switch is. This gives me new reason to fix my window regulator fast, and get the door back together. I'm tired of little problems ruining my Christmas.

If it doesn't turn out to be the door, take a look at the rear hatch.

For awhile when I lived in the rainy Northwest, I had my car parked downward on a slight incline. After a few days I noticed the carpet was a bit damp, but the seats were fine. As it turned out, one of the drains got clogged by pine needles / debris and the water overflowed down the trim panels and onto the floor. After watching it for awhile, I realized these drains get clogged pretty easily.

Whatever it is, good luck man.

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Originally Posted by stealthify

If it doesn't turn out to be the door, take a look at the rear hatch.

For awhile when I lived in the rainy Northwest, I had my car parked downward on a slight incline. After a few days I noticed the carpet was a bit damp, but the seats were fine. As it turned out, one of the drains got clogged by pine needles / debris and the water overflowed down the trim panels and onto the floor. After watching it for awhile, I realized these drains get clogged pretty easily.

Whatever it is, good luck man.

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Thanks for the suggestion, but I am 99% sure it is the door since while my wife was hosing off the door area, I started to see a river flow from the floor reinforcement just in front of the stock amplifier. I think I'm calling it the right thing. It is the rib like thing that runs across the floor board.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by enollava

Thanks for the suggestion, but I am 99% sure it is the door since while my wife was hosing off the door area, I started to see a river flow from the floor reinforcement just in front of the stock amplifier. I think I'm calling it the right thing. It is the rib like thing that runs across the floor board.

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But was the carpet getting wet while the car was sitting? Or only when you're driving through heavy rain conditions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by stealthify

But was the carpet getting wet while the car was sitting? Or only when you're driving through heavy rain conditions?

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The first time I saw it wet, it had gotten wet while driving. But it also gets wet while standing in the driveway with the back of the car down hill from the front. It would require water to go up hill for it to be streaming out of the floor rib just in front of the amplifier under the passenger seat. Tomorrow, I will double check the trunk like you suggest cause it certainly can't hurt to do. But at this moment, I do believe I have the source figured out. Tomorrow I'll have a few hours to hit it with water from every direction and study what happens. I'll keep everybody posted.

Thank all who have suggested things so far. :)