leaking water inside car
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 4
From: New Baden Illinois
leaking water inside car
My 1976 has, within the past year, began leaking water into the cabin. When I did not have my cover on it when it was outside, and it rained, the next day I would go out and there was a puddle on the driver's floorboard. A BIG PUDDLE. I did not know if it was coming from the t-tops and running down the side rails or what. So, one day when I was washing it, I put water in the cowl compartment (the area where the wipers are) and I looked inside the car and it was dripping down from up under the dashboard. It must be leaking straight down from that wiper area.
Does anyone have any ideas about what seals or anything go bad there or have any tricks that I can use to find out.
Thanks.
Does anyone have any ideas about what seals or anything go bad there or have any tricks that I can use to find out.
Thanks.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 854
Likes: 7
From: dudley ma
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
had similar problem with my 77 mine leaked under the hood at bottom sides of windshield sorry i can be more specific it's been 12 yrs but come to find out it had been hit before i bought it used caulking sealed it up it was around the area where the plastic screen to catch leaves and debis is located hope this helps
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 4
From: New Baden Illinois
Re: leaking water inside car (78pace)
I have heard about that catch hole before. I was told that the side holes are used to channel water to the outside, though. How did you get to the bottom of the hole?
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 499
Likes: 0
From: honolulu HI
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
had the same problem..it dripped from under the dash..i replaced my t-top stripping and believe it or not it stop leaking..im thinking it must have run from t-top down the left side post under the plastics and dripped under dash right by the light lockout switch :confused: im just glad it stopped :jester
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 204
Likes: 0
From: Bonney Lake WA
Re: leaking water inside car (razz1980)
My 80 leaked right were the windsheild wiper arm mounts to the body. When ever it would rain I would get water dripping on my shoes. It was a real mofro to figure out where it was leaking at. Good luck and dry the carpet padding out real good, Those floor pans do rust you know..
Drifting
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 1,468
Likes: 1
From: Kirkland WA
Re: leaking water inside car (aqua80)
Are you sure that it's coming from the cowl? I had the same leak as you -- turns out that my original windshield seal was cracked and water was leaking inside the car that way.
Racer
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 499
Likes: 0
From: Kristiansand
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
Seems to be a common problem, lots of post on this in the past.
I found a small crack in the glass fiber at the drivers side.
Look underneath the dash to try to see approx. where the water is entering. Then examine all seams in that area and seal all suspected places.
[Modified by Ingar, Norway, 9:01 AM 4/12/2002]
I found a small crack in the glass fiber at the drivers side.
Look underneath the dash to try to see approx. where the water is entering. Then examine all seams in that area and seal all suspected places.
[Modified by Ingar, Norway, 9:01 AM 4/12/2002]
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Doylestown PA
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
dgruenke,
I had the EXACT same problem with my '82 - driver's side only. It turned out that leaves had clogged the drainage channel through the ledge above the firewall (left grid beside the wipers). Leaf debris fell down through the grid and plugged the channel. After clearing it, I've never had a problem again.
Good luck. I hope your problem is as simple.
I had the EXACT same problem with my '82 - driver's side only. It turned out that leaves had clogged the drainage channel through the ledge above the firewall (left grid beside the wipers). Leaf debris fell down through the grid and plugged the channel. After clearing it, I've never had a problem again.
Good luck. I hope your problem is as simple.
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Instructor
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 122
Likes: 0
From: Jacksonville Fl
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
UhOh...I'm having flash backs....I spent lots of time and $$$ chasing the mysterious cabin leaks in my 77. As I found and fixed one leak a new one developed. T-top seals leaked, rear window leaked, replaced windshield and repaired frame...now the leak was but a trickle. Removed entire interior and cleaned/recaulked all seams, replaced dreaded heater core and installed complete new interior.....sigh...the saga continues..... :nopity
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 1,716
Likes: 4
From: New Baden Illinois
Re: leaking water inside car (twotone82)
Thanks everyone for all the help. I will have to try a few of those things. :)
twotone82: I have heard about the leaves clogging the drain before. How did you get down into there to unclog it?
aqua80: I have also heard of the wiper mounts leaking. Ya know, that black sealant that the factory puts on is pretty cracked. How did you go about resealing yours?
Thanks.
twotone82: I have heard about the leaves clogging the drain before. How did you get down into there to unclog it?
aqua80: I have also heard of the wiper mounts leaking. Ya know, that black sealant that the factory puts on is pretty cracked. How did you go about resealing yours?
Thanks.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 4,143
Likes: 0
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
Well if you have a vert like me then you 'live' with leaks.... :sad:
....but I've been told the base of the windshield near the fenders above the firewall is very prone to leakage. :chevy
....but I've been told the base of the windshield near the fenders above the firewall is very prone to leakage. :chevy
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 6,663
Likes: 1,359
check this...
My '68 had an annoying weep from somewhere under the dash..or so it seemed, couldn't really find it. I put some undercoating in the wiper bay area and it slowed it down. However when I really hosed the area down it would again slightly weep. SO...I cleaned out the undercoating, really cleaned up the fiberglass, and I put a couple of layers of fiberglass cloth in the deeper sections and just poured resin into the bay....let it find it's own natural low spot....let it dry...not a single drip or weep or leak from there since...it's totally glassed up.
I'm not sure if all cars have a seam in the area, but mine had something that looked like a seam..it's glassed and sealed now.
I'm not sure if all cars have a seam in the area, but mine had something that looked like a seam..it's glassed and sealed now.
Intermediate
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 37
Likes: 1
From: Elk Grove CA
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
The first no cost thing to look at is those cowl vent drains. If you look at the cabin venting design you see that air and water enter the cowl, run down the back sides of the front fenders and over top of the kick panel vent. Air will circulate into the vent and the water will continue down and out a slot at the base of the fender. Get down by the rocker panel and look at the bottom of the front fender. Bend up a welding rod or coat hanger and make sure that vent is clear.
You can also check this by removing the kick panel and then flooding the cowl vents with water. If the vent is plugged, water will rise until it spills over bottom of the kick panel vent and into the cabin. My 69 didn't have any screens in the cowl and there was all kinds of crap in there. After cleaning the leaves out I had to run a vacuum cleaner hose down there to get some of the dropped nuts, screws and spacers out of there. :cuss
You can also check this by removing the kick panel and then flooding the cowl vents with water. If the vent is plugged, water will rise until it spills over bottom of the kick panel vent and into the cabin. My 69 didn't have any screens in the cowl and there was all kinds of crap in there. After cleaning the leaves out I had to run a vacuum cleaner hose down there to get some of the dropped nuts, screws and spacers out of there. :cuss
Instructor
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 164
Likes: 0
From: Doylestown PA
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
dgruenke,
I took the grid off and used a thin hose attachment on a shop vac. After that I blew some water at high-pressure with a regular garden hose through the channel and a bunch of mulch-grade material shot out (shoot the water through the top under the grid). Ah, the joys of living in the Northeast :crazy:
I took the grid off and used a thin hose attachment on a shop vac. After that I blew some water at high-pressure with a regular garden hose through the channel and a bunch of mulch-grade material shot out (shoot the water through the top under the grid). Ah, the joys of living in the Northeast :crazy:
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,310
Likes: 1
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
There was a pretty good thread on this a while back, but I can't find it now.
Anyway, you've already got the drain hole fix; don't forget to put those kick panels back on correctly. I've read that if they're not on correctly, water will leak past them onto the floor.
Also, (I probably am showing my somewhat bubba nature here), but I:
1. Used a good caulk around all of the seams / cracks in the cowl area, then covered it all with undercoating.
2. You said you've localized it to the cowl, but, I pulled the interior windshield trim and checked for water flow there.
3. I caulked under the small weather strip seal in the cowl area where the windshield meets the fender.
4. Others have said that you need to check all of the "holes" in the firewall for intact caulking.
Hope this helps.
Anyway, you've already got the drain hole fix; don't forget to put those kick panels back on correctly. I've read that if they're not on correctly, water will leak past them onto the floor.
Also, (I probably am showing my somewhat bubba nature here), but I:
1. Used a good caulk around all of the seams / cracks in the cowl area, then covered it all with undercoating.
2. You said you've localized it to the cowl, but, I pulled the interior windshield trim and checked for water flow there.
3. I caulked under the small weather strip seal in the cowl area where the windshield meets the fender.
4. Others have said that you need to check all of the "holes" in the firewall for intact caulking.
Hope this helps.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 803
Likes: 0
From: South San Francisco CA
Re: leaking water inside car (dgruenke)
I had the same exact problem, too! Water is supposed to be channeled from the windshield wiper cowl area down and out the inner walls of the body. The drain slot or hole on my drivers side was plugged with leaves, debris, bits of stuff from the last 3 decades. I tried to get to this drain but couldn't so I took the car to the local Corvette expert. He was able to clean it out and it's been fine ever since. I think the problem is somewhere near the left front speaker hole right in front of my floor dimmer switch.
