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Leak help

Old Dec 25, 2025 | 06:04 PM
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Default Leak help

Hello,
I’m having a water leak in my cabin and I believe it’s this panel gap right here. I’ve checked the utters and they are completely empty and the weathering is old but not enough for my carpet to be soaked and only on the driver side. I have attached a picture of what I believe to be the culprit and am looking for advice on how to fix.

thank you and Merry Christmas.

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Old Dec 25, 2025 | 08:25 PM
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Old Dec 26, 2025 | 12:34 AM
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Old Dec 27, 2025 | 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by frodo84
this seems to be a write up on changing the weather strips, I’m not sure if this will help as the water is coming from the firewall area (I’ve touched it and it’s definitely wet with water drips). Is there weather striping near the firewall that might be the issue?
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 12:48 AM
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Originally Posted by Canyon.C5
Hello,
I’m having a water leak in my cabin and I believe it’s this panel gap right here. I’ve checked the utters and they are completely empty and the weathering is old but not enough for my carpet to be soaked and only on the driver side. I have attached a picture of what I believe to be the culprit and am looking for advice on how to fix.

thank you and Merry Christmas.
Had same issue. Gorilla taped the cowl to the windshield to see if water still got in. That wasn't it. Water getting in at that area will drain out through the udders. My issue turned out to be a clogged AC drain tube. I ran the defogger while driving in a deluge to clear the windows. It was pulling moisture out of the cabin air but dumping it onto the floorboard as the clogged drain tube forced the condensate to collect and overflow behind the dash. Because this happened when it was raining, I just assumed it was a leak. But later, after taking a long drive on a humid but non rainy day, it did it again. That's when I checked the drain tube. Stuck a straightened coat hangar end up it and a quart or more of water poured out. It takes a while for the condensate to build to the point of overflow so you may never notice a 'leak' if you don't drive it on longer trips with the AC on. But it will fill up faster on rainy days with the defogger on due to the higher humidity in the cabin. You may have nothing more than a clogged AC drain tube. Easy to get to from underneath. If this is the problem, the passenger side footwell carpet will get wet. What areas of your carpet are wet? Is your Corvette a coupe, convertible or FRC?



Last edited by Skooter; Dec 28, 2025 at 12:55 AM.
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 03:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Skooter
Had same issue. Gorilla taped the cowl to the windshield to see if water still got in. That wasn't it. Water getting in at that area will drain out through the udders. My issue turned out to be a clogged AC drain tube. I ran the defogger while driving in a deluge to clear the windows. It was pulling moisture out of the cabin air but dumping it onto the floorboard as the clogged drain tube forced the condensate to collect and overflow behind the dash. Because this happened when it was raining, I just assumed it was a leak. But later, after taking a long drive on a humid but non rainy day, it did it again. That's when I checked the drain tube. Stuck a straightened coat hangar end up it and a quart or more of water poured out. It takes a while for the condensate to build to the point of overflow so you may never notice a 'leak' if you don't drive it on longer trips with the AC on. But it will fill up faster on rainy days with the defogger on due to the higher humidity in the cabin. You may have nothing more than a clogged AC drain tube. Easy to get to from underneath. If this is the problem, the passenger side footwell carpet will get wet. What areas of your carpet are wet? Is your Corvette a coupe, convertible or FRC?
I have noticed the wet carpet only on the driver side and I have not been driving my car but since it has been raining my carpet is getting soaked only on the driver side. If it’s not the cowl I’ll definitely go back through the previously linked weather stripping post and see if there’s any strips that could be the culprit. I will absolutely check my ac drain though as to prevent future issues. thank you!
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Old Dec 28, 2025 | 11:42 AM
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Originally Posted by Canyon.C5
I have noticed the wet carpet only on the driver side and I have not been driving my car but since it has been raining my carpet is getting soaked only on the driver side. If it’s not the cowl I’ll definitely go back through the previously linked weather stripping post and see if there’s any strips that could be the culprit. I will absolutely check my ac drain though as to prevent future issues. thank you!
It may be worth removing the cowl and clean the area under it really well. I cleaned the udders previously but when I pulled the cowl off I was surprised to find how much debris of leaves and pine needles had collected under there. Used a shop vac to suck it out. Could cause water to pool and get in somewhere possibly before making it to the udders. Worth a shot if nothing else has worked. Removing the cowl is not too hard. Remove the wiper arms, pull a few plastic fasteners and slide it down and forward careful not to break the plastic guide tabs on the underside of the cowl that hold it firmly in place to the windshield. Be more careful when putting it back on.
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Old Dec 29, 2025 | 04:17 PM
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I had water pooling under the pedals of my current Z, which is what tipped me off to the leak(s). I also thought it was perhaps, somehow, coming down the firewall but it was the weatherstripping and plastic reveal moldings. The sources of my leaks were not obvious until I removed the roof liner. As a first step, I’d remove the roof liner, driver side interior molding, and carpet. This way, anything wet can be dried before it gets ruined (esp. the roof liner).

If you are certain the roof is dry, maybe pop off the a-pillar cover- in case the leak starts there and runs down the inside of the cover? That was the source of one of my leaks. Another area to check is the door hinges. I haven’t had that as a leak on mine but given the proximity to where your carpet is wet, it may be worth checking too?

Good luck with the fix!!

Last edited by OldManBeach; Dec 29, 2025 at 04:41 PM.
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