Footwells full of water

[andydw]

Just picked up car from airport and carpets on both sides completely soaking. Car was outside in rain week before and I didn't notice any dampness then, though I wasn't really looking. So two questions: how do I find the source and how do I fix it? Could the water be anything other than rain for instance?

Cheers for all help!

[robsco]

The window seal channels can't really cope with heavy downpours. Mine also used to leak through the footwells via the bulkhead, which can be sorted through resealing. Chasing leaks all seems like a bit of a minefield to me, you could spend a fortune in labour chasing them all down. Apparently there's a 3 page list of problem areas that the dealers used to have to hand.

[Tanguero]

The usual problem with the door seal is not where the window seals against it, but water getting inside the channel of the seal at the top and running right round the front of the door frame and out at the bottom where it turns the corner. Reseating the seal can help but I ended up replacing them.

robsco said:

Apparently there's a 3 page list of problem areas that the dealers used to have to hand.

It would have to be fairly small pages then!

Copied from a TVR bulletin
A list of water ingress points on the front offside on the Cerb.

1. The grommets which the throttle cable, water temperature capillary tube brake servo hose pass through
2. Clutch master cylinder cover (on the inner front wing)
3. Pedal box securing bolts
4. Brake master cylinder reservoir bolts
5. Bolts securing bonnet stay rod bracket
6. Oil pipe union
7. Scuttle panel securing riv-nut
8. Brake block mounted on toe board
9. Grommets in floor pan
10. Bonnet release shaft
11. Windscreen
12. Bolts securing bonnet lock bracket
13. Door seals
14. Steering column bearing
15. Indicator side repeater

And the nearside footwell........

1. Wiring loom grommet or multiplug connector on early cars.
2. Grommet for wiper motor wiring
3. Wiper motor securing bolts
4. Expansion tank bracket securing bolts
5. Heater pipes
6. Battery tray securing bolts
7. MAP sensor pipe (barometric pressure pipe from rear l/h airbox)
8. Rivnut for scuttle panel
9. Windscreen
10. Door seals
11. Grommets in floorpan
12. Indicator side repeater

Edited by Tanguero on Saturday 19th November 16:27

[robsco]

Tanguero said:

It would have to be fairly small pages then!

A1 pages I meant.

[tejr]

I find mines ok in heavy rain, but on cold nights when theres a huge amount of condensation (almost looks like it was raining when you come out in the morning) I find the drivers footwell can sometimes be quite damp

[DAVEY DEE]

Tanguero said:

It would have to be fairly small pages then!

Copied from a TVR bulletin
A list of water ingress points on the front offside on the Cerb.

1. The grommets which the throttle cable, water temperature capillary tube brake servo hose pass through
2. Clutch master cylinder cover (on the inner front wing)
3. Pedal box securing bolts
4. Brake master cylinder reservoir bolts
5. Bolts securing bonnet stay rod bracket
6. Oil pipe union
7. Scuttle panel securing riv-nut
8. Brake block mounted on toe board
9. Grommets in floor pan
10. Bonnet release shaft
11. Windscreen
12. Bolts securing bonnet lock bracket
13. Door seals
14. Steering column bearing
15. Indicator side repeater

And the nearside footwell........

1. Wiring loom grommet or multiplug connector on early cars.
2. Grommet for wiper motor wiring
3. Wiper motor securing bolts
4. Expansion tank bracket securing bolts
5. Heater pipes
6. Battery tray securing bolts
7. MAP sensor pipe (barometric pressure pipe from rear l/h airbox)
8. Rivnut for scuttle panel
9. Windscreen
10. Door seals
11. Grommets in floorpan
12. Indicator side repeater

Edited by Tanguero on Saturday 19th November 16:27

Mental note: don't go out in the rain.

[Jabbah]

robsco said:

A1 pages I meant.

And very very large letters

[andydw]

The fact both sides are equally wet (and they were absolutely soaking) suggests door seals to me.
Incidentally, I pulled forward the panel on the passenger side bulkhead and all sorts of gubbins fell out. Is there any advice on how it goes back?

[Tanguero]

DAVEY DEE said:

Mental note: don't go out in the rain.

On the contrary, with a little bit of effort they can be completely watertight. Mine lived out on the drive for over 4 years without a single leak once they were all found and fixed.

[andydw]

Tanguero said:

On the contrary, with a little bit of effort they can be completely watertight. Mine lived out on the drive for over 4 years without a single leak once they were all found and fixed.

Mine will have to live outside and will be used in all weathers. Can you describe how you went about finding and fixing everything?

[andydw]

Tanguero said:

On the contrary, with a little bit of effort they can be completely watertight. Mine lived out on the drive for over 4 years without a single leak once they were all found and fixed.

Mine will have to live outside and will be used in all weathers. Can you describe how you went about finding and fixing everything?

[Tanguero]

andydw said:

Mine will have to live outside and will be used in all weathers. Can you describe how you went about finding and fixing everything?

By using the list I posted...

I know it sounds obvious but the trick to fixing leaks is working out where the water is coming from and which of the listed causes is likely to be the culprit. Bear in mind you may have several leaks contributing to the same pool of water. You just need to systematically stop one leak at a time. A couple of things I found useful.

First dry the car out with towels and a fan heater in the footwells, then to replace the carpets with single thickness of sheets of newspaper and thoroughly hose the outside of the car. The newspaper lets you see where the water first appears, then you can work out from the list what the cause is likely to be.

The other thing is to use alight dusting of talcum powder if you are not sure if there is water running down a seal or not - it will clearly show where it has been washed away. An assistant to hose the outside of the car while you sit in it always helps.

I would reseal around the brake master cylinder and clutch cylinder cover as a matter of course if you have any water in the drivers side. If you replace the door seals - do not be tempted to use silicone to help it seal - it makes the inside of the seal channel too slippery and it won't stay seated properly.

The other secret weapon particularly for leaks round windscreens is http://www.captaintolley.com/ which will creep into tiny gaps by capillary action and seal them.