Paddling Pool?

[SpikesTVR]

I am sure that this topic has been raised many times, however I would appreciate reassurance that my car is no worse than others! Driving home on Friday after the car had sat outside the office in the rain all day and while it chucked it down as I sat in traffic (very frustrating), I noticed a couple of leaks. One from the roof above my head (couldn't miss that one as it dripped on me), another from the top of the thin vertical silver pillar on the door/window and then when I checked the carpet behind the seats on Saturday it was soaked (visible puddles).

Is this normal after one wet rainy day?

I have had the car for nearly a year and don't use it in the rain very often, so would appreciate hearing any other experiences. Other than the damp smell the car is the Dogs B*****ks.

Cheers

[craigalsop]

It is possible to make them leak free - the first thing you probably need to do is to treat the roof with Thompson's WaterSeal (From B&Q. For brickwork. Yes really)
Once you have done this, see how many leaks are left - you will probably need to reseal the brake fluid reservoir in the drivers side inner wing, and around the windscreen squirters where they exit the bodywork under the windscreen.
After that, check the rubber door seals & replace rubbers / readjust door as necessary.

cheers,
Craig

[simpo one]

I'd look at the way the top of the window meets the rubber along the edge of the roof panel. It's supposed to go *over* the top of the glass, but can get tucked behind if the panel's not on centrally or the glass comes up too high. Also check that there's no gap between the rear of the window glass and the targa section.

[jtong]

I had the paddling pool behind the passenger seat. Turned out that the two "dents" in the door sill seal weren't formed correctly.

Apparently water collects down the centre of this seal and is supposed to drain OUTWARDS using these two dents. In my case, it was draining inwards.

The solution was to either glue these dents down properly or just cut them out entirely...

[ATG]

Mine used to be a paddling pool. Dose of Fabsil on the fabric roof and it is now bone dry and no longer smells of dog piss. Window fit and waterproofing the fabric will almost certainly sort you out.

I'd strongly recommend getting it sorted, because the humidity in the cabin can cause damage. I knew the previous owner of my car. He thought all Chims were damp and never bothered to do anything about it. Net result is that the car was damp inside for two or three years. The hazard and fog light buttons use really crappy switch mechanisms. Mine corroded to the point that they failed and it was a real pain trying to get hold of some replacements.

[JonRB]

Another thing to note is that if you leave the carpets wet for ages then, apart from the smell, they start to ROT! This happened to my Chimaera as, like ATG's, my previous owner hadn't sorted it out.

I had to have half the carpetting replaced by an upholsterer (under warranty, fortunately) to get it fixed.

[.mark]

You could always invest in one of those containers that 'sucks' water from the air using crystals. During the damp weather, when I park the car at home I put one inside on the floor - you would be amazed at theamount of water they collect and mine doesn't leak - much.

[martynt]

I suffered with leaks from day one - from both passenger doors (now sorted by getting the dealer to refit tighter to the seals) and more persistantly around the break res under the bonnet. Cured this by resealing the break res with liberal application of plastic padding and waterproof sealant. Seems to have worked ok. I agree its important to keep carpets dry - stops the smell and all that squelching!