I'm taking on water !!!
Discussion
Help! My '97 5L Chim lives outside and having only recently got it, I'm somewhat alarmed to find it is absorbing water, unlike the V8S it was exchanged for! The carpets get absolutely soaked (I mean puddles of water) but only on the drivers side. This only seems to happen when parked up (i.e. a drive in heavy rain doesn't get the carpets wet). There is also water trapped somewhere behind the dash area as you can hear it sloshing about when driving. It's been back to the dealer once who sealed off the master cylinder but clearly this hasn't solved the problem. I can't get hold of a copy of Steve's book as it's out of print at the TVRCC so I'm stuck.
Can anyone shed any light on this please?
Can anyone shed any light on this please?
Same problem! Puddle under D/Seat, Took it to Fernhurst on Monday they said it was water seeping in thro the Door lock! Re-sealed now wait for rain. It’s been parked up in the rain today. I will check when I leave work and again when I get home.
Update you later.
ABBTVR
Same problem! Puddle under D/Seat, Took it to Fernhurst on Monday they said it was water seeping in thro the Door lock! Re-sealed now wait for rain. It’s been parked up in the rain today. I will check when I leave work and again when I get home.
Update you later.
ABBTVR
Well, didn't need to look to closely, Bloody puddle!
As far as I can make out it's only under the Drivers seat. I'll get some Thomson’s at the weekend and start my "dry campaign" by sealing the hood etc. My carpets are wet/damp behind the driver seat fairly high up, this is telling me to start at the top and work down. I don't envy you, one wet area is bad enough. I still think it's a small price to pay for the privilege of driving around in such a formidable piece of machinery.
If all else fails I was thinking about either fresh water or tropical fish! Wondering where to put the pump, heater and filter?
Any suggestions?
Trying to keep it dry!
ABBTVR
>> Edited by ABBTVR on Wednesday 6th November 19:09
Update you later.
ABBTVR
Same problem! Puddle under D/Seat, Took it to Fernhurst on Monday they said it was water seeping in thro the Door lock! Re-sealed now wait for rain. It’s been parked up in the rain today. I will check when I leave work and again when I get home.
Update you later.
ABBTVR
Well, didn't need to look to closely, Bloody puddle!
As far as I can make out it's only under the Drivers seat. I'll get some Thomson’s at the weekend and start my "dry campaign" by sealing the hood etc. My carpets are wet/damp behind the driver seat fairly high up, this is telling me to start at the top and work down. I don't envy you, one wet area is bad enough. I still think it's a small price to pay for the privilege of driving around in such a formidable piece of machinery.
If all else fails I was thinking about either fresh water or tropical fish! Wondering where to put the pump, heater and filter?
Any suggestions?
Trying to keep it dry!
ABBTVR
>> Edited by ABBTVR on Wednesday 6th November 19:09
Take a look here... http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Peter_Beech/TVR/bodygen.htm#WaterIngress
Further to that, ensure the roof is waterproofed (use Fabsil or Thompson's).
Check windscreen rubber seals (at botton of screen) - reseal if necessary.
Check sealing around wiper shafts (I think).
Check all silicon seals everywhere.
Further to that, ensure the roof is waterproofed (use Fabsil or Thompson's).
Check windscreen rubber seals (at botton of screen) - reseal if necessary.
Check sealing around wiper shafts (I think).
Check all silicon seals everywhere.
If you've got water sloshing around behind the dash you may find that where the screen washer pipes exit the body the plugs are leaking. Be very careful if you try and pull them out to reseal as I did this and one broke off - dash out, etc. etc. to put right!
I was also getting loads of water coming in round the gromets that feed into the drivers footwell from the engine compartment on top of the inner wing.
I was also getting loads of water coming in round the gromets that feed into the drivers footwell from the engine compartment on top of the inner wing.
Help! My '97 5L Chim lives outside and having only recently got it, I'm somewhat alarmed to find it is absorbing water, unlike the V8S it was exchanged for! The carpets get absolutely soaked (I mean puddles of water) but only on the drivers side.
This only seems to happen when parked up (i.e. a drive in heavy rain doesn't get the carpets wet).
Is your velcro fastened properly, can you pull the door trim away from the fibreglass, does your roof fit properly, are your widows flush when shut (or are they open
), open the bonnet - are there any obvious holes where wires go through the dash under the wipers, is there a hole behind in the tirewell (it might be filling some pocket up whilst going forward then leaking out later when less inertia Ahh, maybe the water is getting trapped in the air pipes whilst driving and then leaks out when resting..
There is also water trapped somewhere behind the dash area as you can hear it sloshing about when driving. It's been back to the dealer once who sealed off the master cylinder but clearly this hasn't solved the problem.
Maybe it's the heating system leaking or not flowing properly
I can't get hold of a copy of Steve's book as it's out of print at the TVRCC so I'm stuck.
You can borrow mine
e:mail me and we could talk you through sections of the book - or give you more pointers (my (ex)griff was bone dry).
Can anyone shed any light on this please?
Yup, there's another interior light under the passenger footwell on the gear change side, move it over, switch it on, maybe you could keep coy carp.
BTW does it fill with water when it's not raining (stop chuckling, it might be a jelous neighbours hosepipe
) Edited to make it look like it's might have usefull stuff in as well..
>> Edited by Scruff ....0 on Wednesday 6th November 17:33
This is exactly the problem I have! I figured the sloshing sound you hear when starting up was the cooling/heating system pressurising.
Still have no real answer to mine. I thought it was a leaky roof but given that others seem to have exactly the same problem (flooded drivers side footwell) there must be a common cause. I'm pretty sure it happens when the car is stood and not due to a hole in the footwell letting spray in when your driving. I'll pull mine apart this weekend and tell you what I find.
Still have no real answer to mine. I thought it was a leaky roof but given that others seem to have exactly the same problem (flooded drivers side footwell) there must be a common cause. I'm pretty sure it happens when the car is stood and not due to a hole in the footwell letting spray in when your driving. I'll pull mine apart this weekend and tell you what I find.
) around the brake reservoir. hi Simon ... sorry to hear about the problems. I'm suffering from a big puddle behind the passenger seat at the moment. Given the crappy weather you'll probably have an opportunity to sit in the car while its pissing with rain and look for the leak. In my case a lot of water arrived in small drips. Took a while to spot. Given there are so many places it can be coming in, rather thn taking a trial and error approach, it is well worth looking for the leak while it is happening.
Thanks Chris! Didn’t know I had “two” of them there storage boxes.
Well it’s been raining, as one could tell by looking at my carpets! Yes water is still coming in. Sat in her on Friday in the rain, no visible signs of water seeping, dripping in anywhere around the hood or targa posts. On Saturday (dry day) I started at to top, hood got one coat of Thompson’s if it’s dry next weekend I will do a second coat. On further investigation into the drivers well (“well” aptly named) this area is also very wet and soggy, along both sides of the well and right at the front behind the pedals. So it has now become a challenge, as I am a relatively new to TVR’s this is my first month of ownership, and at this point in time have not managed to get hold of or even seen a “bible”. Is there anyway of finding all the possible leak points at the front end? Ideally pictorially. I can get access to a ramp so getting underneath will not be a problem. That’s all well and good but where do I need to look and apply sealer?
I am in your capable hands Guys & Girls.
ABBTVR
Well it’s been raining, as one could tell by looking at my carpets! Yes water is still coming in. Sat in her on Friday in the rain, no visible signs of water seeping, dripping in anywhere around the hood or targa posts. On Saturday (dry day) I started at to top, hood got one coat of Thompson’s if it’s dry next weekend I will do a second coat. On further investigation into the drivers well (“well” aptly named) this area is also very wet and soggy, along both sides of the well and right at the front behind the pedals. So it has now become a challenge, as I am a relatively new to TVR’s this is my first month of ownership, and at this point in time have not managed to get hold of or even seen a “bible”. Is there anyway of finding all the possible leak points at the front end? Ideally pictorially. I can get access to a ramp so getting underneath will not be a problem. That’s all well and good but where do I need to look and apply sealer?
I am in your capable hands Guys & Girls.
ABBTVR
I too have been doing battle with leaks.....it takes at least six coats of Thompsons to achieve waterproofness, I found putting a coat on every night when I got in from work sorted it out.
Footwell leaks so far have come from the entry point of wires through gromets in the wings, rivets holding on the engine number plate and oil usage plate, and the line of rivets under the perforated tin attached to the windscreen. I found lying upside down in the footwells with a torch whilst it's raining is the only way... at least you can see the water dripping from the underside of the rivets. The trouble is I think water finds the easiest way in so once you fix one hole it moves on to the next. I see it as a challenge and one I shall rise above !!! Have fun.
Footwell leaks so far have come from the entry point of wires through gromets in the wings, rivets holding on the engine number plate and oil usage plate, and the line of rivets under the perforated tin attached to the windscreen. I found lying upside down in the footwells with a torch whilst it's raining is the only way... at least you can see the water dripping from the underside of the rivets. The trouble is I think water finds the easiest way in so once you fix one hole it moves on to the next. I see it as a challenge and one I shall rise above !!! Have fun.
The main reason that they take on water is that the roof gets soaked and then it drips through the seals....I would recommend some Fabseal which is available from all good camping stores and spray this evenly all over the roof. This stuff is made to seal tents but apparently they use it in the TVR factory, once applied the rain will just run off the roof on drops..Hope this helps..PS: it needs re-applying every six months or so...
Did some waterproofing at the weekend. Try some of these spots with silicon sealant.
Inside drivers side wing under the bonnet. There's a grommet by the brake fluid. Mine had come out. Where the cables / pipes go into the wing (3 of them) round them. The seals on mine had gone a bit. Round the rivets holding the vehicle ID plates on and round the master cylinder compartment. Behind the rear numberplate - seal the lights - mine were leaking into the boot. Fabsil on the roof seems to work. I'm waiting for rain now to see if my latest sealing up works. Happy sealing!
Inside drivers side wing under the bonnet. There's a grommet by the brake fluid. Mine had come out. Where the cables / pipes go into the wing (3 of them) round them. The seals on mine had gone a bit. Round the rivets holding the vehicle ID plates on and round the master cylinder compartment. Behind the rear numberplate - seal the lights - mine were leaking into the boot. Fabsil on the roof seems to work. I'm waiting for rain now to see if my latest sealing up works. Happy sealing!
This is all really good advice folks, thanks. Scruff...0, I'll try these tips first before contacting you but thanks for the lending offer.
I found out what the "water behind the dash" noise was - water behind the drivers seats on the floor moving about. It didn't move up to the footwell but just surged about behind me and somehow made it sound as though it was in front of me! Dummy! My dealer has also mentioned that Fabsil rots the rubber between the two mohair layers in the roof. He aadded that if the roof leaks, it can take on lots of water which also surges about during driving, as though coming from the front of the car.
I found out what the "water behind the dash" noise was - water behind the drivers seats on the floor moving about. It didn't move up to the footwell but just surged about behind me and somehow made it sound as though it was in front of me! Dummy! My dealer has also mentioned that Fabsil rots the rubber between the two mohair layers in the roof. He aadded that if the roof leaks, it can take on lots of water which also surges about during driving, as though coming from the front of the car.
I'm not convinced about the "water behind the dash" thing. I think that's just the cooling system pressurising. My only reason for this is that it happens with mine when I start up sometimes but before the car moves. I think the reason you (and me) hear it behind the dash is because of the heat exchanger (located back there somewhere). I wouldn't worry too much about Fabsil either. I think I'm right in saying that they use it at the factory before the cars go out, and it shouldn't go on the seals anyway and if a bit does get on them, I think they're neoprene which is fairly chemi resistant. Hope you get all your leaks sorted.
>> Edited by GlennP on Monday 11th November 17:30
>> Edited by GlennP on Monday 11th November 17:30
[quoteand at this point in time have not managed to get hold of or even seen a “bible
You won't until the new edition comes out later this month. The only thing I would say is that Thompson's water sealer (the stuff they do bricks with) is even better than Fabsil and a lot lot cheaper. Either product should be wiped clean off the seals as they get sticky otherwise.
Steve
You won't until the new edition comes out later this month. The only thing I would say is that Thompson's water sealer (the stuff they do bricks with) is even better than Fabsil and a lot lot cheaper. Either product should be wiped clean off the seals as they get sticky otherwise.
Steve
shpub said: The only thing I would say is that Thompson's water sealer (the stuff they do bricks with) is even better than Fabsil and a lot lot cheaper. Either product should be wiped clean off the seals as they get sticky otherwise.
It took 8 coats of Thompsons to do mine (don't think it had had any attention from new) - did a coat every night. Use a proper bristle brush, the nylon ones don't hold the liquid. If any gets on the paint or glass or seals wipe it off straight away, otherwise it's out with the white spirit. 1 litre did mine - about £6.99 if I remember. Bargain!
Check the seal around the brake fluid resevoir which is in the bulkhead above the drivers footwell. I had water in the carpets etc everytime it rained. I got a tube of black silicon sealer and had the old seal cleaned out and refilled with new stuff. It did the trick. You just need to be sure that you have cleaned out the old stuff and it is clean before applying the new sealer.
Also check the bolts that hold the seats in place. They may need some sealer. In addition check the bolts that hold the battery box in place - they go through a very large hole that is sealed with silicon or something simliar.
If you are keeping the car outside all the time I suggest a waterproof cover. Basic ones should be around £50. Worth it to keep water out of the interior.
Good luck.
Paul
Also check the bolts that hold the seats in place. They may need some sealer. In addition check the bolts that hold the battery box in place - they go through a very large hole that is sealed with silicon or something simliar.
If you are keeping the car outside all the time I suggest a waterproof cover. Basic ones should be around £50. Worth it to keep water out of the interior.
Good luck.
Paul
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