Rain rain go away

[jglawnyc]

Yesterday was a horrible blowing rainy day in NY.  Unfortunately, only the 65 Skylark sleeps in the garage, the Reatta has to stay outside.  As with all heavy blowing rainy days, afterwards the lower left quadrant of the driver foot-well (towards the rear of the foot-well near the drivers seat, and on the side closest to the door sill) was damp.  The door panel was dry and the door seal rubber all seems to be fine.  Has anyone else experienced this problem?  Is it a known issue and if so is there a preferred fix?  Thanks all.

[retired mechanic74]

Yesterday was a horrible blowing rainy day in NY.  Unfortunately, only the 65 Skylark sleeps in the garage, the Reatta has to stay outside.  As with all heavy blowing rainy days, afterwards the lower left quadrant of the driver foot-well (towards the rear of the foot-well near the drivers seat, and on the side closest to the door sill) was damp.  The door panel was dry and the door seal rubber all seems to be fine.  Has anyone else experienced this problem?  Is it a known issue and if so is there a preferred fix?  Thanks all.

 

One way to check out the door and window seals is....Roll the window down and stand outside then Close the door on a dollar bill and if it slides out easily chances are that is where it is leaking. Do this on all parts of the weather strips. Then roll up the window and set inside and do the same for the window seal. It is possible that the door may need adjusting from slamming the door over a period of time. I'm always yelling at my kids for slamming the doors. ( Not good for the door panels ether).

[jglawnyc]

Gonna try that tomorrow, not gonna do the "what if" now, but the door seems to "thunk" closed convincingly and securely....we'll see tomorrow, I will report back.  I also lovingly ask the spouse EACH AND EVERY TIME DON'T SLAM!  Why, you may ask, each and every time.....?  You figure it out.

[2seater]

Another less common leak point is the rear window seal. It doesn't show on the surface but runs down the rear sheet metal under the plastic lining panels. Check the storage wells in the floor behind the front seats.

[jglawnyc]

Rear storage compartment completely dry, in fact I have kept my diagram manual in there for years and it is in the same condition as when I got it.  All carpet in rear area is dry as well.  Dollar bill test revealed that it took a good tug to move the bill at all points on the bottom and lower sides of the door rubber.  Mystery remains.....where is this rainy day driver footwell dampness coming from?

[Ronnie]

Does your car have a sunroof?

[retired mechanic74]

Rear storage compartment completely dry, in fact I have kept my diagram manual in there for years and it is in the same condition as when I got it.  All carpet in rear area is dry as well.  Dollar bill test revealed that it took a good tug to move the bill at all points on the bottom and lower sides of the door rubber.  Mystery remains.....where is this rainy day driver footwell dampness coming from?

 

...The only other possibility I can think of is a rust spot below the driver side wiper in the cowl around where the finder meets the door. If you can get in there and clean out the leaves or what ever, then spray expandable foam down there to seal the leak.

[jglawnyc]

No sunroof Ronnie.....I was anxious at the time to get a car, and couldn't wait for a sunroofed Polo Green any longer......as with my luck, one came available about a month after I bought mine back in '11.  At least I have the 16 way seats and CD (not working).  Hey Mechanic....I removed the windshield baffle over the summer, its just a few screws and a plastic plug at each far end.  I needed to clean out the dried leaves that had accumulated there over the years, which was substantial, and gently bend it a bit around the drivers side wiper as the wiper wouldn't seat all the way down and was catching on the baffle.  Works MUCH better now, but I'm gonna take it off in the spring and bend it a little more and repaint it (along with the side mirrors).  Didn't notice any rust then, but will recheck everything.  As always, much appreciation to all. 

While I have your attention....2 issues...1) There were TWO layers of bubbly tint film on my rear window, first came off easy, second is a bitch.  Tried the Formula 409 and black bag in the sun method 2x, no good...remember, gotta go gentle as the defogger leads are affixed to the glass...ANY SUGGESTIONS to get this tint film off gently?  2) I gotta repaint the car, it needs it badly, clear-coat is shedding on fenders and roof is nearly bare...body otherwise is fine.  Any ideas on what this should cost me?  (I know, I know, I'm here in high cost-of-living NYC)  Thanks all.

[ski.dive]

 

While I have your attention....2 issues...1) There were TWO layers of bubbly tint film on my rear window, first came off easy, second is a bitch.  Tried the Formula 409 and black bag in the sun method 2x, no good...r  Any ideas on what this should cost me?  (I know, I know, I'm here in high cost-of-living NYC)  Thanks all.

 

Take the car to any place that does car window tinting, they will remove the tint...Save yourself the headache

[2seater]

I have found a self-serve carwash where you can ride through in the car may tell you a lot about the sealing properties of various areas. If this area remains damp, I would suspect there is more moisture there than meets the eye. I have pulled the carpeting up on both my '89 and '90 and have found actual almost standing water under the carpet, on the drivers side only. Once it gets under there, it is extremely slow to get back out. I checked one that had been in inside storage for more than six months and had some issues with things that didn't work so had to do the under seat splices and found the water. The carpet had no feeling of dampness on top. The floorpan itself was in great shape with shiny body color paint, no sign of rust. My theory is it is from long term buildup, especially if you ever get caught with the window down in the rain. With no drip rails, everything on the roof goes directly into the car.

[retired mechanic74]

I have found a self-serve carwash where you can ride through in the car may tell you a lot about the sealing properties of various areas. If this area remains damp, I would suspect there is more moisture there than meets the eye. I have pulled the carpeting up on both my '89 and '90 and have found actual almost standing water under the carpet, on the drivers side only. Once it gets under there, it is extremely slow to get back out. I checked one that had been in inside storage for more than six months and had some issues with things that didn't work so had to do the under seat splices and found the water. The carpet had no feeling of dampness on top. The floorpan itself was in great shape with shiny body color paint, no sign of rust. My theory is it is from long term buildup, especially if you ever get caught with the window down in the rain. With no drip rails, everything on the roof goes directly into the car.

 

...I would suggest that he use a furniture attachment on a vacuum and draw out what ever he can from the cowl then pull back the carpet and make sure it is dry. Place newspapers under the dash and down to the seat. Once this is done take a garden hose without the nozzle and put it down inside the cowl and turn the water on just enough for it to stream get inside with a flash light and see if water is coming in. You should remove the hush panel and the panel under the steering column also. Hope this helps.