A (not discussed before?) water leak

Melvin480 · Post by **Melvin480** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:02 pm

My car has developed a new water leak. It is always wet under de pedals now. So far, nothing new. But I couldn't find a leak that is discussed before, looking at where it is coming from:

I can see water dripping from the A-piller trim when I look between the trim and the dashboard. It is a slow proces. One droplet at a time. One every 2 or 3 seconds. So it is coming from somewhere around the A-pillar.

It isn't coming there via the door sealing rubber. There isn't a trace of water between the roof sealing rubber (the rubber that runs from the hood till the tailgate) and the door sealing.

So, where to look? It must be, I think, coming in between the roof and the roof rubber? Or from somewhere around the windscreen?

Anyone who had this before? Where to look?I can't look at it now as it still raining and it is dark.

Murf · Post by **Murf** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:06 pm

Sunroof?

Melvin480 · Post by **Melvin480** » Thu Mar 05, 2009 7:27 pm

Sounds like a possible place, but I don't have a sunroof

Should have mentioned that.

Ettore Bugatti · Post by **Ettore Bugatti** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:10 am

front windscreen

Melvin480 · Post by **Melvin480** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 11:54 am

Do you mean through the glue/sealing which hold the windscreen in place?

chriskay · Post by **chriskay** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 12:58 pm

I've had this trouble, but in a different place, on both my 480's. In my case, I've had a wet seatbelt. I've cured it on both cars by peeling back the roof sealing rubber, cleaning between it & the roof, then running a bead of silicone between the roof & the rubber; not too much, or it will ooze out. Using a small nozzle on the silicone tube should allow you to go right to the tailgate end without removing the trim above the rear window.

esta · Post by **esta** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 4:56 pm

I had a leak from the top of the A-post on the passengers side, where the windscreen wasnt glued in properly and this caused rust to set in - i should check it when you can get the window removed, fortunately mine was removed and the windscreen guy caught it early and fixed it for me

Melvin480 · Post by **Melvin480** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 5:04 pm

I've found the place of the leak. It is leaking between the bodywork and the windscreen. Exactly at the corner of the windscreen, water is seeping through. I think it comming through between the windscreen sealing/glue and the bodywork.

This is how it looks like:

First, now I fear the worst for what is underneath there. Some small paint flakes where falling off in the corner. At the edge where the roof and some other sheetmetal is point welded (just like the rear arches.....) it is a tiny bit rusty. I can see the tiny bit of rust at the outer edge, but the sheets are still attached to each other. Don't want to know what more is there.....

The second point is, how do I fix this for the time being. I was thinking of pressing some window sealing (a black flexibel (silcone like) stuff on a role) in the corner, so the water is kept outside. The problem now is, that it doesn't stick as long as it is wet there. Or has somebody a better idea?

Ettore Bugatti · Post by **Ettore Bugatti** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 6:58 pm

You have no other real option to fix this properly. All other ideas wont stop the rust process. Although you could try to inject some wax in it.

Also try to keep the ECU dry, otherwise you will have some fried electronics too.

Good luck with it!

Melvin480 · Post by **Melvin480** » Fri Mar 06, 2009 9:56 pm

For now I'm looking for a temporary solution. The goal for now is to keep the water outside. I'm planning to get the arches done (again) and to have the roof repainted. I'll have this done later this year. So the best time to remove the windscreen and have it properly fixed is at that time.

I'm not worrying about the ECU, as it is at the other side of the car. Although it might get into the back of the fusebox and cause problems.

So, tomorrow I'll put some wax in it and try to seal it with window sealing stuff, by pressing it in from the inside. If that won't work I can also use a bit of silicone.

Iroll480 · Post by **Iroll480** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:57 am

Don't use bathroom sillicone, that will make it rust even harder because of the acid which is in it to make it harden out. Use some window sealant from 3M or something like that which doesn't harden. Even better is to first inject some POR15 under the rubber window gasket from the inside and the outside (or something like that,google) which stops the rust proces. Let it dry and then apply the window sealant. But whatever you do stay clear of sillicone!

Melvin480 · Post by **Melvin480** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:19 am

I've just patched the leak with some window sealant. The same stuff as you said, just not from 3M but from Volvo. (Have both, the Volvo stuff has a larger diameter than the 3M). Didn't put any silicon there.

Although I'm not going to use it now: what about acid free silicon? The clear (or black) stuff that is also used for fish tanks. Should that be safe to use on a car?

Next thing is to wash the car and see if it holds the water outside.

esta · Post by **esta** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:05 am

good lkuck!

DrumBum · Post by **DrumBum** » Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:40 pm

The acid in silicon is acetic (same as vinegar) where you don't want silicon or want to clean up an edge after its cured, use washing up liquid smeared on, silicon dosen't stick to it.
( used to fit windows, on the old metal frames you could draft proof them this way, smearing washing up liquid onto the opening bit and silicon onto the frame close window leave over night, and open next day, with a bespoke gasket and not sealed shut.)

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A (not discussed before?) water leak

A (not discussed before?) water leak

heres a trick