Help with door leak

jeep.rookie

Member
Original poster
Joined
Aug 23, 2019
Messages
60
Location
South Carolina
I'm dealing with a leak on my passenger side door. Any time it rains, I find a small puddle of water under the front passenger-side floorboard. I also find a small amount of water under the rear passenger floorboard.

I finally had a chance to get inside my jeep and have someone spray the water hose on top of the door, and the leak is coming from the front hinge area of the door. And it's more than just a drip. It's more of a constant light trickle of water coming in.

I opened the door to check it out, and it looks like the problem may have to do with the door seal. It looks like it's pinched in one area, and that appears to be the area where the water is coming in. Based on the pics I'm attaching, should does it look like that door seal is the issue? And if so, does anyone have suggestions for fixing it? Or should I just replace the door seal? I can't figure out why it would pinch in just that one area. And even if I pull the seal back up, once I close and open the door, it's pinched again.

I also included a couple of pics that show some electrical top on the very front corner of the hardtop. I'm not sure why it's there. I removed the tape, and it doesn't look like it was serving any purpose.

And as for the leak in the back seat, I didn't see any water coming in from the back side of the door during the test. So I'm not sure how that area is getting wet. Although it doesn't get even remotely as wet as the front floorboard.


door-seal-pinched-1.webp
door-seal-pinched-2.webp
closeup-water.webp
door-seal-top-tape.webp
door-seal-top-tape-removed.webp
door-seal-at-top.webp
 
That seal is pinched. And my guess is the tape is to prevent another leak point on the passenger side. Good chance the back is coming thru the rear hatch seal.
Until you get the leaks fixed be sure to remove any carpet or floormat that will keep the water against the floor to help prevent rusting.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: MikekiM
If the door seal is pinched, does it have to be completely replaced? I have no clue what caused that or if it's something that can be repaired instead of replaced. And if I do replace it, is it something I should try myself? Or is it smarter to have a professional do it to ensure that it is actually watertight?

And I'm not sure if the water in the rear passenger floorboard is coming from the back hatch because there's only a small spot on the rear passenger floorboard that gets wet. But there is no water all the way from the tailgate to the rear floorboard, other than the very end of the carpet getting just a bit damp right where it meets the tailgate.
 
How bad is the rest of the door seal? If it looks okay and not damaged, I would try some Honda silicone grease (also called Shin Etsu grease). I have been using it for a while and the people that use it swear by it. It is high quality stuff and seems intended for door seals.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GD49GTS/?tag=wranglerorg-20

That front hinge gap is a common culprit here. Water pools up there and is directed right to the door. If you are parking on a slant, try reversing the direction in a heavy rain until you can get the leak fixed.
 
How bad is the rest of the door seal? If it looks okay and not damaged, I would try some Honda silicone grease (also called Shin Etsu grease). I have been using it for a while and the people that use it swear by it. It is high quality stuff and seems intended for door seals.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GD49GTS/?tag=wranglerorg-20

That front hinge gap is a common culprit here. Water pools up there and is directed right to the door. If you are parking on a slant, try reversing the direction in a heavy rain until you can get the leak fixed.


The rest of the seal seems to be fine. I've looked at some third party door seals but reviews are mixed with some saying it works great and others saying it's too long to fit flush on the door. I'm not sure if I'd have luck finding an OEM seal.

It has been parked on flat ground when the leaks happen. I don't have a garage but I try to keep it covered if I know it's going to rain.
 
There is a chance that some judicious use of some silicon to fill out the crease in the weather strip could fix the leak.
 
I replaced both of my seals not all that long ago with OEM. Mine were well worn and leaking. I replaced them myself. Not a difficult task. Now I have to use more force to close the doors. It used to be something I could do with my pinky. I still occasionally get some water down there. But, nothing like before and I haven’t tracked it down yet, we don’t get much rain. I tried to recall where I bought mine but can’t. Here is a link to a company that has them. I paid about 100 each as I recall.
https://www.moparpartdepot.com/
 
Thread bump. Mine is leaking now too. Bought an aftermarket door seal to try and fix the leak on the old worn out seal, worthless. The aftermarket seal leaked worse. So I bought an OEM seal, it works well in a light drizzle but with a full on rain it still leaks at the base of the A pillar. Anyone found any fixes? Silicone isn’t helping 🤷🏻‍♂️.
 
Thread bump. Mine is leaking now too. Bought an aftermarket door seal to try and fix the leak on the old worn out seal, worthless. The aftermarket seal leaked worse. So I bought an OEM seal, it works well in a light drizzle but with a full on rain it still leaks at the base of the A pillar. Anyone found any fixes? Silicone isn’t helping 🤷🏻‍♂️.

I ended up having the local jeep dealership order an OEM door seal. I also had them install it since I wanted to be sure it was done properly. They installed the seal, and it has completely fixed the leak even in heavy rain.

However, the seal is sticking out too far in one spot, which makes it harder to close the door and eventually it will probably cause the seal to get pinched. I took my jeep back to the dealership, and they think it’s a faulty door seal (I don’t know if that is the case). They are having a replacement sent in, but it won’t be in for another week or two. But the seal was definitely the problem for me.
 
I ended up having the local jeep dealership order an OEM door seal. I also had them install it since I wanted to be sure it was done properly. They installed the seal, and it has completely fixed the leak even in heavy rain.

However, the seal is sticking out too far in one spot, which makes it harder to close the door and eventually it will probably cause the seal to get pinched. I took my jeep back to the dealership, and they think it’s a faulty door seal (I don’t know if that is the case). They are having a replacement sent in, but it won’t be in for another week or two. But the seal was definitely the problem for me.
Yeah I too ordered an OEM seal and mine is still leaking. I think I’m going to try adjusting the hinges. I don’t know what else to do
 
Having a similar issue, But I don't believe it is the rubber seal. I have a plastic trim piece that is broken on both doors at the upper front corner where the rubber should meet a plastic (thin metal?) corner, but it is gone. Any ideas on what that trim piece is? I cannot find a part number for it. Heavy rain on the highway - or carwash and you can see and feel the water come through. Hard top and hard doors.
 
Having a similar issue, But I don't believe it is the rubber seal. I have a plastic trim piece that is broken on both doors at the upper front corner where the rubber should meet a plastic (thin metal?) corner, but it is gone. Any ideas on what that trim piece is? I cannot find a part number for it. Heavy rain on the highway - or carwash and you can see and feel the water come through. Hard top and hard doors.

A picture of the broken part would be helpful