Ok so I'm running the gamut of new owner TJ issues it seems and the next one up is the mystery water leak on the floor pans.
I know it's a super common issue so I made sure to scour the previous threads for fixes but I just can't seem to solve it, though I have some ideas.
Here's the breakdown:
-Water on passenger AND driver side floor pans
-Definitely water and not coolant so I don't believe it's the heater core (also have no other symptoms of faulty heater core, heat works fine, no foggy windows, coolant level still at near full etc.)
-Removed cowl and tested drain. Wasn't clogged but I made sure to clear and flush anyway.
-A little bit of water inside cabin air intake (it's a 97 so no cover) and the seal around could probably do with a touch up. I will apply some silicone. Though that does not seem to be where the leak is coming from.
Also the firewall looked to be completely dry when I lifted up the hood (and it's been raining steady for the past week) Felt around the gaskets where the hose connects through the firewall and it's dry as a bone. Also dry up behind passenger dash gasket inside and around where heater core mounts underneath console.
-Water on driver's side seems to be coming from behind the dash. Upon trying to track the leak I noticed water accumulating on the left corner of the dash and slowly dropping down.
-I removed all the carpeting to try to better identify the source of the leak, obviously it's still on going. May try taping brown paper or using baby powder as suggested in a previous thread.
My suspicions so far:
Water may be entering from 2 locations.
The first is the bottom corner of the doors on each side. Water may be running down and collecting where door meets body and running up over lip into the corner and collecting on floor pans on both sides.
The second, there is a seal/gasket insert on the bottom corner of where the windshield meets the body, I believe there may be water collecting there and running behind dash.
A couple of questions. IF the water is entering through the cabin air intake, where does that trail usually run to inside the cabin? Does it leak out from the vents? or from the gasket behind the glovebox? Could it run along the dash and over to the driver's side?
Does anyone have the name of those gasket seal inserts? I may start there before replacing the full door seals.
Sorry for the long post on this common issue. I just thought that if I can document it and get help resolving it, then it may help others in the same boat (no pun intended) where the common fixes didn't cut it.
Thanks for the help, hopefully it'll get snuffed out!
First photo is the gasket seal insert
Second is the leaky dash
Third is the bottom inside corner of door leak
I know it's a super common issue so I made sure to scour the previous threads for fixes but I just can't seem to solve it, though I have some ideas.
Here's the breakdown:
-Water on passenger AND driver side floor pans
-Definitely water and not coolant so I don't believe it's the heater core (also have no other symptoms of faulty heater core, heat works fine, no foggy windows, coolant level still at near full etc.)
-Removed cowl and tested drain. Wasn't clogged but I made sure to clear and flush anyway.
-A little bit of water inside cabin air intake (it's a 97 so no cover) and the seal around could probably do with a touch up. I will apply some silicone. Though that does not seem to be where the leak is coming from.
Also the firewall looked to be completely dry when I lifted up the hood (and it's been raining steady for the past week) Felt around the gaskets where the hose connects through the firewall and it's dry as a bone. Also dry up behind passenger dash gasket inside and around where heater core mounts underneath console.
-Water on driver's side seems to be coming from behind the dash. Upon trying to track the leak I noticed water accumulating on the left corner of the dash and slowly dropping down.
-I removed all the carpeting to try to better identify the source of the leak, obviously it's still on going. May try taping brown paper or using baby powder as suggested in a previous thread.
My suspicions so far:
Water may be entering from 2 locations.
The first is the bottom corner of the doors on each side. Water may be running down and collecting where door meets body and running up over lip into the corner and collecting on floor pans on both sides.
The second, there is a seal/gasket insert on the bottom corner of where the windshield meets the body, I believe there may be water collecting there and running behind dash.
A couple of questions. IF the water is entering through the cabin air intake, where does that trail usually run to inside the cabin? Does it leak out from the vents? or from the gasket behind the glovebox? Could it run along the dash and over to the driver's side?
Does anyone have the name of those gasket seal inserts? I may start there before replacing the full door seals.
Sorry for the long post on this common issue. I just thought that if I can document it and get help resolving it, then it may help others in the same boat (no pun intended) where the common fixes didn't cut it.
Thanks for the help, hopefully it'll get snuffed out!
First photo is the gasket seal insert
Second is the leaky dash
Third is the bottom inside corner of door leak
