Seems after heavy rain last nigh I have a leak. Onyl had the MR2 for a few weeks so I'm guessing it was an existing problem.
Don't think it's related to blocked drains as it appears to be coming in at the front. I've also got a bit of a roof gap http://www.mr2roc.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=12864 but again don't think it's related as it's also at the back of the car.
The water appears to be coming from between the front dash and the door, as far as I can tell nothing is wet above the level of the dash.
I've posted a picture and would appricaite any ideas anyone might have about the source of the leak (red arrow is where the water appears to be coming from).
Thanks
(http://img132.imageshack.us/img132/7716/waterpw2.jpg)
can you take a picture of the seal where the roof meets the windshield, and some of the main door seal in and around the door hinge point, this may aid diagnosis
Stu
I'll get the pictures posted as soon as I can.
Ta
Wow that is strange because that is exactly where my 2 is leaking as well.I only found it for sure a few days ago. I have a service scheduled in early October where I am hopping it can be sorted on the warranty.
normanh
I had the same and it turned out to be a leaf (or what was left of it anyway) caught inbetween the seal and door. Might wanna check the seals and clean them if you see anything.
Use a garden hose to water the car, so you don't have to wait for the next rain. s;) ;) s;)
Stu
Here's the photos you asked for, I've done quick compare with the drivers side and they seem the same. The only think I noticed is what looks like a split in the seal where the roof meets to top of the windscreen,
your can see the dark line of it just above the roof catch and running to the left, but there is an identical split on the drivers side!
Top of windscreen
(http://img427.imageshack.us/img427/8640/topwi9.jpg)
Side of windscreen
(http://img470.imageshack.us/img470/7127/sidenv1.jpg)
Door seal
(http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/4268/dooruv2.jpg)
they look fine, what i did notice from looking at mine (and this was by light of a torch s:? :? s:? ) is that if you follow the line of the piller down theres a piece of rubber trim that literally stuck to the bodywork, this seems to chanel water along and over the main door seals, make sure thats secure, also ensure that the seals are thoroughly clean as Tem has already said and also it is worth following his advice of useing a hosepipe, its accurate enough then to pinpoint the exact location.
oooh and another place to check is the window seals, water could be coming down the inside of the doors, especially if you've had the speakers replace for after market ones i.e. that damp membrane may have been disturbed
Thanks for all your advice, looks like a good clean is in order and I'll check for stuck seals.
Let you know if I find anything.
I'd like to offer that if the leak only appears after driving through a rain storm (vice being parked through a rain storm), the problem may be a leaking seal on the firewall.
Check for damp carpet near the center of the footwell. For example: at the place where the steering column goes through the front firewall. Or equivalently, the place where the steering bits would be if it was LHD vice RHD - depending on which side is getting wet.
Might even give a look for wire harness grommets, throttle and brake openings, A/C evaporator hoses, etc., although those seem to be less troublesome.
Only seems to appear when parked, I've driven the really heavy rain without any water coming in.
Mine seems to leak when parked , same place but not as extensive as the picture. Water seems to collect in a similar fashion arounf the dashboard fuse box. I cant see any problems on the roof seal above the windscreen nor around the door and window seals.
normanh
i'm starting to wonder if the series of holes in the rubber at the top edge of the a-pillar actually link down through the seal and then drain back into the car before exiting back out again?
still havn't managed to prove this one but the seal is hollow and the water can get in at the top so it must come out somewhere s:? :? s:?
Quote from: "Tem"I had the same and it turned out to be a leaf (or what was left of it anyway) caught inbetween the seal and door.
Just for the record, this only leaked when parked. Never when driving in rain.
So even if there's no visible trash, maybe it's something related to the same seals anyway..?
i've got the very same leak on my car.
the worry is damage to the fuse box, if you remove the cover from the fuse panel, you'll see water sitting on it.
I removed the A pillar trim the other week and carefully pulled back the rubber seal on the inside of the pillar and the water was there!
looks like it's a failure of the seal around the screen.
I've got the same leak. If I lightly pull on the rubber seal where the door meets the A pilar (on the door) I've noticed that it has come away a little. This is allowing water to flow through the gap and into the cabin.
I'm going to clean the area up and then just re-glue it back into place.
when it's leaked in, have a look on the inside of the fuse box cover, if it's wet in there, i can't see how it's a door seal.
FYI- I had a really terrible leak with my MR2 when some heavy rainstorms came to town. It ended up being one of the Drains in the back of the car. The tube that is supposed to lead the water out of the car is in two pieces. The pieces were disconnected allowing water to pour into my car. I couldn't figure it out at first. It was very difficult to figure out where it was coming from... So try and pour a small bucket of water down the drains. If no water comes in through the floor board then I'm not sure. But that could be the problem....
dead correct on that, but the leak is at the front of the cabin and the drains your talking about are at the back!
Last night we had a major storm here and the car has leaked on both sides. I suspect that the water is running behind the window and tracking down to the floor via the dash on bothsides. I noticed a similar leak on the drivers side when I opened the door , you could see water running along the underside of the seal and at the end of the seal it was dripping down on to the corner of the dash and and the step into the car by the kick panel.
normanh
had the same problem on passenger side. what i found out was when i had running water (hose) on the windscreen. Excess flows down but seen to run inside!! (similar to demonstrated pix)
I dont think water is running from rubber on pillar. thankfully mine isnt park outdoors all the time. (underground parking)
right searched and cant find my unique leak... i know you are all having leaks by the speakers... mine is under my drivers seat... and i have looked everywhere and cant sem to find where its coming from.. do you think maybe the plug is blocked and its going throiugh the seal? help it stinks!!
Reported my leak to main Dealer who looked into for me FOC on the service, he couldnt find anything and car seems ok now I hope. Big problem is the leak if a seal does not seem to be covered on warrenty so his checking it out for me with the warrenty company. it really has to be fixed !!!
normanh
sure does, just how old is your car norman?
My cars a May 2001 purchased with the Toyota extended warrent that runs till Feb 2007. I am actually very likely to extend that for the coming year.
normanh
guys question!!
if 1 drain hole (drivers side) has been taken out!! (because it came off so i am fixing it with silicone) will water apear on the passanger side behind the seat, the passanger footwell and driver side footwell?
basically my car went in for a new bumper for 3 weeks, and when i had it back there were ouddles in the back behind the seats!! is this from 1 drain hole cover not being in, or something else? also there was alot of water on my inner window and condensation on the inner hood..
I had a leak in an Opel, wich was caused by blocked tubes that were running from the air intake in front of the windscreen and flooded the area were the fan is. The water travelled thru airpipes in the cabin.
Hope you wil find the leak: water always seems the go where it is least expected.
greetings,
Henri
well both drain holes are clean and lead out of the cabin anyway..
there still seems to be water leaking somewhere. the only way im gonna spot this is if i sit in my car and somebody puts the hose on top of my car...
its not a pleasant smell i tell ya
got in my car this morning and checked behind the passanger seat, and there was a slight puddle again... yet there wasnt much rain last night!!
there seems to be water under the carpet, but would this raise to be on top of the carpet??
how do i make it stop?
Quote from: "leon_in_uk"how do i make it stop?
take the sidevents off, pull the flapper valve off and throw them in a dishwasher, lastly, cut a small v cut out of the bottom of the rubber flapper but do make it very small
cant i just rip the flapper off and not put it back on? what will that cause?
wind noise
got ya. so right at the bottom a little hole!!
but how is the water getting to the carpet if you think its just the flap?
Quote from: "kanujunkie"wind noise
And maybe dust/dirt/crap coming inwards at higher speeds. s:? :? s:?
Quote from: "leon_in_uk"but how is the water getting to the carpet if you think its just the flap?
the back of the flap gets a sticky layer on it seals itself shut, then although you've cleared the crap out, the water builds up and leaks over the edges.
the dishwasher removes the sticky deposits and the small cut in the rubber is a last chance saloon job. It was a Toyota mechanic that told me about this one, works well
your sure this is water and not fuel?
yes defo not fuel..
its smelly, i have asponge in the back to soak it up and drain it out!!
defo rain water. s:cry: :cry: s:cry:
got in my car this morning and to find loads of condensation on the inside windows and on the inner roof.
anyone else have this?
I'm getting a lot of condensation the now as well, nothing inside that seems to be wet though, i have checked about. Sometimes I get drips of water running down from the window seal on both sides but even that isn't enough to make the inside wet.
It's frustrating the life out of me the now as it's taking ages to de-mist the bl00dy windows going to work.
umm i still have water on the carpets that why. need to dry them off properly and not just with a sponge!
i might try sponge and hair dryer!!
i heard the other day toyota can look at this problem free of charge, is that true?
Go use a forecourt vaccum cleaner that can almost dry the carpets
even if loads of water may go into the vacuum?
It's not your hover so wouldn't bother about water getting into it s:!: :!: s:!:
i know that, but dont want to blow it up while im cleaning it... it would be like a bomb explosion
went to a garage yesterday, sucked out all the water and what a job it did!!!
so after all water was gone i decided to do a test. my dad was putting the hose on the car and was inside looking for a leak, there wasnt a visible leak only what seems like the water going through the drain holes and onto the inside body work,
so i thought it may be the flap thingy,, i have pulled that off now too.
it seemed to seap up through the carpet behind the seats...
when it drops from the drain holes, where does the water go? can there be a seal broken??
see I told you
you did dude. only thing is, there is still water even thought he drain holes are unblocked!!
what can this be please peeps?
did you take off the vents to see from the outside ?
iirc there are t plugs one inside and one outside
yes, took vents off, its like the water drops thrrough the outside then into the panel, and leaks through to my carpets
There should be a drain hole on the bottom of the chassis rail (between the inner & outer skins)
how do you get to the inner side? is this a common source of leakage?
and how easy to repair
show us on saturday Leon, far easier
ok will do, was gonna clean and dry the car out tomora tho.
but oh well see and show you then. s:wink: :wink: s:wink:
and bring some tooling for removeing the side vent Leon
guys finally got round to sorting and drying the carpets today..
i took my seat out! and peeled the carpet back. the front sponge/underlay is very wet so i have taken that out and its on the radiators now! as for the back the underlay/sponge is stuck the the carpet i have been out drying with hair dryer and squeezing all the water out!!
im gonna leave the carpet up for a while so it frys out properly..
cant believe how much water is in there... i mean loads... bucket loads..
anyhow i went back round my dads and peeled capet so i could see metal and he put loads of water around my car for ages. and no leak!!!! so must of been from the drain holes and must of built up over a very long time...
i advise all of you to check your drain holes now!!!!! its not a nice job cleaning the smelly underlay! s:x :x s:x
gonna do the driver side next week to, its not as bad!
thought id let you know..
Not a 100 % sure whats happening but I have not had a water ingress in the passenger door area now for weeks. My carpets have remained dry throughout the rain we have had these last few weeks. The only measure I had taken wayback was to tighten the roof catches slightly, maybe this is the answer? I do hope so, will keep the board posted of any further developments.
normanh
I had leak paranoia too. Everytime it was raining id jump in the drivers side and id get drips coming from the seals of the window. The way I tested it was when it was dry was to pour a litre all over the seals of the drivers side window but jump in the passanger side then check for any leaks. It was bone dry. I reckon when its raining the build up of rain gets into the seals when you open the drivers door and drips down as if the seals are dodgy when infact its opening the door when wet the lets the water seep in.
Same problem on the front passenger side noticed after washing the car recently. Given the low mileage, this looks like a design/assembly flaw rather than an age/usage thing. There appeared to be water originating from above the level of the fuse box cover which was running down over the cover (collecting around its outer lip which could be mistaken as having originated inside the cover but I don't think it did) and then running down the passenger kick panel onto the sill trim and then into the footwell.
My first guess is the side window to pillar seal, more tests today if possible.
One of the tips for tracing leaks is to dust the whole of the affected area with talcum powder if you have access. When the water leaks in, it can sometimes form a clear track in the powder so you can get a better idea of where the leak is originating. Not guaranteed to work though.
Its simple just adjust up the tensions of the roof catches, as thats where the water gets in, theres been a number of threads on this in the past years I know because I have added to them.
normanh
Quote from: "normanh"Its simple just adjust up the tensions of the roof catches, as thats where the water gets in, theres been a number of threads on this in the past years I know because I have added to them.
normanh
It doesn't work! I have now adjusted the catches to the fullest extent and water is still getting in. So let's take another approach.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/GifAbsarnt/MR2/IMG_1168.jpg)
The roof seal has effectively got two water barriers. The forward seal [marked with the yellow line] meets the front edge of the roof to hopefully stop water getting in. There is then a second rearward seal [marked with the blue line] to ensure that any water that gets past the first doesn't get any further.
Between the two seal edges, there is a water channel built into the seal which traps any water that does get in and directs it internally within the seal [see the red arrow] down from the roof and discharges it onto the A post and safely out under the door.
The trouble is, if excessive amounts of water get in (either by a faulty / loose roof seal or by car washing) then the build up of water causes it to fill the water channel too quickly. If this happens, it manages to penetrate a hole in the seal [see green arrow] adjacent to the roof catch mounting plate.
It is this which is causing the water to get between the seal and the screen frame and discharge inside the vehicle behind the dashboard and then into the footwell. At least it is on my car s:twisted: :twisted: s:twisted:
$64,000 question. What the hell is that hole for and what will be the effect of sealing it up. Well, I will soon know cos that's exactly what I am going to do with a bead of silicone sealant. I can't see a useful purpose for it at present other than to allow my car to leak like a sieve. If anyone has got any other bright ideas then please let me know.
Update
Whilst reducing the amount of water getting in, it hasn't stopped the leak completely so there must be water penetrating between the seal and the frame in other places. Not surprising given that it isn't actually sealed to the body with anything other than 6 clips around it's whole length.
Next stop is removing the side pillars and seal to see what sort of a job Mr T made when attaching the seal.
According to the manual there is supposed to be a butyl sealing tape used at the bottom edge of the seal where it disappears between the door and car. Checked the driver's side and everything looks ok there. Passenger side where the leak is will be attacked tomorrow when the sun's out. I suspect that the butyl is not in the right place or is badly fitted or not continuous somewhere along it's length.
Update
Just stripped down the passenger side pillar and sure enough right at the bottom it looks like the butyl seal was badly fitted. Looked like there was a breach in it just where the dashboard begins. Sealed it up and hope that this resolves the problem.
Will report back once everything has had chance to dry and then get wet again s:D :D s:D Here's hoping!
PS For those of you who have been spitting blood trying to get the roof hooks off, I have managed to get both the interior pillar trims off and back on without touching the roof hooks. It's not easy though.
Getting them off is about brute force. Getting them back on is about modifying with a saw s:lol: :lol: s:lol: By trimming the top end of the plastic you can get it back under the roof hook and still leave no visible gaps. Bit radical but better than training to be lumberjack for three years in order to budge the roof hook bolts.
Having the exact same problem in the exact same location.
Would you mind taking a few snaps of what you're doing so as I might do the same.
Cheers!
It's back together again now but untested as yet.
Tell you what though, I am just stupid enough to go back out there and take it apart again just to take pics for you. That's if it works, if it doesn't I won't bother wasting yours and my time s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
Ultrasound.... Thats the answer.
What you need is a ultrasound source inside the car, and a ultrasound detector outside. You then use the detector to go around the outside of the car, listening for the leak. Typically, you'll find it in a few minutes. We use one at work to detect passing valves without opening them up.
I have a detector set, but I dont have a source.
m http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/log/log113.html (http://www.manufacturingtalk.com/news/log/log113.html) m
Quote from: "Gif"It's back together again now but untested as yet.
Tell you what though, I am just stupid enough to go back out there and take it apart again just to take pics for you. That's if it works, if it doesn't I won't bother wasting yours and my time s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
Fair enough mate. I might strip back the pillar this weekend if I can get the car into the garage. Lots of rubbish in there which is the whole reason the car is outside at the mo. Guess I'll just have to build a bigger garage.
Update
Seems to have solved the problem as far as I can tell.
The side pillar is uncovered by removing the rubber seal first. Carefully prise it out of the plastic/metal strip on the pillar.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/GifAbsarnt/MR2/IMG_1170.jpg)
This reveals 3 small grub screws each inset into a plastic plug to fix the strip in place. Remove the screws and carefully take off the strip. You need to make a note of how the seal connects into the strip and also how both intersect at the top and bottom of the windscreen pillar so you can put back neatly.
Once removed, you will be able to ease the rubber strip away from the pillar to see whats going on behind it.
At the bottom of the pillar, the rubber seal is supposed to be sealed to the bodywork using butyl sealant. There are three strips applied according to the manual (on the inside of this seal approx where the red lines are in the pic) and it was the fact that they didn't overlap properly was my problem. There was a gap where the upper green arrow indicates. It allows water to seep straight down into the dashboard above the fuse box access door.
(http://i239.photobucket.com/albums/ff14/GifAbsarnt/MR2/IMG_1169.jpg)
If there are any gaps seal them up. Ideally you can get butyl strip (it's similar to the sticky strip you use to stick bath edging to your tiles or wall) or use flexible gutter sealant or mastic or anything flexible and waterproof.
Putting it back together is the reverse.
Hope this helps a few others.
You da man!
I reckon this write up should be popped into the reference section. There's plenty more than just the pair of us having this issue from what I've seen.
Add my '52 MR2 to the list! s;-) ;-) s;-) My good lady arrives home last night to advise she had left a jacket in the passenger footwell overnight and it's now soaked... went out to take a look and pulled up the carpet - footwell may as well have been a flood plain! Checked the driver's side to find it in a similar state although not quite as bad. No recent rain so can only think it's from when I washed it at the weekend s:scared: :scared: s:scared:
Thanks to your excellent write-up Gif, guess what I'll be doing this bank holiday weekend!! s:P :P s:P s:P :P s:P
Quote from: "BaldySmurf"... went out to take a look and pulled up the carpet - footwell may as well have been a flood plain! Checked the driver's side to find it in a similar state although not quite as bad. No recent rain so can only think it's from when I washed it at the weekend...
Check the side hood drains first, it's a far more common problem.
...and welcome to the club too!
i have just gone through some thing similar!
i picked my mr2 up a week last tuesday and it has rained everyday since! my footwells were like swimming pools, i checked my gutters first off drivers side wasnt to bad but it was more or less blocked but still let water through, the passenger side was totally blocked! i cleared it out and got rid of most of the water but the next morning i came to my car (after a night of rain) to find it was like a swimming pool again!
i set about my car to find the leak (i love how easy these cars come apart) after stripping out the seats and bins behind the seats i found a pool of water behind the drivers seat! the gutter had a slight rip in it from what looks like previous owners taking out and re fitting the bins and hitting the top of the gutter!
i cut up a peice of old innertube and fixed it with rubber compound sealant s8) 8) s8) its out of the way so it isnt a eyesore for me s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
i have had 3/4 days of rain since and my car is dry as a bone and has no dank smell s:bounce: :bounce: s:bounce:
Quote from: "kentsmudger"Check the side hood drains first, it's a far more common problem.
...and welcome to the club too!
With the assistance of a garden hose yesterday found that the side hood drains were totally blocked on both sides, moreso the nearside. So with a pair of tweezers and multiple other tools managed to clean them right out so that water flows through smooth as new! Hopefully that'll be an end to it, time will tell!
Thanks for the welcome too! s:D :D s:D
Like your work pete-h! Hopefully mine won't return but if it does and it's similar to yours, I know what I'll be doing!
Ok time to post my water leak woes.
Have had a water leak similar to what everyone is describing. I've investigated it many times but not managed to pin point it.
After removing the windscreen pillar plastic I found the reinforcement webs behind it full of water. This explaines the gush of water I get when pulling away on a rainy morning. So after spraying the windscreen with water I worked on it being a windscreen leak. Pulled back the seal and siliconed where it looked dodgy. This didn't work. So at the weekend I went to Autoglass and asked their advice. Windscreen refit was what he said, £98. I don't think so.
So I have removed the windscreen pillar plastic again and on a very rainy day i now noticed a drip from near the roof catch. Great I though, Put a pot under it and I can remove more trim later and hopefully sort it out.
Just noticed it's raining now. Went out to put the pot in place and noticed water on the kick panel still s:evil: :evil: s:evil: . Looks like I have two leaks then. Will investigate when dry.
Have you looked at where the roof rubbers join at the hinge above the door? I park on a steep slope nose down I get water sitting in the rubbers.
I'm just waiting for the right weather then will properly investigate it. I think it is to do with water running over the top of the seal and inside the door seal rather that outside it. Will post more when I get to it.
Update for me, I've found the major leak. It's a massive hole on the sealant about the windscreen.
Secondary leak seams to be water runningdown inside the seal around the roof door, It's getting in (I think) in the small pointless hole (mentioned earlier I think)
Just need to get a tube of sealant then put it all back together.
Fingers crossed.
Ok fingers crossed I now havs a water resistant car.
Filled the hole above the windscreen with silicone.
(http://i472.photobucket.com/albums/rr81/custardavenger/MR2/DSC03599.jpg)
Then did the recomened repair with Buytl strip (thanks autoglass) and also filled the small hole at the top with a bit of silicone too. It's funny but I do now remember that there used to be a small bit of foam in there once apon a time.
So Hopefully that will do it. With my lock probably not
I also had water getting into my car and collecting in the dashboard leading to wet carpets in passenger footwell and water all over the electrics, including the passenger side fuse compartment.
My alarm got triggered during the recent heavy rain which must be linked somehow, water in electrics/fuses or just the interior becoming damp and affecting the sensor (no probs when alarm set using three button presses to disable interior sensor). This prompted me to have a better search for the leak that I have noticed for a while.
I found the source of a leak when I pulled off the passenger side 'A' pillar trim, poured some water over the front of the car and then saw the water coming in about halfway down the 'A' pillar to windscreen joint. I have currently blasted a load of silicone sealant into the leaking point but not yet tested as back to work before it has dried/cured.
One question, what does the rubber seal do that goes around the edge of the windscreen, visible from the exterior only? Just asking because it doesn't look in great condition and wondering if it needs replacing. Might look at getting the windscreen re-fitted, would I need to buy a new windscreen seal?
That seal is actually just a a trim. The Windscreen is sealed in with sealant. If your lucky then the silicone you put in will sort it, though I would look further up the windscreen and across the top to check there are no other areas that could be a problem.
Would it be too pricey just to get the windscreen taken out and refitted? therefore at least you know it will be 100% sealed and you would get some form of gaurentee - autoglass?
Go and talk to them, I did and suggested the same. They said it would be cheaper t break it and replace on the insurance. There is a high risk of breaking it getting it out apparently.
Can't remember who I went to but they gave me some of their proper sealant (tape) which I used on it, I think or maybe that was something else. hmm
My mum works on the service desk at a local main dealer and can get a fair few favours done on the back of the ordinary business they send to local specialists such as autoglass - wanted to get the screen re-fitted in any event as a long term fix, so if she can't sort something out i 'll be out with the ball pein hammer
My car has developed this door leak as per Gif. Poked around and can't make head nor tales of what going on.
So at recent service and MOT with Mr. T told them about it. They did roof leak check, then some roof adjustments and say is fixed.
Sun been shining ever since so sorted! s:lol: :lol: s:lol:
Will update when weather turns. Happy to dry the carpet for now.
UPDATE
Well, as I'm sure everyone has noticed, it has been chucking it down for the last week or so. The car is my daily and lives outside 24/7 and pleased to say that Mr. T's adjustments seem to have worked. Can't quite say is 100% because every time open the door to look get water held up in the seal drop in but the carpet is now dry so all good.