PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

I knew that water was coming down under the dash down behind my ECU, but tonight I discovered it's actually 2 leaks. I have water coming in from somewhere under the cowl area, and also my sunroof drain tube is leaking. So, that makes 4 leaks I have found so far. 2 of them I have been able to fix.

First leak was coming in here. Water was coming into the taillight at the upper edge of the lens on the outside, filling up the taillight, and then spilling into the car:


Next one was water dripping down from the rear window washer nozzle, up in here:


The water was dripping onto the headliner, running down the sides behind the trim panels, and getting underneath my rear seat (green arrows don't mean anything here):


So last week I took off my cowl trim along the base of the windshield and installed all new weather stripping, and thought that would prevent any water from getting down into my passenger side footwell. Well I was wrong. The other day I unbolted my ECU from its bracket and found the bracket looking like this


So I poured water down my windshield and onto the cowl trim, looked inside and found water running down (upper arrow) and collecting (bottom arrow) before it would eventually get all the way down to the floor and soak my carpet. Normally the ECU and ECU bracket are bolted in right here:


So I took off the cowl trim again, and I could see where the water was running down below the cowl trim to eventually run out onto the ground:


I didn't feel like taking my fender off tonight, but I looked through my sidemarker hole and could see the sunroof drain tube outlet (bottom arrow) and where the water under the cowl normally drips out (top arrow). This pic is angled in order to get my camera flash to shoot through the sidemarker hole:


So I looked up through my glovebox opening, up past the heater core and blower housing (white part on the left) and finally was able to see the sunroof drain tube where it attaches to the rubber body fitting. Notice the little drop of moisture there:


I used a turkey basting syringe to direct water down my windshield and under the cowl area, and when I did that, I saw some water drops run down inside behind the sunroof drain tube, so I know the water is coming in from 2 different places. When I poured the water down the cowl area, most of it did drain outside the car as it should, but some did get inside and pool where previously pictured. After I did that, I dried the water inside, and then squirted water down my sunroof track so it would go down the drain tube. Again, most of it did drain out the end of the tube and onto the ground, but a little did pool up inside the car once again.

So as of yet, I'm not sure how I'm going to fix these last 2 leaks, and I'm not even sure exactly where it's coming in from under the cowl area. I guess I will have to pull my fender off tomorrow maybe and hopefully be able to come up with a fix after doing that.

Alexander

You have alot of patience

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

yeah well, what is the alternative? Let my car fill up with water? I have to drive this thing 700+ miles per week. I cannot/will not take on another car payment, and am saving to buy a house right now, so I'm stuck with this car. This stuff is a PITA but I have GOT to fix it, because I have GOT to keep driving it.

Erik95LS

Man Patrick, I've got the same tailight leak you did, but I'm really glad I don't have all those. Great work on finding the problems though. Is there a tear or anything that you can see in the drain tube?

notmightydx

just a head up those are not that easy to replace, at least you have good patients. something i dont have. good luck man

calxtreme

looks like you're attacking the problem full scale.

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

well guys I'm pretty sure now that the sunroof drain tube is not leaking, but rather water is getting in up above the sunroof drain tube, somewhere under the cowl around the arrow in this pic:



Water under the cowl trim drains out through that opening and down to the ground behind the fender. But on its way, some of the water finds its way inside the car under the dashboard.

Unfortunately the area is so inaccessible from the inside that in order to fix it I have only 2 options:

remove entire dashboard, or
discharge A/C system, remove evaporator, and then remove blower housing

I tried and tried and tried to get the blower housing out w/o removing the evaporator, but it's pretty much impossible without breaking something.

I don't know about removing the dashboard, either, as I really don't want deal with the airbags.

this really, really sucks

CNSK

you drive 700 miles per week? .....thats crazy....is your work far? anyways, hopefully thats all your leak......

Erik95LS

The dashboard actually isn't that hard to remove Patrick. I've done it on my car a few times and it can be totally taken out in about 20-30 minutes or less once you get the hang of it.

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

I commute 100 miles per day.

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Erik95LS &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The dashboard actually isn't that hard to remove Patrick. I've done it on my car a few times and it can be totally taken out in about 20-30 minutes or less once you get the hang of it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah I took the dashboard out of my old car once, but it didn't have airbags. That's what I really don't want to deal with if at all possible.

SwedBoy2999

Well i wish you luck on solving your leak problem. Wow we have seen more threads on your car leaking than i can remember... That's bad luck man, i've never heard of such a nasty leak problem. Yea some people have the sunroof leak or the tail light leak, but that it's somehow finding a way through the firewall and under your dash just sucks. Again good luck on figuring out a way to stop it without removing the A/C, it's a long time till the rainy season is over .

Erik95LS

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PatrickGSR94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Yeah I took the dashboard out of my old car once, but it didn't have airbags. That's what I really don't want to deal with if at all possible.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Its not a big deal. Simple connectors. Just leave your battery unplugged and you'll be fine. Also my car had the safety connectors hidden under the dash. Yours may also.

Senbonzakura

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Alexander &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You have alot of patience </TD></TR></TABLE>

Seriously...a lot of patients. I would have gone krayzie and bought it to the shop.

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

screw a shop, nobody works on my car but me, or occasionally me and my friend at the shop where he works... I'm proud to say that my car has never been left in the hands of grease monkeys in the 100K miles that I've owned it.

But can you imagine taking this problem to a shop? What kind of shop would you take it to? "Yeah hi, I got this water leak under the dash, can you fix it please?" Then what would the shop go through to try to find the leak and then fix it? Imagine how much money that would cost.

Kgb

Patrick you have respect from me for having so much patience with your car leaks

CNSK

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PatrickGSR94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">screw a shop, nobody works on my car but me, or occasionally me and my friend at the shop where he works... I'm proud to say that my car has never been left in the hands of grease monkeys in the 100K miles that I've owned it. </TD></TR></TABLE>

I with you on that too.....my brother-in-law bought the car brand new in 95 and gave it to me for free in 99 with 98k miles.........and this car has never been touch by some shop.....I do all the work myself....

riceball777

i have the same leak from under the wipper cowl
on g2ic there a write up o n how to fix this but i tryed it and my car still leaks

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by riceball777 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i have the same leak from under the wipper cowl
on g2ic there a write up o n how to fix this but i tryed it and my car still leaks </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah on G2's there are these little pieces under the cowl that can wear out and leak, but G3's don't have those.

TeaAddict

my car is leaking too...

i'm too lazy to do all that work...

the leak isn't too bad though. and it probably won't rain like this down here in OC, CA for awhile...

PatrickGSR94

iTrader: (1)

alright guys, I think I've pretty much decided what I'm going to do. Tomorrow night I'm going to get after removing my dashboard, and hopefully will be able to seal up this leak and be done with it once and for all. Then I will let it sit overnight and put it back together Saturday. Sure hope all goes well....

b-power

good luck Patrick. let us know how it goes

Honda97

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by PatrickGSR94 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">screw a shop, nobody works on my car but me, or occasionally me and my friend at the shop where he works... I'm proud to say that my car has never been left in the hands of grease monkeys in the 100K miles that I've owned it.

But can you imagine taking this problem to a shop? What kind of shop would you take it to? "Yeah hi, I got this water leak under the dash, can you fix it please?" Then what would the shop go through to try to find the leak and then fix it? Imagine how much money that would cost. </TD></TR></TABLE>


YEAH **** THE SHOPS!!!!! I TOOK IN MY INTEGRA IT HAD SOME STUPID *** AIRBAG PROBLEM. THE FAGGIT DIDNT EVEN TAKE OFF THE BATTERY TERMINAL AND HE DISCONNECTED THE AIRBAG, LUCKILY IT DIDNT GET FUCKED UP. AND ON MY LEXUS I HAD TO CHANGE A SENSOR ONE STUPID SENSOR COSTED $600 I GOT ROBBED BLIND!

Marauder

Well, don't feel alone. Now that I have my teg back, I think a lot of leaking issues you have, I have also. Think if it stays sunny this weekend I'm going to take the headliner out and all the interior plastic behind the seats.

My carpet looks like **** too, there must be a leak at the front, just like by your ECU since I get a orange residue on the carpet, I'm thinking from rust.