Leaking water!

[Iain]

This rainy weather has highlighted quite a problem with my Nova - it leaks rainwater quite badly! Since it's stripped with a painted metal floor I can see how much, and there's puddles in both footwells. :(

It seems to feel REALLY wet on the passenger side kickpanel (just under the dash) and there's drips coming off the dash. It's wet all the way up kickpanel right inside the dash.
The drivers side is leaking from somewhere too, similar place feels moist but I got a big drip on my left foot the other day (next to clutch pedal).

The battery tray looks solid, and I don't think there's any holes left through to the engine bay without grommets. Does this sound like the windscreen seal?

Drivers door is also leaking, big drips inside the door below the triangle window section. Will have to find where it's leaking and see about sealing that before it attacks my door from the inside. :(

Any suggestions as to where all this water may be coming from? Any normal leaking areas I've forgotten?

[Dave.]

has the windscreen ever been out?

[tookie]

ive had the same problem turned out the water was coming though the heater blower motor and dripping down the back of the dash.

[NovaLad]

I think it's a ................




FAIL for Iain!

[Dave.]

I think it's a ................




FAIL for Iain!

if you going to post.. at leats post something usefull.. or at least funny lol

[Mike]

Id go with a faulty windscreen

[Dod]

As mentioned it could be the Heater Matrix. Is the coolant system loosing water? As for the Doors, have you got a moisture Barrier in place? Small clearish Plastic piece behind the door card?

Basicially mate, there are very few places the water can come in.

The Blower assembly in the engine bay is also one.

Remove the Trim in the both footwells, to the left of your Pedals on both sides, on the Pillar the door is mounted. Theres a sponge like thing Vauxhall used for sound deadening in there. Take it out as no doubt it'll be soaking and it'll hold the water and speed up the rust process.

[Iain]

Dod, the car already has no trim, no doorcards, no moisture barrier, no kickpanels and no sound deadening lol The cooling system isn't losing water, this isn't a constant thing just when it rains!

The windscreen has never been out since I've owned it. If there's no more suggestions it sounds like the windscreen, might remove the dash at some point and check it...

[Lee-170]

have a look where the heater blower motor bolts on mate and check if any drain holes for battery tray area are blocked hope this helps mate let me know later :thumb:

[Dod]

have a look where the heater blower motor bolts on

Another good place to allow water in. Get your head into the footwell and look for obvious signs of leakage, or even have someone spray a hose at the car as you lay inside.

Are all the floor bungs and Bulk head items in place?

[Iain]

As far as I know. I think a hosepipe test is needed yeah lol

[meritlover]

i would be the inspector of the grommits on the bulkhead and check that no poorly made radio/amplifier installationism has been conducted by blind man with hole-saw.

then lift the carpets and check the floor esp where the inner wing meets the floor pan. sometimes water here dries and condenses on the underside of the dash board and windscreen and drips down giving it the feeling that it is coming from mr heater matrix!!!

[Iain]

I whipped the glovebox and heater duct out and had a look around. Played with the hosepipe and found a constant dripping of water running down the 'inside' of this kickpanel area. See the red arrow.

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/Kickpanel.JPG

You can see I've taped up the unused wing bolt holes but the water isn't coming through there - it's coming from above that. Is there another hole at the top of there? Could the fact that my wings weren't reattached with sealer be the issue?

[Adam]

Theres no sealer on my wings.

[Iain]

In theory there's no holes to leak through above the wing and indicator holes! :wtf:

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/BehindWing.JPG

[AlexW]

Could it be the sunroof? iirc they have four pipes coming from each corner and into a rubber very short pipe and though the sill. they come out those short rubber bits easy.

Let me know if i helped.

[Iain]

Let me know if i helped.

No. lol It's a non sunroof model I'm afraid.

[AlexW]

No. lol It's a non sunroof model I'm afraid.

Ah if it wasnt only when raining i would say rear wash but .....

[Dod]

Get the wing off. It may be some rot in there!! Hopefully not.

[Iain]

Well it was off about 6 months ago and thorough checked for rot and welded where required. Will whip it off again when I have some spare time though.

[Dod]

Is there any rot or visable rust around the Windscreen rubber next to the scuttle panel? What state are your roof gutters in?

Try posting up some exterior pics of your car. Something may be visable from there.

[Iain]

All fair/good condition, surface rust in the gutters.

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/Gutter.JPG

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/Scuttle.JPG

It's confusing me where it's getting in lol

Just thinking about it, it was dripping in when I was spraying it on the scuttle/wing and not the gutter so count that out.

[Dod]

Right, it does look al lil dodgy where the scuttle panel meets the Pilar. Whip the wing off mate. Have you tried the bulk head behind where the wiper motor sits? There are a number of Plastic bungs dividing it and the cock pit. Maybe somethings come away.

[meritlover]

http://iainel.co.uk/images/forums/Kickpanel.JPG



whats to stop the water getting in through between the grommits on the door and the A-pillar? looks like its just 2 open gromits and wire. theres no 'tube'
have you checked the bulkhead and the heater blower seal?

[nova_saloon]

Hi, it also could be a the little gromet has perished that takes wires in to the car just behind the battery tray! Give that a look up