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Water Leak in Cabin, please help

33K views 46 replies 15 participants last post by  FSTDANGO3  
#1 ·
Maybe I should be telling this to a shrink?but I need some help because I'm so physically and emotionally drained. Last Tuesday (2/26) we found out my Dad had Leukemia? he passed way on Saturday night?it was too agressive for chemo to work. The night he passed, I drove my mother home and went to take a shower at her house? and I open the shower curtian and see one of the ceramic tiles doesn't look right?I think "Gee, why didn't he (dad) fix this"?2 seconds later the tile falls off the wall, lands in the tub and breaks in to numerous pieces.

So? that's how my week is going.

So, yesterday morning, a day after the funeral, I'm getting ready to go out and take care of some business concerning dad's passing?I open the passenger door to put some papers on the seat, then I streatch out and reach in and start the D to warm it up?(I'm standing outside the open R/F door) and as I'm about to step away and go to the driver's side I notice the rubber floor mat on the passenger floor has a bump in it. I lift the mat and I see condensation under it.

Hmm? well, the rug also has a bump in it?I start pulling the rug away from the firewall and my fingers that are under it are now wet? oh no. First I think? the heater core must have gone? I smell my fingers? NOT ANTIFREEZE.

So, I managed to get the rug on the front passenger side pulled back 75% from the right front corner back towards the console? it's like a 1 or 2 inch thick sponge attached to the bottom of the rug?as I start squeezing it? at least a GALLON if not two of water pools up on the floor board. It was clear water, a little stale smelling but not bad, but certainly water that came from the outside.

I used a shop vac to get out all the standing water and stuck a towel under the rug to try to sopp up some more in the sponge.

Monday, I'm bringing it to an auto body shop who'll remove the seats and rug and dry them out. He said he'd put a hose on the truck to try to find the leak? any ideas? Anyne have hear of this before? I did NOT drive through anything, it had to be rain water. I'm talking about a '98 D. I can't afford a new car now.

I really don't need this mess now.
 
#47 ·
It has been long fixed and he sold that D
STEVE
 
#45 ·
Glad it worked out finally
Steve
DOC Pres
 
#43 ·
I finally had my issue fixed, it turns out the bottom of the heater box had a crack in it but it wasn't visible because there was a duct under it. My friend did the job for me, for very cheap labor (basically a gift?$100 and I gave him a $50 gift card to TGI Fridays) + parts.

While "we" were in there? he replaced the Heater Core and A/C Evap core (with OEM parts).

It's good to have my truck back; I had it sit in front of my house the whole summer and the most of the fall when it rained.
 
#42 ·
IndyDurango said:
Man, sometime bad luck is they only luck you get for a while. Hang in there and if there's anything we can do, let us know. You know we can always add moral advice and opinions like they're going out of style! :)

IndyD
Well, for the 300 if you have a house for me in Nevada that might help? I won't have to worry about the rain. For the Durango?at least I know what to don't to have the leak?don't run the A/C or defroster? I'm starting to dislike water.
 
#40 ·
I finally diagnosed the problem, for sure it's the heater box because if I don't use the A/C or defroster there's no problems?dry as a bone? turn on the A/C or defroster and it pisses like a baby.

I've held off for a couple of months, but plan on getting it fixed soon.

However, I must have pissed off the water gods in another life because? my father passed away on March 1st, it was the day after his funeral that I discovered the water leak in the D.

In the interim, my mother gave me dad's car which is a 2005 Chrysler 300 with 17,000 miles on it. It's not a Hemi, but the 6cyl is fast enough for me and I'm using it as a weekend driver (well, with the exception of really hot days until I get the D fixed up)? This morning, I take dad's car to work? earlier in the week I had an oil change and state inspection done and there was a paper floor mat on the floor. I stop at 7-11 for coffee and decide to throw out the paper mat? when I pick it up? it's wet. I felt the carpeted mat?it was soaked as was the rug.

Two cars?two very different water issues, at least the 300 is still under warranty? there's a TSB out about an A pillar water leak? it goes to the stealer Monday.

I'm attaching two pictures, one of the carpeted floor mat draped over a 55-gallon drum?you can see where the water in the mat ran off the 2x4 and on to the ground.

The second picture shows what I was able to get out of the carpet with the shop vac, a little less than a quart.

I'm ready to take the bus and/or commit myself to the looney bin!
 

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#39 ·
If there any fluid getting in either a drip or weap, get on it. I've had bith in vehicles. It's amazing how fast that little bit can accumulate and the carpet backing will hold a ton of water. I pull some of the trim by the door and get you hand under the carpet to see if it's damp. It doesn't take long for mold and must to set in and eventually rust.
 
#38 ·
dizzyD said:
Is it humid around you? If so, the AC or defrost mode will take the mositure out of the air and collect on the core. Out in arizona and the deserts we don't see that problem that bad, Being out in humid Florida right now, I get rivers of water dripping out of my rental vehicle anytime I drive somewhere.
Sounds like your "heater" box is cracked somewhere or come loose from the inside firewall.
While driving around Florida my wife had water dripping on her opened toe shoes on the psgr side. I'm leaning towards the AC drain but don't think it's flooding the cabin.
 
#37 ·
dizzyD said:
Is it humid around you? If so, the AC or defrost mode will take the mositure out of the air and collect on the core. Out in arizona and the deserts we don't see that problem that bad, Being out in humid Florida right now, I get rivers of water dripping out of my rental vehicle anytime I drive somewhere.
Sounds like your "heater" box is cracked somewhere or come loose from the inside firewall.
I AM IN ny, IT'S STILL WINTER?THIS LOOKS LIKE AN EXPENSIVE FIX. oH WELL.
 
#36 ·
Is it humid around you? If so, the AC or defrost mode will take the mositure out of the air and collect on the core. Out in arizona and the deserts we don't see that problem that bad, Being out in humid Florida right now, I get rivers of water dripping out of my rental vehicle anytime I drive somewhere.
Sounds like your "heater" box is cracked somewhere or come loose from the inside firewall.
 
#35 ·
dizzyD said:
Should be located inside engine comaprtment on passengerside firewall, Once orentaited start looking down firewall until it starts bending towards the transmission. Thyeir shoukld be a small black tube coming out approx 1 - 1.5" with no other connection. Don't pull on it as it may not go back in, but bang it lightly to see if junk falls out, I'm not positive if you have access from inside without tearing apart the dash, Someone will chime in with those details.
OK, we found it and stuck an air line in and blew inward, nothing came back out. However, the water in the cabin is definitely comeing out of the heater box, again it's not antifreeze so the core didn't let go?question is: how's it getting in there and how do I fix it?
 
#34 ·
Should be located inside engine comaprtment on passengerside firewall, Once orentaited start looking down firewall until it starts bending towards the transmission. Thyeir shoukld be a small black tube coming out approx 1 - 1.5" with no other connection. Don't pull on it as it may not go back in, but bang it lightly to see if junk falls out, I'm not positive if you have access from inside without tearing apart the dash, Someone will chime in with those details.
 
#33 ·
Well, I guess I jinxed myself?

Today I'm about to get out of the D when I get to work and I look at the passenger floor area and the rubber mat has water trickling on it. It's indeed coming down from the black box & duct work under the glove box.

Me & my buddy figure the cowl must be filling up, it's rain water not antifreeze.

So, pretend I'm a dummy: where's the drain tube located and how do I get at it? Can I get at it without taking off the dash?
 
#32 ·
Well, we have had quite a few good rain falls the last two weeks and so far?so good.

While I haven't pulled apart all the trim and pulled the rug up for a visual inspection I have taken off the plastic trim on the rocker panel twice and stuck my hand/arm under the rug? both times it came out dry.

What did I do?
1) Sealed up the plastic trim on the windshield where the wiper arms are with a 3M putty.
2) Gooped up the radio antenna coax where it goes in to the grommet on the hinge pilar with black RTV.
3) Sealed up the hard plastic block at the hinge pilar where the door wires enter the hinge pilar, also with black RTV.
4) Replaced the lower gasket on the door.
5) Replaced the body gasket around the door opening, I actually replaced both front ones as I think this was the culprit.

Thanks to all of you who gave me ideas.
 
#31 ·
If it was the door gasket, that should be easy to reproduce with a hose.
 
#30 ·
Well, they're not calling for rain in the 5-day forecast and the D is dry. Som I'm going to change that door/body gasket and go from there.

I did find some kind of hole (put there by the factory) about 6 inches under the computer in the right side kick panel. I filled it up with silicone just in case.
 
#29 ·
You might not find any streaks/stains. With the carpet up, kick panel totally out etc, you need to get the hose out and hit the exterior everywhere including under the cowl with the cover off. It took me a while and many bouts with the fan and heat to dry things out. My leak on the drivers side was strange but I did get it. The firewall apparently has two layers. While running the hose into the cowl I found drips comming through two holes. One was up behind the kick panel and the other was up by the brake pedal. I could actually see the water running behind the one by the brake pedal. The holes have always been there but for some reason the water decided to drip through them. I siliconed them and end of my problem.
 
#28 ·
Well, I got the D back Friday from the shop and a bit disillusioned with them as they gave it back to me with the carpet wet. I put a space heater on the floorboard around 7:30 AM and by noon it was dry.

I couldn't find any weather strip at Auto Zone other than foam, so I took the cowl cover off and used what we call Dumb-Dumb at work? it's really a 3M product that comes in 12" strips?kind of like a black ruberized caulking.

I silly-coned around the gromet where the door wires go through and the smaller gromet where the antenna coax goes.

No leaves in the cowl, really didn't see any signs of an old leak on the firewall? but I found water in two of the thee plastic cups that hold the clips to the door sill trim panel? since water doesn't run UP? I'm inclined to think the body gasket on the door opening may be the cluprit.

If that's not it?then I'm in trouble 'cause the only thing left would be a body seam or hinge pilar seam, but I found no residue or wetness near the computer on the right side kick panel. Took the glove box out, didn't see any drip marks or run stains, in there either.
 
#27 ·
Well, I got the D back Friday from the shop and a bit disillusioned with them as they gave it back to me with the carpet wet. I put a space heater on the floorboard around 7:30 AM and by noon it was dry.

I couldn't find any weather strip at Auto Zone other than foam, so I took the cowl cover off and used what we call Dumb-Dumb at work? it's really a 3M product that comes in 12" strips?kind of like a black ruberized caulking.

I silly-coned around the gromet where the door wires go through and the smaller gromet where the antenna coax goes.

No leaves in the cowl, really didn't see any signs of an old leak on the firewall? but I found water in two of the thee plastic cups that hold the clips to the door sill trim panel? since water doesn't run UP? I'm inclined to think the body gasket on the door opening may be the cluprit.

If that's not it?then I'm in trouble 'cause the only thing left would be a body seam or hinge pilar seam, but I found no residue or wetness near the computer on the right side kick panel. Took the glove box out, didn't see any drip marks or run stains, in there either.
 
#26 ·
I'm more inclined to bellieve Rays Findings
But I guess anything is possible
Steve
DOC Pres
 
#24 ·
The black plastic cowl cover, need to take that off. Remove the wiper arms, then the plastic torx srews that hold it on. Look on the back of it and you should see along the upper edge a gasket. What I did with mine, I just bought some rubber weatherstripping with an adhesive backing, and stuck it to the windshield where it won't be seen once the cowl cover is put back on.

Something like this, just make sure its rubber and not foam

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...ay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100166568&N=10000003+90020

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