wahine95060 Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 Hey y'all, Newbie here with a question. Please help! Here's the problem. My '98 Outback wagon has mysteriously developed water on the driver's side floor under the floormat. I think I'd remember spilling something, so that's out. I live in California and we've had intermittent rain. My first thought (after searching here) was to check the drains behind the mudflaps. We cleaned them out and set a heater in the car to dry out the carpet. Swell, I think. All fixed! Not quite. It rained yesterday, and low and behold, wet carpet under the floormat again. It's only on the driver's side, and it's at the very base of the slope that begins the forward firewall. I don't think that's the lowest point but it could be. Anyway, what the heck? Leaky window seal? Leak from the clean air intake? Clogged drain of some other kind? Argh! Any advice on how to check where it's coming in from? Thanks in advance! Gena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cracked head Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 It seems Subaru still hasn't got it right with the windshield sealing thing. Your's is a much newer vehicle, but I have an '85 XT that had the exact same problem. It needed to have the windshield resealed. That did it. Sorry I can't give you better news. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted February 28, 2005 Share Posted February 28, 2005 There are drain holes right in front of the windshield on both passenger and driver sides. Open the hood look in the corner (there's a small depression) and remove all the leaf and other debris that is likely clogging the hole and allowing overflow into the air intake. If this doesn't solve the problem then start considering a broken or separated drain line that comes down from the sunroof (if the car has a sunroof). I think the line Tees up with another drain line and it becomes disconnected. Use the "Search" function on this site as others have dealt with this problem recently... no need to reinvent the wheel. Hey y'all, Newbie here with a question. Please help! Here's the problem. My '98 Outback wagon has mysteriously developed water on the driver's side floor under the floormat. I think I'd remember spilling something, so that's out. I live in California and we've had intermittent rain. My first thought (after searching here) was to check the drains behind the mudflaps. We cleaned them out and set a heater in the car to dry out the carpet. Swell, I think. All fixed! Not quite. It rained yesterday, and low and behold, wet carpet under the floormat again. It's only on the driver's side, and it's at the very base of the slope that begins the forward firewall. I don't think that's the lowest point but it could be. Anyway, what the heck? Leaky window seal? Leak from the clean air intake? Clogged drain of some other kind? Argh! Any advice on how to check where it's coming in from? Thanks in advance! Gena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahine95060 Posted February 28, 2005 Author Share Posted February 28, 2005 Thanks for the input. I cleaned the depressions of leaves early on and no dice. It was one of my first thoughts thanks to this board. No sunroof, so that rules out the draining issue. I'm thinking the windshield seal is the next most likely target. And just how expensive is a replacement seal (she asked with great trepidation)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 at Home Depot. Try resealing it yourself, you can't lose anything but six bucks. Wipe off the excess with a paper towel. I live in San Mateo and I think I saw Noah loading a boat recently. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 If you use silicone, clean everything up real good with alcohol for better adhesion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ejlain Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Hi. I had a similar problem with a '95 Legacy and it turned out to be an A/C problem. Did you by chance, have the air conditioning on before you noticed the water? Just a thought. - Ed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahine95060 Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 I don't remember if I had the AC on the first time it leaked. It's a definite maybe since it's been raining and I may have needed it for defogging. BUT, it sat overnight Sunday night in my driveway without running anything and the water was back. It poured Sunday evening, too, so I'm leaning more toward the windshield seal. We ran a heater in there for several hours on Sunday to dry the floor out and it was bone dry...before it rained. The depressions around the clean air intake are clean. There aren't any trees to park under, so I'm less inclined to think about the clean air intake being clogged but again, it's a possibility. Any ideas where the clean air intake drains? (Aside from possibly on the floor?) And thanks for the silicone suggestions. Based on my caulking job around the bathtub, I think I might leave this one to the professionals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 As a test, pour water into the drain hole at the front bottom of windshield on the side where you experience the leak. If you see the water drain out and under the car, you've eliminated that as a possibility. If that's OK, then, tape off various sections of the windshield and hose down the car to see if and where the windshield is leaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahine95060 Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 As a test, pour water into the drain hole at the front bottom of windshield on the side where you experience the leak. If you see the water drain out and under the car, you've eliminated that as a possibility.If that's OK, then, tape off various sections of the windshield and hose down the car to see if and where the windshield is leaking. Jeez, now why didn't I think of that? Okay, I filled a 2 liter bottle with water. When poured into the clean air intake, it call comes thru (of course, I didn't pour the entire bottle at once!). When I poured water across the base of the windshield on the left hand side, a small amount seeped in, so I guess there's the answer. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 sophisticated method of one guy hanging upside down with a flashlight inside, with the other guy running a hose on the area. The hose part was more fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted March 1, 2005 Share Posted March 1, 2005 Okay, I filled a 2 liter bottle with water. When poured into the clean air intake, it call comes thru (of course, I didn't pour the entire bottle at once!). When I poured water across the base of the windshield on the left hand side, a small amount seeped in, so I guess there's the answer. I'm assuming you tried pouring water into the drain hole in the corner just forward of the windshield?? If'n you didn't eliminate that as a possibility, the water you poured on the windshield could still have run down to this same drain hole. Plug the hole, cover the fresh air intakes and give it another try. If you still get the water, try Cookie's method but instead of a flashlight, use a lit match and when the water extinguishes the match... voila. If all else fails, cacoon the car in duct tape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahine95060 Posted March 1, 2005 Author Share Posted March 1, 2005 I'm assuming you tried pouring water into the drain hole in the corner just forward of the windshield??If'n you didn't eliminate that as a possibility, the water you poured on the windshield could still have run down to this same drain hole. Plug the hole, cover the fresh air intakes and give it another try. If you still get the water, try Cookie's method but instead of a flashlight, use a lit match and when the water extinguishes the match... voila. If all else fails, cacoon the car in duct tape. First I poured water straight into the intake vents in front of the windshield. They're the ones that have the "grating" (for lack of a better word) over them to catch debris. The water ran straight thru and came our behind the mudflaps. I checked the carpet for an increase in water and it seemed about the same. Then, I poured water on the lowest edge of the windshield where the glass meets the moulding. I poured it slowly so it wouldn't over run the intakes that are immediately forward. For the most part, the water ran off to the side and then drained, but...the carpet was significantly damper, as in on gray carpet there was a pooling that made the carpet look really saturated/black. Where is said match to be held? I've climbed upside down into the driver's side (kids, don't try this at home) and have felt around all over the forward fire wall and I can't find any water anywhere. There are no clean spots in the dust, no apparent leaks, nothing. I can't see any hoses up under the dash that are leaking either. Just water that pools at the lowest edge of the firewall. I even tried pulling the carpet under the clutch/brake/accelerator forward so I could look behind it to see if I was missing anything. No dice. I may have to unscrew the plastic flange that holds the carpet down under the accelerator to check further. Is there a way for water to run between the forward firewall and the engine compartment to get down to the floor without saturating anything else? I'm totally baffled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brus brother Posted March 2, 2005 Share Posted March 2, 2005 Apart from the center air intake with the grating over it, there are those drain holes at the corners just below the windshield. Open the hood and look carefully just next to the hinges as these holes are the size of a pencil eraser and located in a small depression. There's one on either side. Pour water directly into these holes and see if it comes out the bottom of the car or into the passenger compartment. I'm not sure of the internal anatomy of this drain but perhaps it is detached from the final run out of the car. Forget the matches... never play with matches. Good luck and let us know how the ark sails. Have you considered flood insurance? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wahine95060 Posted March 3, 2005 Author Share Posted March 3, 2005 Forget the matches... never play with matches.Good luck and let us know how the ark sails. You're not going to believe this. It wasn't the intakes. It wasn't the windshield. It wasn't any of the drains under the hood. Y'wanna take a guess? One last shot? It was a frickin' grommit. A grommit. Specifically, the grommit that wraps around the wiring harness that comes in thru the door near the hinges. The grommit came loose and wasn't seated against the door thereby letting water come streaming in along the outside wall right up against the wires as they snake back up toward the fuse box and the under dash area. We yanked back the carpet to see what was going on and could actually watch the water drip in and pool. Note I was upside down under the dash while DH was outside with the hose. Cookie's right. The person with the hose has more fun. To get to the grommit, we had to take the front quarter panel (fender?) most of the way off (btw, you can't get it all the way off because it's spot welded on the bottom. Bloody brilliant) and crank it back into place. And that's it. So the little space heater is once again wedged under the carpet drying out the padding. With any luck, this will end as a mold-free affair. There you have it. I'm off to play with some matches. And seriously, thanks for all your suggestions, etc. You were all helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 I have never heard of a door grommet leak. All's well that ends well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sydfloyd44 Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 First, PLEASE, STOP IT WITH THE SILICONE ON THE WINDSHIELD!!!!!! NO< NO<NO<NO!!! Silicone will not seal it! It will cause you many, many problems! I repair at least 100 leaks a year where customers tried the silicone route and it just ends up a mess. It will not bond!!! It WILL NOT stop the leak PERMANENTLY and it will cost you Significant amounts of money to then have corrected professionally. POLYURETHANE ONLY!!!!! (you can even buy it at most auto parts stores. Its the cheap stuff which is only good for reseal, not installs) Sorry to rant!! Back to your leak. If you poured water at the base of the windshield and water came in, it is NOT your windshield. Common myth! The seal of your windshield at the base is typically 1-2 inches ABOVE the bottom edge of the glass. Water will not travel uphill to make its way into the vehicle. My best recommendation is to remove your wipers and then the cowl cover. Close hood and you will be looking into the cowl tray. This tray will hold things like your wiper motor/assembly and the fresh air intake. The cowl tray will catch the water, stopping it from running down the firewall which would be a nightmare for leaks. There are drains at each end. Make sure they are clear. Next, get a friend to start methodically running water (no nozzle) area by area until you can get something to come in. One of you with the nozzle, the other will be a contortionist under the dash looking for water. OOOOPS! I see you just posted you found the problem! GREAT!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Clark Posted March 3, 2005 Share Posted March 3, 2005 Do yourself a favor and pull the seat (4 bolts and electric connector(s)). A few minutes of work is worth being able to lay on the floor to get a better view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beetreesubie Posted January 8, 2006 Share Posted January 8, 2006 try ur heater core or the windshield only 2 things that go wrong with it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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