[artisan00]

hey, didnyt know what section this should go in, so im putting it here for now... anyway, i have a 2003 convertible. after the haevy rain this week i noticed a leak. after a day or 2 of rain (which i wasnt driving, so i didnt see this until now) there was a fairly deep puddle of water on the left side of the car - mostly behind the drivers seat but some in front of it as well.

whats the best way to have this fixed?

[Horseshoeing]

My dad had a 69VW vert. It leaked.

I would say to find the leak. Get the hose out and try to find it. Could be the top or a window seal. was the windows rolled up tight and the door closed tight? Maybe the back window.

[Bossman351]

Interior leaks, squeaks and rattles were my area when I was working at a dealership. Let me be the first to tell you, they are not fun to do. mainly b/c the interior trim pieces these days are easily broken which will cause more squeaks and rattles. Anyways, If I were goint to attempt to locate the leak myself, I would start by drying it out then getting in it and having someone hose it down reeeeallly good. Just to make sure that it wasnt a window partially open or something simple like Horseshoeing said. If it still leaks I would move on to removing the seat, peeling the carpet back on that side and removing the trim pieces on the side that you suspect is leaking. After you've got all the pieces out get in it with a flashlight (even if its bright out) and have it hosed down reeeeallly good again. this should tell the tale. Once you find the leak, fix it accordingly.

*EDIT* I just noticed that its an 03 model. If youre under 36k, I would reccomend taking it to the dealership and letting them deal with it. If you go to pulling trim and stuff youre likely to void the warranty. Plus, if there is any damage, like to the carpet or anything, they will replace it if you bitch.

[artisan00]

Originally Posted by Bossman351 Interior leaks, squeaks and rattles were my area when I was working at a dealership. Let me be the first to tell you, they are not fun to do. mainly b/c the interior trim pieces these days are easily broken which will cause more squeaks and rattles. Anyways, If I were goint to attempt to locate the leak myself, I would start by drying it out then getting in it and having someone hose it down reeeeallly good. Just to make sure that it wasnt a window partially open or something simple like Horseshoeing said. If it still leaks I would move on to removing the seat, peeling the carpet back on that side and removing the trim pieces on the side that you suspect is leaking. After you've got all the pieces out get in it with a flashlight (even if its bright out) and have it hosed down reeeeallly good again. this should tell the tale. Once you find the leak, fix it accordingly. *EDIT* I just noticed that its an 03 model. If youre under 36k, I would reccomend taking it to the dealership and letting them deal with it. If you go to pulling trim and stuff youre likely to void the warranty. Plus, if there is any damage, like to the carpet or anything, they will replace it if you bitch.

the windows were closed, that was the first thing i checked. i have a feeling its coming from one of the following:
a)where the window/top/windsheild all meet
b) where the window meets the front speaker/mirror area
c) somehere along where the drivers window contacts the small passenger window.

i was going to try and take it to the ford place this week (for now i have it civered in a tarp i found in the garage) but im worried that they wont honor the warantee because of the changes that have been made to the car... its not the friendlist dealerhsip.
but ill try. worst case if i have to pay i will since its not something i can ignore - but i dont want to get ripped off.

anyway, just to calm my nerves while i wait to take it in, can someone tell me if one or two bad floods are enough to reeeally damage the car (assuming we got most of the water out when we could)? im scared that the whole area under the carpet is going to start rusting and crap and i dont want to think about that.

[Horseshoeing]

I don't think it would hurt it that bad. Its not bare metal. If it was it would rust wihtout the water

[artisan00]

Originally Posted by Horseshoeing I don't think it would hurt it that bad. Its not bare metal. If it was it would rust wihtout the water

whew, so the worst i have to worry about is the smell i may have to deal with when its done with.... oh well its better than the floor pans coming out

also i think i may get a car cover after this for the winter when its parked.

[Bossman351]

What kiind of changes have been made to the car?? If its someting simple like aftermarket door speakers, they will still have to warranty the car. The only way they can pin it on you is if you altered something in the car that caused the leak. They cant tell you that they are oiding the warranty on a window leay b/c you changed you head unit or something like that. You know what I mean? Now on the other hand, If you changed out the door speakers and left the plastic lining off of the door and it caused a leak.... That would be different.

Oh, and dont worry about damage. If the carpet is wet, the only way to do it right is to pull it out and dry it. Ive done it a mllion times. Its not hard and the water wont hurt anything as long as you get it out. If you just leave the carpet in there, it will mildew and then eventually start to smell like vomit or rotten eggs. It can still be cleand at this point but its a horroble job.

[artisan00]

hehe, well i used a wetvac to get most of the water out. hoepfully ill get the car to the service place this week.

changes-wise? exhaust, but that has its own warantee anyway. gears, subframes, stb, some cosmetic stuff, suspension.

the only recent thing was that a mirror housing unit (drivers side, the side of the leak) was replaced (old one got knocked off....) so i wonder if that could be it. only thing is that most of the water was in the back so i dunno if it makes sense that it came from the front - unless the back is slightly lower than the front which would cause the water to go back i guess.

[artisan00]

well, car was dopped off at fords service place today. and i was lucky, the warantee for the car expires in 23 days! i didnt even realize when the original purchase date of the car was. im happy this happened before the winter... frozen water in the car would be horrible.

anyway hopefully it all goes well - wish my car luck

[Bossman351]

GOod luck dude. Just make sure that you get it documented so that if it continues after the warranty period, you have proof that it was a problem that existed during the warranty period. It would be a good idea for you to keep a copy of that document also.

[artisan00]

Originally Posted by Bossman351 GOod luck dude. Just make sure that you get it documented so that if it continues after the warranty period, you have proof that it was a problem that existed during the warranty period. It would be a good idea for you to keep a copy of that document also.

good idea, thanks

[artisan00]

just an update if anyone cares - car is ready, no charge.
they said there was a bad seal around the door and the *supposedly* (crossing my fingers) fixed it.
not sure how to test this though, short of pray for a heavy rainfall.


once i am satisfied that it is fixed i get to put together a car shopping list

[Horseshoeing]

I see you took the easy way out and someelse fix it at no charge. Thats what I would of done. Happy to hear that things worked out for you.

[artisan00]

Originally Posted by Horseshoeing I see you took the easy way out and someelse fix it at no charge. Thats what I would of done. Happy to hear that things worked out for you.

hehe, cant argue with free. plus now if it leaks again after the warantee is up, i can take it back anyway and have them do it again.

[artisan00]

well, all they did the first time was replace that black rubber squarish thing that sits between the 2 doors where they meet (if you know what im talking about, its on the car, at the top of the place where teh door meets the body when it closes, kinda where the wheather stripping for the back window goes down into the car).

anyway yeah thats all they did, and of course it didnt fix the leak fully... so i took it back this week, this time suposedly they said they were going to replce the stripping 'around the door' but i have no idea what that means since the door doesnt have anything around it. unless they mean the convertible top gasket...

what i think, (becasue when i look at the rubber bwteen the two windoews, near the bottom of it, it looks worn and slightly torn) that the watrer isnt coming in through the window at all, but rather going into the body (like under the body panels) and then getting the carpet wet from underneath.... i tried to tell them this but they dont seem to listen...

grr.

i just hope they fix the right thing this time...

[redsMULLT1]

Just keep taking that shit back until they do fix it! When I was a tech I didn't get paid for comebacks. So after it came back 2 or 3 times, I went over everything I could find with a fine tooth comb. I don't think warranty will pay these dudes more than once for this. BTW warranty doesn't pay techs shit anyway. At least Chrysler warranty doesn't.

[artisan00]

i am about to blow a gasket (in my head that is).. i got the car back. now i cant verify that it isnt fixed yet since i havent had time today to test with water, but the on efreaking spot where i KNOW there is a small hole where water can maybe come in is STILL not replaced. SUUPOSEDLY they fixed 'all the weather stripping around the door' i dunno wtf that means since i can clearly see parts where it is still the old rubber.

i need help.. does anyone know the right way to take up the carpet so i can test myself? i still think the water is coming through the body panels and under the carpet that way - since ther was NEVER and residue that any water came in trhough the cabin through the window. i want to open up the side of the car from the inside (the plasti part where the back seat passengers elbow would go, ytou know what i mean?) and raise the carpet, and trikle water in there to verify thats where its comig from, and then go to the place and justtellhim FIX THIS PIECE. ugh im so pissed please someone help me out with that. is it hard to do??

[artisan00]

dont wanna be a post bumping jerk or anything - but this is really bothering me - can anyone help?

i know the right answer would be to go get a manual or whataver but i want to do this as soon as i can and wont be able to get a manual that quick

[Bossman351]

First thing you will want to remove is the 2 front seats. After that, remove the center console. If you have an auto, the knob should have a keeper pin that resembles a staple in the front side. Pry it out with a small pocket screwdriver and it should lift right off the shifter. Remove the doorsills and then the kicker panels. The kicker panels can be tricky. I dont really think its fully necessary to remove the kicker panels. The carpet can be tucked under the kicker panels when you reinstall. once you have the seats, console, and doorsills out, you may need to remove the seatbels. Not sure about those. After al that, you should be ready to pull it. Just go back in reverse order to reinstall. Hope that helps.

[artisan00]

damn... it helps but it doesnt... i dont think thats smething im prepared to do - i was hoping it was a matter of just taking the rear seat up and pulling the carpeting back, since all i want is to get to the footwell area for the right rear passenger seat...