Where is the water leak?

[sd300td]

Have a small leak somewhere in the wagon. After washing the car last night I noticed that the rear driver side floor was a little damp. I could also tell that the water dripped down from the B-pillar, from inside the plastic b-pillar cover, as the carpet on the exterior wall of the footwell was also a little damp.

No puddles or major flooding. No moldy odor. Just damp. I keep the drains near the hood hinges clean, as well as the rails that run the length of the roofline.

The windshield? It doesn't leak as far as a I can tell; which means it doesn't leak on me or my passengers while driving, etc.

Anywhere else to look and/or double check? Trying to keep this a rust-free ride.

[Chad300tdt]

Are you sure it dripped inside the pillar?

I would guess from where you said the moisture is, that the rear door seal has split at the top of the door and is letting water drip onto the rear carpet. Check out the seal. You can tug the seal together and glue it with silicone sealant and use electrical tape to back it while it cures.

The split I'm talking about is the place where they seam the seal together when it's new. It fails there commonly.

You don't have a wet headliner do you?

[sd300td]

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

Are you sure it dripped inside the pillar?

Not 100% positive, but think it's likely. The pillar itself is dry on the outside. But where the plastic meets the wool, only the carpet is damp. Dampness can be felt on the exterior wall of the footwell and floor of the footwell.

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

I would guess from where you said the moisture is, that the rear door seal has split at the top of the door and is letting water drip onto the rear carpet. Check out the seal. You can tug the seal together and glue it with silicone sealant and use electrical tape to back it while it cures.

I'll take a look there to be sure. But nothing else is wet, i.e. the door, trim pieces, B-pillar, inside glass, etc.

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

You don't have a wet headliner do you?

I'll check, but I don't think so.

[Chad300tdt]

The seal leak I described is what I had on the passenger side of my wagon. When the water entered through the gap in the door seal, it dripped on the floor and the outside wall area just like you described. The angle of the door allowed the drips to fall all the way down there without hitting the door panel or window at all.

[sd300td]

Originally Posted by Chad300tdt

The seal leak I described is what I had on the passenger side of my wagon. When the water entered through the gap in the door seal, it dripped on the floor and the outside wall area just like you described. The angle of the door allowed the drips to fall all the way down there without hitting the door panel or window at all.

Good advice. I checked last night and can see that the seal has separated, just like you explain. Good thing it hardly rains in SD.

I'll try the silicon sealant, but am afraid that the seal is too brittle to hold/stretch/etc. We'll see.

[Chad300tdt]

If you don't want to pull the seal together, you can use electrical tape to create a "form" and fill the gap with the silicone sealant. It may take two or three applications to fill the gap, but it would work fine. Then once it's all cured, peel the tape away and enjoy. I would put the tape across the seal where it will touch the car when the door is closed, that way it will create a nice flat that will seal well once the tape is removed. Also close the door while it cures so it cures to the correct shape.

[vstech]

DON'T USE SILICONE! I used a bit of goop I think. it's an acrylic glue, I did use a bit of electrical tape to form a dam, and let it set up. it's tight as a drum now.

[Chad300tdt]

I wouldn't use silicone anywhere else as it promotes rust, but I don't think it's in contact with much when repairing a ripped seal with it. You could use butyl rubber sealant to repair the seal as well if you're concerned with the risk of rust promotion. I guess the risk would be greater, the larger the gap is that you try to fill.

[patbob]

Originally Posted by sd300td

Have a small leak somewhere in the wagon. After washing the car last night I noticed that the rear driver side floor was a little damp. I could also tell that the water dripped down from the B-pillar, from inside the plastic b-pillar cover, as the carpet on the exterior wall of the footwell was also a little damp.
...
Anywhere else to look and/or double check? Trying to keep this a rust-free ride.

Check for missing screws in the front rain gutter on the drivers side -- apparently they go through to the inside of the pillar. I found and fixed a leak that was caused by missing screws last fall. In my case, I disassembled that aread and actually saw water dripping from inside the front pillar -- it came out a small hole at the bottom. I found it when I flooded the front gutter with a hose for a few minutes looking for water leaks.

The rest of my leaking turned out to be the windshield-gasket interface, and a small bead of silicone sealer fixed it.

[jt20]

my wagon filed up with water in the floor pans. Dried it out, happened again but to a lesser degree. I found the same water intrusions as Chad and clearing out the sunroof drains along with the chasis drains (rubber grommets in undercarriage) stopped all of that.