Firm

I've got a 96 Firebird that's been living outdoors for the last few years. I quickly learnt (the hard way) about making sure the car is park nose up whenever it rains to prevent water from flooding the rear hatch area and ended up soaking the carpet and everything around the rear seats.

I've been careful with my parking, and opening the hatch when wet, yet I've still got a small leak.

Whenever we get major rain storms (downpours, not just regular showers) somehow water makes it's way into the car near the passenger side rear sail panel area. Tonight for example, it's like a monsoon out there, I get in the car and I can see water in 2 places:
1. A small trickle running down the interior panel from the speaker grill
2. pooling in a small depression in the floor between the rear seat and the interior panel....Underneath the seat is dry, the actual footwell area is dry.

The photo (not ideal, I borrowed it from google) highlights the two areas.

I cannot replicate the leak with a hose (I've tried). So it must have something to do with the massive volumes we rain we occasionally get.

The leak occurs when the car is sitting, so I know it's not getting in from the shock mounts or anywhere else underneath the car.

I am also pretty stumped as to where it can get getting in....this is a non T-top car and the water must be getting in a a point higher than the speaker grill area for it to be visible there.

Any thoughts?? This car has been my faithful daily for almost 10-years so I'd like to do what I can to keep it in good nik.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Odd. Since its coming from the grille, the water must be running down the inside of the panel. I'd take that panel out and see what's there.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

Looks like typical leaks from a t-top car. Weird.

I agree with taking the interior panels off to help track it down. I'm wondering if it is coming in around the seal between the hatch and roof near the top.

The leak in the back doesn't make sense to me. I've parked both my old 98 and my 99 in different positions without water getting in.

Firm

The whole parking nose down and water flooding around the hatch seal and coming in under the carpet under the rear seat is a well-known and accepted design fault. I just don't park nose down and haven't had a problem in years.

This is really strange. I hate pulling that panel b/c that little hook/hanger thing at the top is a serious pain to get out. I guess I have no choice but to do it and hopefully I'll be able to see some water staining or something where it's getting it. For whatever reason I cannot replicate this leak with the hose.

Daniel Richards

iTrader: (1)

I know it's a pain but take the panel off, what I would put my money on is if you remove the t-top in that corner there is a small bolt/screw holding the plastic piece and corner of the weather striping in place, this bolt/screw is likely the source of your leak, it is "sealed" from the factory with a piece of adhesive foam.

SparkyJJO

iTrader: (11)

His is a hard top, not t-top.

Firm

Wanted to post a follow-up on this for anyone looking at this later on...

Came home from work tonight (drove a different car) and it had been steady raining for a couple hours, not a downpour, just some steady rain. So I checked in the Firebird and sure enough, water
So I grab my tools and light and took the interior panel off. Almost right away I could see water coming in from the corners where the black goop is in the pictures here:




For whatever reason water was getting in around this rubber, running down the inside (you can see it running down in the pic) and collecting in the foam speaker enclosure.

The rubber seemed like it had been held in place with some glue which was all coming away, so I silicone it all neatly back in place with some black RTV. and left some tape on it for now to keep it in place while it sets up.

Then I looked at the outside and saw this:



You can see that part of the rubber has come out of it's channel. I pushed it back in with a screwdriver so it's sitting properly again. Not sure what may have caused this, but we did have a couple big ice storms back in the winter. I usually carefully use a hair dryer to melt the ice around the window before opening the door, but maybe some ice remained and managed to pull the rubber away. :S

Anyway, hopefully this will take care of my leak.

Firm

Found out where the water that wasn't collecting in the speaker enclosure was ending up....in the rocker panel!
Yesterday I went out to put the interior panel back together and remove the tape. Noticed some water dripping from the rocker panel pinch weld underneath the car. Pulled the rear drain plug an a ton of water came running out. Left the plugs out for it to dry and I'll take the opportunity to spray it inside with oil.
Now I am really hoping my fix of the rubber seal takes care of this because water in the rocker panel is not good at all....