Camo

iTrader: (1)

I have a rather unusual issue with my 1998 Trans Am WS6 that I can't pin down and remedy. I'd love to get it sorted out as it's preventing me from being able to enjoy my car and drive it in the Pacific NW. The car isn't my DD.

So on to the issue. I have rain / water leaking into the passenger side. A significant amount of water. I've eliminated all of the usual suspects (EVAP drain, grommet under the PCM, T-Tops, etc.) and I'm quite confident that I've narrowed the issue down to the snorkel that goes through the firewall, underneath the cowl on the passenger side, to drawn in outside air. The water comes in through the blower box and leaks out of the bottom by the blower motor. It seems to go in other directions as well, but that is the main area it drips from. Like I said, I'm 99% sure it's coming in through that snorkel as when water runs down the windshield and goes into the cowl, it drains to the sides and goes right by that snorkel. I'm pretty sure it pools there and is leaking in through the seam and/or seal. The problem is that it's an absolute nightmare to get to that area. You can't get to it from outside the car as it's tucked so far under the windshield and the only way you can reach up there is to go from the inside out by sticking your hand in the hole where the blower motor was and reaching all the way up. Problem is, you can't get your hand around it well enough to seal it up with silicone or something.

I've searched and searched to see if anyone else has encountered this. I first noticed the problem about 6 months ago when I opened up the car in my driveway (it's covered and sits over the winter) only to find about 6 inches of water in the rear passenger foot well. I was horrified. It's in my garage now. I've read dozens of threads, and the ones where people say they had a similar problem just die with no resolution to the issue posted. It looks like's its a monumental feat to remove the dash and blower box and requires almost 100% disassembly of the entire forward cabin of the car. Even if I did disassemble it, there doesn't seem to be a seal listed in any part listings that would be replaceable. Does anyone have any experience with how the snorkel goes through the sheet metal and how it seals up?

Thanks in advance for any assistance. This one really has me stumped.

steveo346

iTrader: (18)

I had a similar issue, but it was my heater core dumping water into my passenger side floor board, I by passed the heater core off the water pump and bam, problem fixed. Ain't nobody got time for changing out heater cores!

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Up north, we make the time!

DrEvyl

iTrader: (5)

In Texas you can do that... up here in the PNW... not so much.

JLFIII

iTrader: (1)

While I have not had this problem on my fbody, I did have water leaking in from a similar area on an 87 Fox Mustang I owned a few years back. Unfortunately I had to tear apart most of the dash to be able to pinpoint it an then fix it. After tearing the interior apart I had to sit in the car while my father hosed it down, after I found the leak I sealed it up with silicon.

I hope for your sake someone has an easier solution for you, but if not, set aside some time and do it right so you can enjoy the summer driving season with peace of mind!

Camo

iTrader: (1)

Thanks for the responses everyone. I'm just going to have to tear into it further to find the source. I've been working on it off and on for months trying to avoid tearing out the entire dash. My next step is to try a trick I learned from identifying leaks in my travel trailer. I'm going to create positive pressure inside the car, via the fan / air pump for my kids bouncy house. Then spray soapy water around the outside areas. This causes the leaks to blow bubbles. Kind of an inside-out approach vs. outside-in via hosing it down. I've tried hosing it down multiple time and can't completely hone in on the source. I'll be sure to report back incase anyone else encounters this in the future.