All out of ideas! Please help me!

[Z-UgOxSlaViaN-Z]

I appreciate you taking the time to read my thread. Thank you!

My situation:

I own a 1975 280z coup with constant water flooding problems. Currently the carpet is pulled up and away from the floors since I cant get the water to stop leaking in on both the driver and passenger sides. When I bough the vehicle in 04, it was tucked under a car cover where at this time, the owner must have known of the problem but realized that if I were to know, he would risk the chance of not selling. Needless to say, I was completely unaware of the events to come. The owner also installed an aftermarket sunroof that looks original but could very easily be the root of the problem. Obviously, water exists only when rain is present and the levels increases or decreases based on amount of rainfall but once the rain has started, it takes only hours for the water to begin showing. Maybe since this is the case, the water could have a direct in, or a very small obstacle where it then penetrates and makes its way to the floor.

The first year I owned the vehicle, I didn't realize the wet floors until they were literally flooded and by this time, it was too late to save some of the carpet and noise material. After that years rainy season had passed, I changed the door seals on the driver and passenger sides. Although changing the seals seems to have helped, it has not completely done away with the leaking, where as of now, it has changed to a slow steady trickle. In time, this will create a HUGE problem (if it hasn't already) that I really would like to avoid. Bottom line is, I AM GOING CRAZY! My financial situation isn't the best right now so I am a little hesitant to throw down tons of cash on a gamble, but I will consider all suggestions! Please Please Please Please PLEASE HELP ME! Thanks!

- Matt

[EScanlon]

Check the Cowl Drain Tubes.

These are located up behind the "eyeball" vents on the extreme ends of the dash. You will probably have to get on your back and with your head tight against the firewall shine a flashlight up there. You will see two rubber elbows that come down and exit via the side kick panel.

If those rubber elbows are cracked or holed, that may be the source of most if not all your problem. There are other problems, but that one is one of the most probable. You can check these by flooding the Cowl Bucket.

The Fresh Air Intake Shroud could also be a problem, but that would only affect the passenger's side and only through the Heater Blower, so check that last.

As a second note, you may also have cracks or rust holes in the Cowl Bucket itself. To find these, remove the Cowl, insert a bare light bulb into the Cowl Bucket and once again get on your back in the passenger / driver floor areas. Look to see if you see any light. If you do, it's a hole.

Lastly, if the tops of your Fresh Air Vent Tubes (they run from the front of the car by the radiator, all the way to the passenger compartment) are rusted through, due to debris sitting in the top of the "drain" gutter, then the water may be seeping in through there and then through the Fresh Air Vents. The only way to check these is to have a friend pour water onto the support underneath the Access Doors on the fenders while you get on your back.

FWIW

E

[Lazeum]

Could your doors be bent? did you try the trick of the $1 bill to check the seals?

Regarding the sunroof, did you see some water coming from it? Is the roof top wet when it rains?

Can the water came from the firewall as well? I believe it might if some gromets are old and cracked.

[76Datsun280z]

Sounds like you might have the same problem that I had, I know what it's like! I went absolutely crazy with it, I can't tell you the number of times I pulled the cowl off and my dad and I spent leaning up under the dash while one would poor water into the cowl. Only in my case, it would only drip down on the passenger side floor soaking the passenger floor, so I ended up taking the carpet out for a while until I fixed the problem. I had the door seals replaced and everything and nothing seemed to solve the problem.

If those two hoses that EScanlon mentioned that make a 90 degree bend in the corner under the dash aren't cracked, I would start under the cowl. For me, the hoses were not cracked and the source of the problem ended up being a very small rust hole no bigger than a dime wedged just right under the windshield wiper motor mount in the corner in the cowl. Probably the most wedged in area that you could find under there. It took a mirror and a very very lighted area to find the rust hole. The cowl is very dark under there and in a poorly lighted shaded area can make it nearly impossible to find even the smallest hole, so make sure you're in a very well lit area with a flash light and mirror. After patching that hole up and coating the whole inside of the cowling with Por15, it has not leaked a drop since.

Any how, here is thread from back when I had the problem if it's any help to you at all. http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=24651

And I want to thank EScanlon again for all his help in those pm's back and forth!:classic:

[Z-UgOxSlaViaN-Z]

I went out and tore the cowling off to check for holes and I didn't see much. I climbed inside and checked the passenger and driver side drainage tubes and they looked perfect! It was getting dark out so I will have to check the firewalls tomorrow morning.

The sunroof doesn't ever get wet on the inside which kinda takes it out of the equation I guess. I was wondering though, is there a way that the water could possibly run around the sunroof seal then cling onto the underside of the metal and ride the top of the inside roof all the way to the bottom and out some hole? Seems a little far fetched but I keep on remembering that commercial a long while ago; "Water, it can seep into anything!" Then it just doesn't see so unreal anymore.

I don't know of the bent door $1 bill trick, but it would be nice to know! ha Come to mention it, since I have put on my new door seals, my driver side door especially, has had a hard time shutting right. I have broken 2 door handles because of it. To open now, I have to push against the door first, then pull on the handle to open. Weird huh? Maybe they are best... Honestly... It wouldn't surprise me!

Thanks for the tips guys! Keep them coming!

- Matt

[enzo250GTO]

Don't forget to check the windsceen. Mine leaked badly pre rebuild, so I lifted the edge of the rubber seal on the outside and put a bead of silicone. Problem solved. Regards David.

[Maddos]

Don't forget to check the windsceen. Mine leaked badly pre rebuild, so I lifted the edge of the rubber seal on the outside and put a bead of silicone. Problem solved. Regards David.

Same. Only with my new windcsreen rubber fitted it actually comes through between the glass and rubber. Fine if you just wash car, but if driving in the rain seems to help push through to pool on the inside of windscreen and then trickles down inside of firewall. You hardly notice it because of the water on outside of glass.

[Z-UgOxSlaViaN-Z]

You guys are going to have to help me out here... I am not exactly sure I know what the wind screen is that you are talking about. Are you meaning in the general location of the windshields bottom corners? That's the only thing I can think of. Other then that, you guys are going to have to be more specific. Sorry! Thanks a lot though!

I have considered the corners of my windows before, because to me (one that doesn't know a whole lot about trouble shooting/diagnosing water leaks), they do look extremely vulnerable. I took my car to a window replacement shop in town where a workers there stuck this special tool in between the widow and rubber, checking for a leak but found nothing. I can't say I fully believed the guy, but being that their facility is decently popular in my area, though maybe not for all the right reason, I trusted him. I haven't heard a whole lot about them and the quality of work they do, but what I have heard is that they are cheap. Sometimes the combinations of "cheap" and "good work", might be that of hunger and Mexican food. I think you know where this one is going so I'll leave it at that. Needless to say, I will check it out. If the windshield isn't what you were meaning, please specify as I am a looser! ha Thanks guys!

- Matt

[bigoak]

Windscreen = windshield...check the seals all around it.

[Mr Camouflage]

The wind screen is the big glass window on the front of the car. They are telling you that the cause of the leak might be the seal around the windscreen. Try sealing the edges with a tube of sealant. Its cheap enough and cant hurt to rule that out as the source of the leak.

Don't be so hard on yourself Matt. Not knowing the correct terminology for stuff doesn't make you a looser, just a noobie.

[Mr Camouflage]

Damn it. Bigoak types faster than me.

[zanthus]

As far as your door opening hard I'd check your striker on the pillar. The P.O. may have adjusted it to fix the water leak that your now chasing. When you put new rubber in then that rubber is being compacted more than it should. So I'd take your dollar bill and fit it between the door rubber and the roof and pull. If it it difficult to pull out then you should probably adjust the striker. Do it to all sides that have the rubber. You may not need to break anymore handles.