Wet Weather Woes

vet111s · Post by **vet111s** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 8:44 pm

Thanks for the advice about the noise from the front of the car. Does seem to stop after applying brake but starts again after releasing. MMC glasgow says looks fine, Edinburgh too far away just now-will monitor!

After buying the car I expected leakes from the roof (esp soft top) occ though (possibly naively) didn't expect water to come in to the foot well.
After recent scottish weather there was water pooling in both footwells. This seemed to be coming from the furthes reaches of the foot well and at one point was slowly flowing down the bulkhead! Seemed worse if parked facing uphill or on flat as havn't noticed before and usually park facing downhill.
Is this normal or any easy sealed usual suspects (or will I just have to always park facing downhill when rain is foecast!)?

Andy G · Post by **Andy G** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:50 pm

what model did you buy?

mac · Post by **mac** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 9:52 pm

Is this a S1 or S2 - there's normally very little water intrusion in an S2, an S1 on the other hand......

Mac

Post by **simon** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:09 pm

There's a known problem on S2s where water can come in through the front clam and get into the footwells. I had a seal under the front clam replaced under warranty and it doesn't appear to have done it since.

vet111s · Post by **vet111s** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:21 pm

It's an S1, take it by the way you're talking I might expect more water?

Post by **simon** » Wed Sep 27, 2006 10:40 pm

I followed Andy Aitken on a run once and we went through a huge puddle. Water came through the bolts at the very front of the footwells and soaked the floor of his car so it could be coming from there. Don't know if there's any way of fixing it though.

mac · Post by **mac** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:27 am

S1's can leak from the windows - and when I say leak I mean LEAK!

The windows can be adjusted so that your first stop, but just to be clear how much water are we talking about?

Mac

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:20 am

vet111s wrote:It's an S1, take it by the way you're talking I might expect more water?

Water coming through the top of the forward bulkhead can be from the air hose coming off, though you would need extreme rain or some other failure to get water into it.

Water coming through the bottom of the foot wells is most likely coming through the lower wishbone or steering rack mounts. You can also get water leaks from around the windscreen where the sealant has rotted (or perhaps was never there). If the water wells up under the front edge of the screen, it will then run down the bulkhead.

You need to get a pal with a hose and spray different areas of the car (don't forget up into arches and into the nose, bonnet grills, etc.) and work out where the water is coming in.

They don't all leak like that, so it should be fixable.

As mac says the typical ingress is from the windows, and these can be adjusted, along with careful positioning of the roof. Did you know the roof has a semi-circular tab in the leading edge and that fits into a corresponding notch in the middle at the front, so you need to slide the roof left/right when you put it on until the tab engages the notch.

Cheers,
Robin

GregR · Post by **GregR** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:37 am

robin wrote:Did you know the roof has a semi-circular tab in the leading edge and that fits into a corresponding notch in the middle at the front, so you need to slide the roof left/right when you put it on until the tab engages the notch.

Cheers,
Robin

always wondered what that thing was for. Wish I hadn't cut it off now...

mac · Post by **mac** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:45 am

me too - although it's still present

Mac

vet111s · Post by **vet111s** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 3:03 pm

Have the hard top on and no leaks from that of the windows at the moment. seems to be coming from the top of the forward bulkhead and trickling down. Needless to say access and visibility of that area is limited and can only see where it trickles not where original ingress is. When you say airhose do you mean for the heater? Any tricks making access easier?

robin · Post by **robin** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 4:40 pm

vet111s wrote:Have the hard top on and no leaks from that of the windows at the moment. seems to be coming from the top of the forward bulkhead and trickling down. Needless to say access and visibility of that area is limited and can only see where it trickles not where original ingress is. When you say airhose do you mean for the heater? Any tricks making access easier?

Airhose = big tumble dryer ducting type stuff right in the middle of the services compartment - TBH it's not all that likely it will be getting water in it, but worth a look.

To gain better visibility of footwell/bulkhead:

(a) open drivers door wide (important to make sure it doesn't close on you!), assume the position - legs up the back of the seat, back on the base of the seat, head by the pedals.

(b) use a mirror on a stick or a video camera ...

Cheers,
Robin

vet111s · Post by **vet111s** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 7:36 pm

sounds dignified!
Should there be a rubber seal around the whole of the windscreen, only seems to go from clamshell to clamshell on mine, not alone bottom edge.
Airhose seems in place.

Novice Racer · Post by **Novice Racer** » Thu Sep 28, 2006 11:09 pm

robin wrote:
For a great night out with Ed, travel to a quiet spot on Carlton Hill after dark and choose a spot out of site. Then...

(a) apply grease to ring

(b) open drivers door wide (important to make sure it doesn't close on you!), assume the position - legs up the back of the seat, back on the base of the seat, head by the pedals.

(c) use a mirror on a stick or a video camera ...

(d) don't worry, it won't last long

Cheers,
Robin

NR

robin · Post by **robin** » Fri Sep 29, 2006 7:50 am

vet111s wrote:sounds dignified!
Should there be a rubber seal around the whole of the windscreen, only seems to go from clamshell to clamshell on mine, not alone bottom edge.
Airhose seems in place.

That is normal, however the windscreen bonding they use goes between the glass and the screen surround, and it is this that can sometimes just be missing ... then when you're driving water can be forced into the gap and where it goes next depends on where the glue is missing.

BTW (a) and (b) are alternates - you won't need a mirror once you have head in footwell

Cheers,
Robin