i pulled out the carpet in my 71 skylark and noticed 3 days later after it rained that there was a small puddle of water on the floorboard. are there any common areas that cause this? and if so, how can i fix it?
If it's on the passenger floor it could be the heater core going bad. I've also had water on the front floor boards because the seam at the firewall was leaking (the seem sealer was deteriorated). To fix the latter I had to remove the fenders to get at all of the seam area.
If it only happens during rain then your seam sealer has failed perhaps on the inside around the perimeter behind the kick panels and on the outside which is hidden by the fenders. To fix it you must remove the old and replace it with new but it requires removing the carpet, kick panels and the fenders.
errrr its a 71 skylark 4 door sedan.. the water puddles up on the driver side front floor board... pull the fender? * cries* thanks alot! lol . i will check it out once i get back from hunting.. what can i use that will fix the leak and hold up for years?
If you go to Home Depot, they have it. I have been using it on all my cars for 10 years. Go to the caulking section. It is called Roof and Flashing Sealer. Comes in a orange/red w/black background standard caulking tube. Make sure you wear some disposable latex or nitrile gloves when using the product. It sticks very well. I like to use my finger for interior corners to smooth the sealer and use a body filler squeegee for exterior seams for a smooth finish. I believe it costs $3-5/tube. Let it dry overnight or 24 hours. It is paintable once fully cured. While you are in the paint dept, get some black semi-gloss spray paint, $3-4/can, and repaint your entire firewall, cowl screen and misc items.
It could also be leaking in from around the A pillar seams and running down the inside door jamb...puddling on the floor. I've watched that happen, and it sucks when you can see it running into the car while you drive, and there's next to nothing you can do to stop it.
I do have a water leak that came behind the kick panel You could do a test with the garden hose to simulate rain from the outside of the car . Remove the carpet and check where the rain enter , for my car , water came in by the kick panel (the seal was not doing his job any longer) I had 2 "water" problem at the same time .... (I tought it was "one") First the heater core went out , then I bypassed it and again the carpet is still humid , then I do the above mention test to see that was the kick panel ou:
take off the chrome thingy on the bottom of winshield..4-5 screws...and make sure you dont have this... i hope you dont though...
Just wrote this! www.buickperformance.com/CowlLeaks.htm That should tell you what to look for and how to fix it!
Yet another great job George. You might add that if it is dry rotted where you indicate it is usually in the same condition behind the kick panels on the inside.
I got some requests for more info and pics. I have just added them to the article! http://www.buickperformance.com/CowlLeaks.htm
Great addition. I find once it is dry rotted you might as well scrap it out all the way around the inside of the car , insert new sealer and smooth it.
