Leak when it rains

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xirdneh
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My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

I have had a leak for several years now that drips on my left leg right above the knee while driving.
i removed the Inside trim strip along the left side of the windshield trying to pin down the leak
so it drips off the left end of the Inside trim strip that runs along the top of the windshield

i had been putting a board (14" x 48") on the roof that projected out over the top of the windshield seam
that stopped the leak while the car was parked but while driving i could not do that

since i assumed it was the windshield leaking at the seam I had the windshield replaced
when they removed it they told me the seam was intact all the way around and doubted that it was leaking

i needed a new windshield anyway 's so no problem there
i had them leave the trim off and bought a tube of their caulk to fill in the gap
figured i would goop it up making it flush with roof for better airflow and really seal it in

damn! it did not stop the leak
so i am back to my board trick and carry a small pan along so when i stop so it will catch water dripping on the seat

i looked over the area that the board covers with a magnifing glass but do not see any hairline cracks in the roof
i am stumped for now
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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dlb
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by dlb »

any roof racks or sun roof? i assume not but should ask just to make sure. those are the other likely culprits. what about the rubber seal around the driver door?

next thing i would do is test it on a dry day by pouring small amounts of water over small areas of the exterior and seeing which one causes the leak inside. then you could investigate that area further.

can you take a pic of the exact area where the leak is coming from? it's hard to tell from your description. sounds like it's at the top of the pillar between the windshield and the driver door window. is that right?
xirdneh
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My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

no sunroof or roof rack
when sitting in car reach up to touch trim strip where windshied meets ceiling fabric
its about 1" wide plastic
that strip ends in the corner (i have removed the corner trim so i can see the end of it)
it has grooves on the backside so water can run the full length of it
somewhere along its length its getting water and it drips off the left end
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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splatterdog
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by splatterdog »

Sounds like mine! Windshield was the culprit. Frame needs some derusting too, maybe this winter as I'm going to be driving the rustier T4. For a couple years now this has plugged it.http://www.permatex.com/products/Automo ... Sealer.htm

Just tape the bottom of the chrome trim to the windshield so it flows to the leak and not down the glass.
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Petros
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My tercel:: '84 Tercel4wd w/extensive mods
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by Petros »

mine does the same thing, I assume it is from the windsheild (not factory, previous owner had it replaced). TRied sealant around it but it still leaks.

You might try this (car dealer trick): tape up the out flow ports under the tailgate, seal any other known holes or gaps with duct tape, roll up all windows, turn on fan high, close all doors and spray soapy water around all seams and window. You might also take body panel in front of windshield off and spray soapy water around air inlet duct, lower edge of windshield, etc.

I need to do this with mine, I know mine is from windshield since it comes from the plastic trim along the top edge of windshield where the head liner meets the glass. no sunroof or roof rack either.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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rer233
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by rer233 »

had the same leak at top of my '88- glass guy said PO had replacement glass installed using old butyl caulk (doesn't really harden.) he scraped off old caulk and installed new glass with urethane caulk. never a problem since- been 51/2 years now!
if it aint there, there's a good chance it won't break!
83 SR5 Silver/Blue (Snowmobile/work beater)-totaled but drivable
85 SR5 Blue
88 SR5 White (the 'good' one)-not anymore-totaled
87 fwd silver wagon a/t
87 4wd dx Cream (a/t- not anymore- now m/t)
xirdneh
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

they used expensive urethane caulk to install my windshield
and i added a whole lot more to fill the gaps
plus they said the old windshield did not have a broken seal
i think something else is going on with my car

i like that pressurized cabin idea Petros
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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splatterdog
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by splatterdog »

Was/is there any rust around the window frame? My 84(originally a Wa car) had pin holes on the drivers side. Not where the windshield gets glued to, right above it. The pinholes actually went up the roof just a little after really digging in to the problem.
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Petros
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by Petros »

tiny leaks can be hard to find, there are lots of places water can get in. Pressureize the car and just watch for soap bubbles to find the leak.

My leak is kind of odd, not usually a problem it just occurs when I part at certain angles. somewhere unbeknownst water will pool up and seep into the trim at the top of the windsheild. than when I drive off it dripps out the end of the trim right onto my left thigh, sometimes quite a lot (and always very cold!). Normal driving in the rain does not cause it, nor just parked in the rain, but only when parked on uneven ground when the car slopes to the left, with the front slightly higher than the rear.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
xirdneh
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

Petros wrote:tiny leaks can be hard to find, there are lots of places water can get in. Pressureize the car and just watch for soap bubbles to find the leak.

My leak is kind of odd, not usually a problem it just occurs when I part at certain angles. somewhere unbeknownst water will pool up and seep into the trim at the top of the windsheild. than when I drive off it dripps out the end of the trim right onto my left thigh, sometimes quite a lot (and always very cold!). Normal driving in the rain does not cause it, nor just parked in the rain, but only when parked on uneven ground when the car slopes to the left, with the front slightly higher than the rear.
yea
i am noticing similiar things but nothing consistant to help me pin it down
will be looking for pin holes too
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
xirdneh
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Posts: 2121
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

i am still trying to find this leak
when i park the car with Front end UPHILL it does not leak
so i figured the leak had to be at the back hatch somewhere as it leaks badly when front end is DOWNHILL
so thinking logically i parked the car with Front end DOWNHILL and covered the rear hatch to body gap with a piece of plywood (2ft x 4ft ) so no water could get into the gap
That did not slow the leak at all
my bucket on the driverside seat had a pint of water in less than four hours in the rain
I live in Western Washington so there is no shortage of rain for testing
still stumped
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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splatterdog
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by splatterdog »

Still sounds exactly like both of my leakers. I still think it's top of windshield. Did you try the flowable silicone? I used 2-3 and did the top and sides. Squeezing it thru the small gap around the outside of the trim,keeping it in with masking tape on the windshield side of the trim. I filled er up. I also did it in a few stages to slowly build it up, if the leak is bad enough it might flow right thru it at first. Also make sure to blow gun well around the edge before applying sealant. Lots of dirt get in there along with the moisture.
xirdneh
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Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

the guy who replacedthe windshield said not to use anything with silicone
the stuff he used is urethane based
when it stops raining (someday soon i hope) i plan to use a heat gun to dry off the area on top of the windshield and add some kind of urethane sealer
if it stops that would be nice
or at least slows it down so i know i am on the right track
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
xirdneh
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Posts: 2121
Joined: Thu Aug 04, 2005 11:38 am
My tercel:: 87 tercel 4x4 wagon w/reringed engine, 83 tercel 4x4 wagon w/salvaged engine and 4.1 Diff's
Location: seabeck, washington, USA

Re: Leak when it rains

Post by xirdneh »

after putting up with this leak all winter
i made another attempt to figure it out
facts, when it rains
front of car uphill, no leak
front of car downhill , leaks
so i parked the car with front downhill and ran the garden hose on "shower" setting
started at the back and slowly worked my way forward
no leak
but i guarantee it will leak when it rains and it does not take much a a rain to make it start
this is ridiculous
Love those Tercell 4x4 wagons but they sure suffer from road noise.
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Petros
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Re: Leak when it rains

Post by Petros »

did you try using the soap bubble trick? you might add some more "pressure" to the inside by duct taping the outflow vents (above the rear tail lights under the hatch), and perhaps seal up the door seals with silicone gel/grease. And than if necessary add a shop vac output to inside the car somehow. the leak might not be the glass, but under the front cowl where the heater draws its air.
'87 Tercel 4wd SR5 (current engine swap project)
'84 Tercel 4wd (daily driver, with on going mods)
'92 Mazda MPV 4wd (wife's daily driver)
'85 Tercel 4wd DLX auto(daughter's daily driver)
'01 Honda Civic (other daughter's daily driver)
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