FRporscheman

The sunroof doesn't need to be closed tightly, but it should be closed completely. If you undo the latches or whatever you have on your manual sunroof, like you're about to remove the whole thing, then will it shut all the way?

That mold is nasty. I had the exact same thing with my 944. I'd rather fix a head gasket twice than deal with moldy water leaks.

For now, just tape the living crap out of everything. Just keep that water out! Find the solution later, but for now just buy some time.






Please remember, water doesn't need to drip directly from an opening onto a surface. Often times, water will run along surfaces, hidden by upholstery, taking the long way around, until it reaches the floor/seat. Water may also penetrate and advance by way of capillary action (dip one tip of a sponge in water, and water will creep up and soak the whole thing).

The newspaper trick clearly reveals nothing, then. If you truly want to find the source of the leak, you have two choices:

1. strip the interior, and camp out while it's raining heavily
2. fix one thing at a time until the leak disappears. I'd start with the hatch!

951Tom

Common leaks I've found over the years: rear side window seals, door seals, hatch seal, gas cap drain grommet, both sunroof seals(on body & roof), re-sealed hvac assembly at windshield base, split rubber grommet for wires passing thru the cowl next to fuse panel, silcone sealant along the top edge of the hatch glass cuz it dripped on the tops of the rear seat, both tail-lights with 3M window-weld butyl cord, & checked door vapor barriers for proper seal and cleaned out internal door drains. Hope this helps.
Tom
'87 951

Yummybud924

yeah I guess water could be travelling behind something and preventing me from seein git but part of the thre rear roof vinyl is still not attacked because I had to remove the drain tubes.

I really don't want to strip the interior because it's not easy to put back together, especially the viny on the roof. I will have to take out all the seats in teh summer and clean them and wash the carpet to try and kill the mold.


about the sunroof closing, when I get it on I have to wiggle the rear latches the sunroof goes down and when it does before clamping it, it sticks out quite a bit due to the thick seal i'm guessing.

Tom R.

I thought the same thing with my quarter window. I was sure it couldnt be that.

being cocky cost me about $6,000! Yep, i lost about 1500 on the sale of the car that leaked (notice i used the past tense!) and then dropped an additional 5000 on a different 944.

I swapped hatches with another rennlister, i taped the sunroof shut, i took out the interior panels, took out the seats, etc. check out my posts around xmas/new years. here is a start. but what do i know anyway. https://rennlist.com/forums/924-931-944-951-968-forum/319839-rained-last-night-and.html


guess what? It was coming from the bottom of the quarter window rubber, running down the "armrest" to the carpet covering the wheel hump and under the bottom of the rear seat. and to the floor by the rear seat in the corner.

maybe water flows differently in your part of the continent.

Tape the quarter window and see what happens. or dont perhaps your windows had a different kind of sealant than mine had from the factory.

Tom R.

remove the rear seatbelt recepticles, then take off the ten clips holing the vinyl for the rear seat under the carpet in the hatch. then take out the seat bottom before the stench kills you.

good luck trying to get that thing to smell right. i suggest you buy one from someone parting a car. i would have if my interior was not blue.

Yummybud924

yeah this really sucks, I'd rather have a mechanical problem than killing mold and finding leaks.

I thought maybe it could be the window but I sprayed it with the garden hose as well and couldn't see it leaking but maybe it is I'll tape it off and see.

this is going to take a very long time to figure out.

I can't tape off anything right now as the rain never stops here and the car is parked outside.

I'm covering the roof with a tarp I bought (I had a car cover but it got all ripped up) and leave my windows open a bit to air out.

I also went and bought lysol today an some 3m mold/ mildew spray, says you can use it on fabric but it may cause slight yellowing..... also it just prevents mold from growing on the surface, I could still have tons of mold inside the seat.

I guess it's better than nothing.

I removed the tarp from my car recentry trying to see where the leak is coming from but I'm just getting a soaked interior without finding anything.

in spring and summer this leak will be even harder to find..... then it'll start again in winter.

Yummybud924

if it is the quarter window can it also soak the back seat doesn't sound likely, however one thing noticed is that when I have the back seat folded down teh carpet on top of the seat (where it's folded down) is bone dry but the seat is wet and damp.

Tom R.

hello mcfly that is what i was telling you. look at the picture of my car in the recent thread about whether the frame is straight. that has a picture of the tape on the window. wipe it down and put the tape on.

pull up the carpet and toss out the wet padding. dont leave the windows open. moisture feeds mold. close the windows and douse the carpet with lysol.

the picture up above is what the back looks like without the bottom of the rear seat. notice the seat belt bolt on the left. that is by the passenger side rear seat passengers right hip.

V2Rocket

Water in Canada is all messed up...it has this ability to fall up from the ground, penetrate coated underbodies and steel and soak your carpet from below.

Actually, maybe you should invest in a waterproof car cover.

Yummybud924

this is weird I just looked at my back window and I can see a little water around it so maybe it is leaking but my sunroof may be leaking as well.

is there a write up on how to replace the back window seal? or do you have to take it to a glass shop.

Yummybud924

I did have a good cover for 2 years but this year I had it on my car when it snowed and it froze to my car and when I removed it (had to go to work) it ripped. Now I just bought a cheap tarp to cover the roof / window area.

however I obviously can't cover the car when I'm driving or when it's not parked at home. Whenever I drive anywhere I have to bring a towel with me to wipe all the water off my windows when it evaporates everywhere.

In the winter I also had to scrape ice from the inside of the car......

apierce918

replacing the seal is easy, popping it out is a matter of pushing from the inside, then wrap a cord around the new seal, push it in, and pull the cord out from the inside of the car following the perimeter of the seal and pulling the rubber up over the metal body

Tom R.

you dont have to replace the seal. just put some urethane between the glass and the seal. Dan (jeeper31) was with me when the safelite guy did it to my na. it took him about one minute. he gently pulled the seal from the glass using something like a putty knife. he then shoved the tip of his caulking gun in the space and loaded it up with urethane. he then pushed the seal against the glass, squeesing the excess out. then with a razor he cleaned the excess. viola, job done, leak fixed.

it was simpler than any of the other things i did, and it took the least amount of time etc. just do it!!

Yummybud924

thanks for the help.

I just ripped out a ton of sound deadening/ insulation between the carpet and the back seat it was really gross, all slimy and moldy. I will need to remove everything in the interior when I have time ans there is more wet insulation between the carpet. I'll remove the back seat when i have time and attempt ot clean it and dry it. For now I emptied a can of lysol everywhere I could reach and covered the car.

now I'm hoping that I found the leak..... sounds like it might be the quarter window.

is there a pic quide on how to get teh window out and back in? I don't really get the string thing you were talking about. Maybe once I get it out it'll be obvious.

so do I just push on the glass itself from the inside? I don't want to break it. Exactly how hard are you suppose to push?

I'll be happy if this finally fixes the leaks and then I can start getting rid of the mold.

apierce918

there is a metal trim piece on the outside that comes out first, but then, yeah you basically push, start at a corner and go..

But i would try Tom's way first, lift up the edge, and go around with some urethane, if that doesnt work, then pop it out.