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Ah, OK. Thanks for that. I am getting water all the way up the A-Pillar so I may as well pick up a new drain line from Porsche. They are only $35 so If I am going to go through the trouble of exposing and sealing these connections, I may as well do it with a new tube to reduce the chances of reoccurring. Of course, it may be a nightmare to snake the tube down through the A-Pillar and dash so I guess I gotta pick my poison.
I don't know how much you've already removed, but if you remove the interior trim on the A-pillar the hose is easily accessible all the way from the roof liner down to the dash. The complicated piece would be the part behind the dash.
Ah, OK. Thanks for that. I am getting water all the way up the A-Pillar so I may as well pick up a new drain line from Porsche. They are only $35 so If I am going to go through the trouble of exposing and sealing these connections, I may as well do it with a new tube to reduce the chances of reoccurring. Of course, it may be a nightmare to snake the tube down through the A-Pillar and dash so I guess I gotta pick my poison.
I don't know how much you've already removed, but if you remove the interior trim on the A-pillar the hose is easily accessible all the way from the roof liner down to the dash. The complicated piece would be the part behind the dash.
OK, so I got into it a bit more last night.
Monday night's rains left a smidge of wetness on the floor and the kick panel. I was fortunate to have pulled up the carpet in advance of the rain. The void behind the kick panel had possibly a pint of water pooled up, however.
So getting back to the drain tubes. I was able to remove the grab handle and the sun visor on the passenger side in order to pull down the headliner just enough to get a look at the drain tube connection. To my surprise, the tube was solidly connected and the headliner area below the tube was clean and dry with no signs of wetness.
Regarding the midway joint in the drain tubes, here is what I have. It's connected, but I can see the glue has let go and it is loose. I will re-seal this with silicone regardless of if it is leaking.
At this point I am completely stumped. I have no idea where to go from here.
One current possibility is that there may have been a windshield replacement prior to sale and maybe the water is getting in behind the glass along the passenger A-pillar dripping down into the A-pillar? That could explain why the water ends up in the well in the kick panel? I have no idea if there is a path from the A-pillar to the lower kick panel.
I left all the trim off and then inundated the car with the garden hose for 10 minutes watching for drips though the glass. Nothing. For now, I am just going to leave the trim off and wait for the next rainstorm and see what turns up wet.
Any ideas on how so much water can pool in that void in the kick panel?
OK, so I got into it a bit more last night.
Monday night's rains left a smidge of wetness on the floor and the kick panel. I was fortunate to have pulled up the carpet in advance of the rain. The void behind the kick panel had possibly a pint of water pooled up, however.
So getting back to the drain tubes. I was able to remove the grab handle and the sun visor on the passenger side in order to pull down the headliner just enough to get a look at the drain tube connection. To my surprise, the tube was solidly connected and the headliner area below the tube was clean and dry with no signs of wetness.
Regarding the midway joint in the drain tubes, here is what I have. It's connected, but I can see the glue has let go and it is loose. I will re-seal this with silicone regardless of if it is leaking.
At this point I am completely stumped. I have no idea where to go from here.
One current possibility is that there may have been a windshield replacement prior to sale and maybe the water is getting in behind the glass along the passenger A-pillar dripping down into the A-pillar? That could explain why the water ends up in the well in the kick panel? I have no idea if there is a path from the A-pillar to the lower kick panel.
I left all the trim off and then inundated the car with the garden hose for 10 minutes watching for drips though the glass. Nothing. For now, I am just going to leave the trim off and wait for the next rainstorm and see what turns up wet.
Any ideas on how so much water can pool in that void in the kick panel?
I had the same issue where that void was filled up and quite fast as well. In my case it was the body seam seal behind the washer fluid bottle in the wheel well that had dried and cracked.
but that would not explain why the A-pillar and air-bag are wet in your case.
I found my leak using a cheap endoscope to film inside the A-pillar while drenching the car on specific weak spots.
I had the same issue where that void was filled up and quite fast as well. In my case it was the body seam seal behind the washer fluid bottle in the wheel well that had dried and cracked.
but that would not explain why the A-pillar and air-bag are wet in your case.
I found my leak using a cheap endoscope to film inside the A-pillar while drenching the car on specific weak spots.
Very interesting. Thank you. You are right that it doesn't explain the water in the A-pillar, but it does implicate body seam sealer being the bad actor somewhere. Somewhere like around the windshield in the A-pillar perhaps???
Very interesting. Thank you. You are right that it doesn't explain the water in the A-pillar, but it does implicate body seam sealer being the bad actor somewhere. Somewhere like around the windshield in the A-pillar perhaps???
Possibly, the windscreen surrounds are just pushed into place and easily removed by pulling them straight out from the windscreen. I would try soaking that area. Question is why does the headliner get wet. Can the seal between the sunroof plastic "bucket" and the sheet metal of the roof be compromised. I think I read somewhere about the plastic of the pano roof had cracked, thus letting water inside.
My suggestion would be to get a bucket of water and add food coloring to it. Poor it down the sunroof drain and see what color water you get in the rocker panels or where ever it is gathering. If no colored water is found, move on to the next suspected area like the windshield. You will soon track the location down..
OK, so I got into it a bit more last night.
Monday night's rains left a smidge of wetness on the floor and the kick panel. I was fortunate to have pulled up the carpet in advance of the rain. The void behind the kick panel had possibly a pint of water pooled up, however.
So getting back to the drain tubes. I was able to remove the grab handle and the sun visor on the passenger side in order to pull down the headliner just enough to get a look at the drain tube connection. To my surprise, the tube was solidly connected and the headliner area below the tube was clean and dry with no signs of wetness.
Regarding the midway joint in the drain tubes, here is what I have. It's connected, but I can see the glue has let go and it is loose. I will re-seal this with silicone regardless of if it is leaking.
At this point I am completely stumped. I have no idea where to go from here.
One current possibility is that there may have been a windshield replacement prior to sale and maybe the water is getting in behind the glass along the passenger A-pillar dripping down into the A-pillar? That could explain why the water ends up in the well in the kick panel? I have no idea if there is a path from the A-pillar to the lower kick panel.
I left all the trim off and then inundated the car with the garden hose for 10 minutes watching for drips though the glass. Nothing. For now, I am just going to leave the trim off and wait for the next rainstorm and see what turns up wet.
Any ideas on how so much water can pool in that void in the kick panel?
I dealt with A-pillar water ingress on my 2014 958 recently (passenger side, but via the mechanism I'm about to describe, could be either). I checked all of the usual spots and it was none of them. Sunroof drains and firewall grommets, cowl drains, AC drain. Instead, it was the following, which I haven't seen mentioned yet:
It was the seal of the black rubber/plastic gasket inside the door frame that passes the electronics of the door into the vehicle. The one that has a bit of crinkle to the boot about halfway up the door. I diagnosed this by running an endoscope into the A-pillar holes shown in your first pic, and by pouring water into the seam of the closed door/front quarter panel. and seeing it visually running in and filling the bottom of the A-pillar.
Over time, as the A-pillar filled, it began to slosh over into the passenger footwell carpet via the same holes, resulting in significant accumulation over time. I removed the carpet to dry it and prevent mold.
While the carpet was removed, I also stuck the endoscope into holes on top of the running board drains. Inside those, there are several "grommets" along the bottom that have a center channel for water to flow out of. I cleared one of those by poking it with a screwdriver.
I layered a few fingertips of bathroom silicon around the edge of the offending gasket, problem solved.
I dealt with A-pillar water ingress on my 2014 958 recently (passenger side, but via the mechanism I'm about to describe, could be either). I checked all of the usual spots and it was none of them. Sunroof drains and firewall grommets, cowl drains, AC drain. Instead, it was the following, which I haven't seen mentioned yet:
It was the seal of the black rubber/plastic gasket inside the door frame that passes the electronics of the door into the vehicle. The one that has a bit of crinkle to the boot about halfway up the door. I diagnosed this by running an endoscope into the A-pillar holes shown in your first pic, and by pouring water into the seam of the closed door/front quarter panel. and seeing it visually running in and filling the bottom of the A-pillar.
Over time, as the A-pillar filled, it began to slosh over into the passenger footwell carpet via the same holes, resulting in significant accumulation over time. I removed the carpet to dry it and prevent mold.
While the carpet was removed, I also stuck the endoscope into holes on top of the running board drains. Inside those, there are several "grommets" along the bottom that have a center channel for water to flow out of. I cleared one of those by poking it with a screwdriver.
I layered a few fingertips of bathroom silicon around the edge of the offending gasket, problem solved.
I have seen the rubber gasket you speak of with my endoscope. I did also suspect that, but that was before the discovery of water all the way up to the top of the A-pillar. Great suggestion, but mine looks super dry. I also have poked out the center of a drain plug in the rocker as you mentioned. Nice to see so much help from the community here. Hopefully we can nail this together.
Possibly, the windscreen surrounds are just pushed into place and easily removed by pulling them straight out from the windscreen. I would try soaking that area. Question is why does the headliner get wet. Can the seal between the sunroof plastic "bucket" and the sheet metal of the roof be compromised. I think I read somewhere about the plastic of the pano roof had cracked, thus letting water inside.
I was wondering about the windshield trim pieces. You are referring to the black rubber strips up the sides of the windscreen? These can just be pulled straight out? I will check those for sure. Thank you. Also, for the record, the headliner does not get wet, it was a big suprise to me when I was able to get in there. Dry as a bone. The ingress seems to be somewhere even with the top of the A-Pillar. The windshield is now my prime suspect. I do believe it was replaced not long before the sale as it is in like new condition. I speculated that the previous owner didn't drive the car on the highway, ever (there are no stone chips on anything - headlights, front bumper, hood, windshield). But more likely, it was a replacement windscreen and they could have left a gap or somehow cracked/separated the body sealer creating a leak path during install.
I was wondering about the windshield trim pieces. You are referring to the black rubber strips up the sides of the windscreen? These can just be pulled straight out? I will check those for sure. Thank you. Also, for the record, the headliner does not get wet, it was a big suprise to me when I was able to get in there. Dry as a bone. The ingress seems to be somewhere even with the top of the A-Pillar. The windshield is now my prime suspect. I do believe it was replaced not long before the sale as it is in like new condition. I speculated that the previous owner didn't drive the car on the highway, ever (there are no stone chips on anything - headlights, front bumper, hood, windshield). But more likely, it was a replacement windscreen and they could have left a gap or somehow cracked/separated the body sealer creating a leak path during install.
exactly those, the black rubber strip on each side of the wind screen. They can be pulled out if you pull perpendicular to the wind screen. They are kept in place by metal clips on the A-pillar grabbing on to a plastic ridge in the rubber part.
Seems predictable to reproduce this problem, yes? So use tape to seal off the sunroof, and then douse the car with water and see if it leaks. If it does not, you can stop looking at the sunroof as the cause.
Seems predictable to reproduce this problem, yes? So use tape to seal off the sunroof, and then douse the car with water and see if it leaks. If it does not, you can stop looking at the sunroof as the cause.
I think I will try this next. I rained pretty heavily earlier today. The well at the bottom of the kick panel was full and dripping from the small push pin hole that holds the felt insulation. That water runs down into the footwell and will eventually flood the footwell as we all know. Oddly, I do not have any wetness above this area. Nothing visible on the upper A-pillar, airbag dry. Nothing in the headliner. I wasn't able to get a good look at the inside of the wire bundle door jamb pass-thru with my endoscope in the few minutes I had to fool with it here at work. I want to try that while it is still wet.
I am still thinking this is coming from the windscreen into the inside of the a-pillar and running down to the floor.
I will tape off the sunroof to isolate that source, then pop off the rain gutters on the windscreen and soak the car for a good long while.
Worst case scenario, I will drill a damn hole in the bottom of the body cavity that is filling with water.
05-29-2024, 08:19 AM
