YACT: How do I find out where my car is leaking

dxkj

Lifer
Feb 17, 2001
11,772
2
81
After rain, snow, etc, my car has pools of water inside.

How can I tell where the leak is coming from? There is no visible wet spots around windows, etc, or on the seats, just the floor soaking/pool of water.



1991 Chevy Cavalier
 

Brutuskend

Lifer
Apr 2, 2001
26,558
4
0
Hummmm

The only way I know of is to fill the car with water and see where it comes out.

Not to practical I know. ;)
 

Abhi

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2003
4,548
0
76
Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Hummmm

The only way I know of is to fill the car with water and see where it comes out.

Not to practical I know. ;)

LOL.
 

Quixfire

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2001
6,892
0
0
What part of the floor is wet? I.E. Driver?s Front or Rear, Passenger?s Front or Rear.
 

Mr N8

Diamond Member
Dec 3, 2001
8,793
0
76
Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Hummmm

The only way I know of is to fill the car with water and see where it comes out.

Not to practical I know. ;)

:Q Is it an original Brutuskend funny?

I have the same problem with my 92 Crown Vic. Pools on the floor of the back passenger side, and if it gets enough, soaks (or standing water) all the way up to the front passenger floor. I haven't yet figured out what could be wrong.
 

jmelnek

Member
Sep 2, 2003
99
0
0
Does it get wet after driving or just sitting...Get a garden hose and play mother nature and have someone sit inside and investigate. I owned a '93 pontiac grand am and it did the same thing (driving only) only cure was to sell it...
 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
8,344
126
Probably just have that foam rubber seal around the top of one of the doors rotting out and not holding a seal. You can replace that stuff for pretty cheap.

 

dxkj

Lifer
Feb 17, 2001
11,772
2
81
Originally posted by: Pepsi90919
um, it's an early 90's cavalier. you shouldn't even be asking why things go wrong.

Can anyone enlighten me on what else to expect to go wrong? It's been 3 years and I've put relatively little into it.

It gets all 4 areas wet, front back passenger and driver.

 

lokiju

Lifer
May 29, 2003
18,526
5
0
I saw on some car show this past weekend about finding air leaks in a car and I'm sure you'd be able to apply the same method to stoping water leaks. What they did was take a dollar bill and fold in half long ways, then close it between the door and the body of the car and run along back and forth, where there is a "free" spot that doesn't grab or resist while sliding the bill, then this is where you have a leak spot and will need to use some weather striping or something of that nature, just do that on each door until you find all of them.
 

Alchemist99

Golden Member
Oct 15, 2002
1,172
0
0
OK I 't tell you how to check for leaks, you need a air compressor and some duct tape, inside the car seal off all the vents you can with duct tape, close the in/out air exchange, run the air hose from compressor inside window, seal so it doesn't leak, now have someone fill car with air, and you go around with a squirt bottle full of soapy water and spraying all the seals and seams, and if you find an area were the water is bubbling up good you've found a leak.
 

GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
6,986
0
0
Originally posted by: Alchemist99
OK I 't tell you how to check for leaks, you need a air compressor and some duct tape, inside the car seal off all the vents you can with duct tape, close the in/out air exchange, run the air hose from compressor inside window, seal so it doesn't leak, now have someone fill car with air, and you go around with a squirt bottle full of soapy water and spraying all the seals and seams, and if you find an area were the water is bubbling up good you've found a leak.

This post got me thinking :)

I don't have one but MAC Tools sells a ultra sound generator w/detection device. This is used to find those irritating air leaks that plague some cars. Call around to find a shop that has one as they are $$.
As a last resort this might work.

 

captains

Diamond Member
Mar 27, 2003
4,065
1
0
i have the same problem...different car
i had the windshield replace a while back...betting thats what it is
if u had the windshield replaced i would start spraying that with a hose as some one already said and have a person sit in side and do some investigating underneath the dash
 

dxkj

Lifer
Feb 17, 2001
11,772
2
81
I dont have a hose available or I would probably have tried that by now. Good common sense advice :p maybe i will give it a car wash one of these days