leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

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gginnj
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Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:24 pm

leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by gginnj »

odd. we just a good day of rain rain rain - car was parked - not driven at all that day.

The next day, when I drove, I had water collected just at the top of the plastic pillar cover by the windsheild, and the headliner was a little wet - when I would accelerate or make a right turn, the water would drip out.

There was no water in the sun roof area, nor on the door moulding either.

I'm a little stumped at what to try?

2004 VIBE

Thanks

GG
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vibrologist
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Location: Iowa

Re: leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by vibrologist »

I would clean out the drain lines just to be sure they are open no matter if there was water at the moon roof or not. Inspect the seal.

Has the windshield ever been replaced? It's glued in and if the installer let the shield slip down as the glue dried than it left a small gap above the upper edge of the glass.

Is there rust on the leading edge of the roof and just under the rubber seal? It may have rusted through and let water in.


Hopefully it's just plugged up drain lines.
Vibrologist
'05 Vibe

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gginnj
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:24 pm

Re: leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by gginnj »

We are 3rd owners - in the last 3 years of owning the car the windshield has never been fussed with.

the seal on the windshield looks solid - and the amount of water that dripped through was fairly minimal vs the amount of rain we had.
This is the 2nd time I've noticed this in the last month - never in the 3 years prior.

The only thing that was different was prior to a month ago - the car sat for about 6 months with minimal driving (about 1-2x / month)

Nowhere else but at the side post is wet, and not above the post except immediately above the plastic cover about 1/2"

I'll have to see about making sure the drain holes are clear - but I'd expect the area around the sun roof to have been wet also, but nope,
nothing from the sun roof over to the driver door windshield pillar is wet.

as far as I could tell the sun roof was fully closed - but to be sure I ran it fully open then fully closed it again.

Very odd.
kostby
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Joined: Thu Jan 22, 2004 2:52 pm

Re: leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by kostby »

I had the situation you describe when the pointy end of a maple-tree 'propeller' seed fit perfectly into the front driver-side sunroof drain, clogging it completely.
I discovered the clog while driving during an intense inches-per-hour deluge when water started dripping down the A-pillar.
Drove into a self-service carwash bay to get out of the rain, so I could open the sunroof and diagnose the problem.
Quickly fixed the leak by pulling the seed out of the front drain, removing the clog.
As I recall, the front drains for the sunroof are down inside the front of the sunroof opening, near the corners where the sunroof glass would be when closed, but accessible when the sunroof glass is fully opened. (I don't own the car anymore, so I can't take photos.)
There are also rear sunroof drains with clear blue plastic tubes that end up down behind the rear wheel wells, but your leak sounds like a clogged front drain.
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My 2003 Vibe Base Auto 2-tone Salsa "SalsaWagon" was built in May 2002. I acquired it in Feb 2004/Traded it in on a 2016 Honda HR-V in Feb 2018.
gginnj
Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:24 pm

Re: leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by gginnj »

Seems to be the consensus.

Found this youtube video about the same issue....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV50pxBzleU

GG
gginnj
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Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2016 12:24 pm

Re: leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by gginnj »

and update....

I found a small piece of rubber plugging the left sunroof drainage hole - clear it out and so far so good, after two fairly large rain storms no inside leak!

GG
zbyers
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Location: Sheffield, Pennsylvania

Re: leak at driver A post (front of door) - sunroof? door? windshield?

Post by zbyers »

gginnj wrote: Fri Dec 28, 2018 11:15 am and update....

I found a small piece of rubber plugging the left sunroof drainage hole - clear it out and so far so good, after two fairly large rain storms no inside leak!

GG
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