water leak, but where is it coming from?

[dhenry]

I have a water leak. When it rains the drivers side foot well fills up with water. The passenger side is damp but much less water. I drive the car everyday so I can't really tell if it is leaking from the top down or getting in from underneath whilst driving. The other problem is that I can't find for the life of me where it is coming from. The bulkhead appears to be dry as do the rear floors. The sills appear dry also. Are their any well known areas that leak? Anything I should no about. I know my doors leak also but the water just sits in the pockets. Any advice much appreciated. Cheers.

[COOPERCO]

Could be worth checking that there is some kind of sealant around the rear subframe bolts. Had a similar problem some time back. Couldn't see that water was running into the foot well from anywhere else so dried out & removed all carpets etc. Next time out in the rain you could see it coming around the lowest bolt (the one through the floor).

Mike.

[dhenry]

As in the rear bolts for the front subframe? Good place to check. Cheers.

[IAIN]

Is it a mk1 a newer mini ?
Is the water coming in when stationary or driving ?

If when stationary and your not talking about pouring in, try puting a newspaper spread out on the floor. When it leaks in, the paper will be wet from the direction it is coming from, giving a clue where to start looking.

[mk1]

I reckon it will be coming in round the doors, check for gaps round the door aperture.

[austinisuseless]

Check the floorpan joins around the front foot-wells, especially at the top, at the side of the dashboard level, including the fresh air heater intake, if it comes in above the right hand side wheel on later Minis.

[dhenry]

It is a mk1, '66. I think it is definitely coming in from the right hand side (drivers side). The carpet on the left appears damp but I think it is just soaking across. The drivers side actually has a large puddle if I lift the carpet up. I may have found a little rusty patch on the bulkhead that appears to be wet also. It is to the right of the steering column below the dash. and the fresh air intake. It is only small so I will try and cut it out and weld it up and see if it makes a difference. On a further note, how do I stop my door pockets filling up in bad weather. Cheers,

[mk1]

Your comment above re door pockets makes me even more certain that the water is coming in round the door seal. The reason your doors fill with water is that the drain tubes at either edge of the window are either blocked or missing. The 2 rubber tubes should take all the water from the side windows & shoot it out of the car under the doors.

[austinisuseless]

As an aside, the mk3's had a terrible problem with soaked carpets when they were introduced, no doubt due to internal hinge doors that came in with them.

[Pete]

The reason your doors fill with water is that the drain tubes at either edge of the window are either blocked or missing .

...or someone's drilles through the drainage channel when attaching the chrome runner, or infact the drainage channels in the door have rusted through. You need to see where the drips are coming from under that channel to diagnose it.

Pete

[rolesyboy]

Have a look at the gaps around the doors when they are closed ie between the seal and the door surround. Looking from the inside of the car to the sky if you can see day light that is likely to be your problem. In my experience this usually stems from doors/A panels that have been badly fitted in the past. You can dress the door aperture flange back towards the seal to help close this gap.
You could also remove your carpets and seats and ask an assistant to run a hose along the door seals when you are in the car and no doubt you will find your 'gaps'.
Additioanlly you could check the door drainage channels under your sliding windows are intact, clear of debris and do in fact have the vertical lengths of rubber hose connecting just under your sliding windows to the outlets at the bottom corner of your door. 2 per door.
Hope this helps. Best wishes. Mark

[ferret]

I have had this in the past, instead of using newspaper I use talc powder
as you can rub it into the seals and it shows where the water runs.

Regards
Karl