Very Leaky '97 Es 300

[onepingonly]

Water on the floor (carpets soaked), front and back, driver and passenger side. Confirmed that both forward sunroof drains are clear and that water does actually drain just behind front wheels.

Are there more than two sunroof drains? What other areas could be cause?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

[jet_a_jockey]

Water on the floor (carpets soaked), front and back, driver and passenger side. Confirmed that both forward sunroof drains are clear and that water does actually drain just behind front wheels.

Are there more than two sunroof drains? What other areas could be cause?

Thanks in advance for any assistance.

I don't have alot of experience with the es leaking, but I can tell you from experience that i've had a few other causes for that. One was the heater core leaking (not sure where its at on the es, or if it can actually leak into the cabin), the other was from having a rusted out spot or a busted weld in the floor pan somewhere. That is enough to kick up any water into the cabin also.

Once again, im not sure about the heater core thing, but one way to know is to check your coolant level.

I cant think of anything else off the top of my head.

[homemechanic]

If no water on the seats, unlike a sunroof problem.

Sounded like the water is coming in from the HVAC system where the outside air goes into the cabin.

I don't think it's heater core leaking; otherwise, you would definitely smell the coolant with such a leak.

May be the drain plugs on the floor???

[zockslexus]

If no water on the seats, unlike a sunroof problem.

Sounded like the water is coming in from the HVAC system where the outside air goes into the cabin.

I don't think it's heater core leaking; otherwise, you would definitely smell the coolant with such a leak.

May be the drain plugs on the floor???

Everyone is correct...I would doubt the coolant leaking into the car until I know where the heater core is....and you would smell coolant.

Check your door seals and hinge welds. sometimes they come away from the car resulting in an insufficient seal for the door.

[gbhrps]

Be aware that if your air conditioning drain tube that goes from the bottom of your interior HVAC unit and exits through the firewall (its rubber) is plugged, the drain water will build up and run into the front passenger foot well. But since you have all 4 footwells wet, I suspect another culprit. Sunroofs have 4 drains, 2 at the very front that go down the A pillar on either side of the car, and 2 at the very back of the sunroof side tracks that run down the C pillar and empty out behind the rear wheel well, usually between the body and the rear bumper cover. If you can't get to the very end of these drain tubes to blow air back through them to unplug them (if that is the reason for the leak), then the headliner has to be pulled down to get to the upper end of the tubes where they attach to the drain channels. These plastic drain tubes are usually just pushed onto the short drain channel discharge tube. I have seen them where the tubes split at this point due to old age, and I've also seen where the drain tube has just come unfastened. Then again, your water may be leaking into the trunk from either the tail light seals, or the rear windshield, building up on the trunk floor and rolling forward to the rear seating area when you brake. As well, your front windshield may be leaking. The only way to tell is to pull back the carpeting from the front and sides of the car, remove the rear trunk carpeting, and then get a friend and a garden hose. Get in the trunk with a flashlight and have the friend start with a medium flow of water from the hose to run water from down low on the car around one tail light, then the next. After several minutes with no visible seepage, move on to one side of the trunk lid down low and repeat the process. Then move on to the rear windshield bottom edge, then along one side of it up to the top, then the other side, then across the top of the rear windshield, etc. If it doesn't show up there, then get into the back of the car and do the bottom of one rear door and slowly up each side to the top, and on and on. Front doors, front windshield. Leave the sunroof until last. If you do have to tackle removing the headliner because its the sunroof drains, make sure that your hands remain clean, and remove the front headrests to give you room to drop the shell when unfastened. Good Luck!

[SKperformance]

Has the windsheild ever been replaced it may be leaking on the seam.

[onepingonly]

Thanks for all of the responses.

Something new however......I opened the trunk yesterday and water poured out of the trunk lid from a hole in the carpeted area on the inside of the lid. The location is adjacent to the rear of the passenger side tail-lite assambly. Further, I have never experieced water on the seats and in general the leaking materializes only when it rains. Can water realistically migrate in quantitly from the trunk to the front and rear floor carpeted areas.

Windshield has never been replaced.

[homemechanic]

Thanks for all of the responses.

Something new however......I opened the trunk yesterday and water poured out of the trunk lid from a hole in the carpeted area on the inside of the lid. The location is adjacent to the rear of the passenger side tail-lite assambly. Further, I have never experieced water on the seats and in general the leaking materializes only when it rains. Can water realistically migrate in quantitly from the trunk to the front and rear floor carpeted areas.

Windshield has never been replaced.

Yes, water can go from trunk to seats to floor.