Sorry for two (silly?) questions in a row. There's a minor leak in my car when it rains (reasonably heavily). It's not beyond a few drips at this stage, so certainly not as bad as some leaks, but I am concerned about the path the water is taking, and what it might be damaging on the way. I removed the lower part of the dash (where the legs go) to see what I could see, but the leak comes from higher up. So it doesn't appear to be air-con related, as the AC drain hose is much lower.

Location of leak inside:


I've tried pouring water over potential ingress points, especially those marked on the second photo, as well as the top channel and the grille by the windscreen, but either I was pouring in the wrong place or I wasn't pouring enough.

Potential ingress points


Again, it's not a major leak, but I'd like to try and plug it if possible. Water inside is never a good idea.

Thanks again....

 

My findings over the years:

RHD cars.

In NO particular order, just as the brain releases them.

1) Bonnet lock cable grommet.
2) Windscreen seal. These are the OLD H style seals, and precious few glaziers now understand the fitting/sealing of that seal.

Related to #2, is the area down the LH side of the glass, under the stainless trim, and especially the top LH corner.

3) The scuttle tray itself rots out, due to clogged drain spouts under the bonnet.

Pouring water over any of mine never found it, rain has a mind of its own, and I eventaully sat a garden sprinkler on the roof, and sat inside (the car that is) until I found it. I had plenty of JD, snacks, etc, and after an hour or so I had it sorted.

 

Thanks very much.
While you said they're in no particular order, I'll check the bonnet lock cable grommet first, as that seems easiest. Would adding some sealant carefully around the edges of the windscreen seal (esp. at the bottom: there's an area where water pools, though not much) be more harm than help?
The scuttle tray shouldn't be too hard to access either. The ROM has the details, and it doesn't seem too hard to remove the grille.

Unfortunately I don't have access to a garden sprinkler. Or, more pertinently, anywhere to connect a hose to. I assume you set it to sprinkle over different areas, going section by section? Otherwise it would be like sitting out in the rain. I could try that, covering up sections with small bits of tarp or something....

 

Tricky business, water leaks. The drip might be some distance from the point of entry...or not.

On my XJS the windshield seal had dried out a bit and was no longer sealing. I got lucky....I could actually see the water coming in as I drove the car. The drips point, however, was about in the same area as in your pictures. Easy fix...bought a new seal and had a local auto glass shop install it.

Next....and my is foggy on this and I'm just two sips into my first cuppa coffee.....

At the base of the A-pillar, where the door and fender come together, there's a little trough, maybe .75" wide and 5" long. In the back of my mind I'm thinking this is designed to carry water away from the door opening. If it's filled with debris it won't work. Or if the door weather strip has pulled away water comes in anyway. Something like that. Take a peek...something might be self-evident.

Cheers
DD

 

The trick might be finding a glass installer who is familiar with old VW Beetles.

The guy who installed my new seal was apprehensive as he had never worked on a Jag before. As it turns out he was done in less than a hour....at least partially because I had already removed all the stainless trim. But, anyway, he said "It was a piece of cake, just like an old VW Beetle"

Cheers
DD

 

Thanks very much. I (think I) know the trough of which you speak, and it's clear. Water that However, the rubber bit (top of the top photo) might have an ingress point: there's a part where it pulls away a little more than seems normal. I'll see about putting water straight into there (as opposed to sloshing it over the area when the door's shut).

 

Incidentally, is there a way to tell if your seal is dried out? Mine is free of cracks and flexible, but I can get my fingernails under it on the glass edge and pull it away about a mm in parts, or push it slightly. I pooled some water on the bottom corner, where it pools naturally, but it didn't seem to soak down through the very thin gap.

 

We got rain maker sprinklers.

Sat it on the roof of the car, got inside, settled down, spouse tuned on the tap, and went shopping. Came home, let me out, leak found, and duly sealed. Bottom LH corner of the glass, just as you mentioned in post #7.

My seal was soft and pliable, but starting to "shrink away" from the glass. Lasted until next I went to Vegas, and got a seal from XK Unlimited. Old school installer here, also a Jag nutter, fitted it and its still there.

 

I don't think my seal is shrinking away yet - it appears to cover what it needs to cover - but I'm not convinced how watertight it is. I might try a test: pool water there and then cover it with clingfilm or tinfoil to prevent evaporation, and see if it seeps into the seal.

 

On each side of the center console, where it goes under the dashboard, there are drain tubes for the AC. You need to remove the console side vent panels to get a better view. They are there, just hard to locate at first. Remove the plastic tubing from the black tip. The plastic tube is the drain. The clog is from the black tip up into the AC. Push a small wire or paper clip up into the tip. CAUTION - have a bowl or cup to collect the water. This will free up any clog. I had the same issue on my passenger side carpet. These drain tubes were the culprit. Mert

 

Thanks, but that sounds like a complete different place to mine. That's low on the inside, whereas mine is high on the outside. And it doesn't happen when the AC is used but does happen when the car gets rained on.

 

I just fixed mine...
happen to mine when it rains
I will take pictures if it is not raining today on my fix...
I ended up with a little rust under the carpets and a 4.5 mm hole on the right side
the water would come out on which ever side I turned
the wife did not like getting a "little Knee bath"

 

Some years ago PTJS1 posted some horrifying photos of windscreen surround corrosion on facelift XJSs. It really is worth removing the stainless trim and having a proper look and fix.
Here is one of the full horror movie stills! And believe it or not, externally the car looked perfect.
Greg

 

Nasty. Very nasty.
I am slightly (slightly, not completely by any means) assuaged by KWE's statement that "This problem gets even worse with full facelift cars (1993-on) which nearly all have the problem." The horror-snap is also a full-facelift, judging by the lack of glovebox. I can also detect no bubbling of paint in the scuttle at all.
Still, wouldn't hurt to check. How does the chrome come off?

Incidentally, I had a look at the bonnet cable grommet. Can't be sure yet, but there's no sign of any water around there. I'll have another look next time the car gets rained on - I don't want to start pouring water into the engine bay....

 

Hate to be the bearer of bad news but the leak described is, one of several I had which turned out to be the dreaded scuttle rot. There was NO blistering of the paintwork around the window at all. Someone had in its past bodged a repair round the windscreen using filler and masticking in an off cut of sheet metal! then painted it.

I REALLY hope I’m wrong but even the drip pattern looks the same.

Definitely take off the chrome and have a look. If you need pictures let me know, I took loads when I did mine.




Best of Luck
Rob

 

Hmmm. Can't say that's cheering news, but at least I know where to start, so thanks. From what I've read, you have to remove the interior trim and then drill out rivets to get the metal off, which then has to be re-attached with more rivets or screws or old chewing gum.

For what it's worth, water poured down the A pillar channel cascades down the drain, along the channels just under the bonnet, and out and over the light just like it should. So there wouldn't be a big blockage. However, I'm tempted to take Greg's advice on other threads and just block the top. If that stops the leak then I'll definitely know there's an issue in the pillar....

 

Hi SDSD

My car had had the tops blocked off and the actual pillars were in ok (not brilliant but ok) condition.

Even thought the scuttle is not much higher then the leaking area, the leak in my case was directly due to scuttle leaks.

I'm currently at work (on my break) but will be home in a few hours, can try and dig out my photos. Think I may even have taken a video as I was trying to track down the leak.

Rob

 

So what's the water entry route then, if not the A pillar? The moulding around the glass? Or the grill where the wipers are?

Anyway, thanks for volunteering to dig out your photos. It's actually nearly midnight here so I need some sleep, as I have spent altogether too long searching for and reading about rusting Jags, and wondering why I didn't buy a plastic car....

 

In my case the big hole just below the window line. The pic I uploaded perhaps wasn't the best but that's the bottom lhs of the front window. This should be solid bodywork, mine wasn't.

Water was coming in here dripping in down behind the dash and running along the inside of the dash to the corner and then exiting into the foot well.

My diagnosis could still be way off though! As all these cars seem to have there own little gremlins.

Fingers crossed.

 

So the water got behind the windscreen seal initially?

Finger crossed indeed. Plus a few toes....
Now I really need to get to bed....