Leak coming in passenger side next to glove box

[Broff]

Hello, iv just joined the forum and I am looking some advise on a leak I have noticed on the front passenger side, it looks like it’s coming somewhere above the wheel arch next to the glove box,
there is a peace of foam insulation I have pictured which was soaking wet,
any help much appreciated

 

[Dellmassive]

What have you got fitted on the roof?

Front roof bolts can leak water down the A pillar.

Got a pic.of the roof setup?.

Also the plenum chamber behind the starter battery can fill up with crud and leak down the airbox.

 

[Broff]

Appreciated, wasn’t sure if it could be the roof bars because of where the water seemed to be coming in,
il redo the roof bars with silicone again.
i recently had the windscreen replaced could that be the issue?

 

[Pauly]

Could be either/anything but roof rail are the most common and where I would start

 

[Broff]

this is the roof rail

 

[Dellmassive]

As Paul says it's a method of elimination....

Maybe get in the van and get a mate or the missus to spray the van with a garden hose..... Then while your inside look for the leak.

I used blue roll in various places to find the leak........


...
Look at....

Windscreen.
Fan blower box.
Plenum chamber.
Roof bolts.
Cable run via fire wall.

 

[DaveCrampton]

I hope you resolve your leak, there is nothing worse than a leak in a vehicle.
Something you might want to check, take a 25 torq driver, and remove the two bolts which hold the metal barrier behind the vehicle battery. The bolts are accessed through the oval vent above the upper rubber seal on the left of the battery and next to the passenger side hinge mount. The metal barrier has a rubber seal on the lower side. Check it is sitting cleanly. Also behing this metal barrier is a grommet into the cabin right where your picture shows the leak. It could be water coming in from the engine bay, or above and then in through the hole if the rubber grommet has come out.
***************************
I have roof bars that go across the roof , not these parallel roof bars, and remove them when I don't plan to have anything on the roof to improve fuel efficiency.

I bought large tap rubber washers, and smear a film of plumbers silicon grease on them when mounting the roof bars, and also when removing the roof rack and replacing the OEM bolt hole covers. I'm not keen on adding silicon to the roof.
My second car was a Nissan Sunny with a pop up sun roof, which developed a leak. I took silicon sealant to if to cure the leak but it looked a mess afterwards, and obviously could not opened afterwards. SIlicon sealant in useful but I don't personally like it on vehicles.

Dave C

 

[Gavinda]

Has it only started since having the windscreen done?
I'd go with @Dellmassive idea of the hose, start from the bottom and work up untill it starts to come in amd you'll have a decent idea of where it's coming in.

 

[Rob1978]

Has it only started since having the windscreen done?
I'd go with @Dellmassive idea of the hose, start from the bottom and work up untill it starts to come in amd you'll have a decent idea of where it's coming in.

I had a leak in a similar area...turn out to be the rear window washer pipe, the pipe runs through the bulk head in that area and had split. Might be worth a check.

 

[Broff]

Thanks everyone for the replies, really helpful!
Iv not had a chance to do the leak test with hose but will try later today, there was a bit of rain here last night
but I doesn’t seen wet in that area since re done the roof bolts yesterday but not convinced iv sorted the problem yet.
I have noticed some water dripping behind the battery from the bottom of the scuttle panel, should water be getting in there? Iv attach a couple of pictures.

 

[DaveCrampton]

That Scuttle plate is the barrier I spoke about. There is a rubber seal above the engine bay and one at the bottom of the scuttle plate. Are these seated right?
Where does the water running down the side of the windscreen go? In my old Passat there was a drain tube to take that water away which became blocked and water backed up and went into my engine bay (into the vacuum advance servi for the brakes. This manifested it's self as intermittently working brakes when that water froze.
So is the water in your engine bay being diverted by a blocked drain. That gap at the side of the bonet corner where the bonet attaches to the hinge, blocked with leaves? I cleared mine last weekend when I found lots under the Scuttle.

 

[Stoatie_weasel]

@Broff Interested if you got to the bottom of the leak? I've developed a drip in exactly the same place at the lowest point of the plenum chamber cover. Checked the drain down the bonnet Side and it's clear. I remember when I installed a new battery I removed the cover to clean it out and give me a bit more room to work (larger battery) and the seal was a bit of a faff to get right. Recently had some suspension work done requiring it to be removed again (not by me) so maybe wasn't seated properly. Thanks.

 

[Broff]

Hi Stoatie weasel sorry to hear about your problem, it looks like I have manage to sort out my leak and it seems it was caused by the front mounting bolt on the passenger side roof rail as Dellmasive suggested, this is the only thing I have re done.
I did remove the small scuttle plate above the battery and cleaned it out around the rubber seal but water is still dripping underneath when it’s been raining, it doesn’t seem to be leaking inside the cab though.
hope you get it sorted as it bloody annoying.

 

[Vinton Wark]

Hi guys, just checking that the roof bar leak was the problem, I've the same leak but it's not my bar mounting bolts, the water leaks in and fill a cavity behind the upper passenger (Left hand) door hinge, if the rubber loom carrier is pulled away from vehicle side you can with a torch see the interior, if you push a cloth deep into it I can absorb a lot of water out until dry, I can then hose test the windscreen lower passenger corner and 10 mins later it leaks into van, this is misleading as you think it's stopped but the storage of the leak takes a bit of time before evident internal! Does this run correct with other people's issue! Help.... I'm buying an endoscope as this would give me eyes were mine don't bend!

 

[martinjev]

Hi guys, just checking that the roof bar leak was the problem, I've the same leak but it's not my bar mounting bolts, the water leaks in and fill a cavity behind the upper passenger (Left hand) door hinge, if the rubber loom carrier is pulled away from vehicle side you can with a torch see the interior, if you push a cloth deep into it I can absorb a lot of water out until dry, I can then hose test the windscreen lower passenger corner and 10 mins later it leaks into van, this is misleading as you think it's stopped but the storage of the leak takes a bit of time before evident internal! Does this run correct with other people's issue! Help.... I'm buying an endoscope as this would give me eyes were mine don't bend!

View attachment 205056

I have exactly the same situation. There is a little closed room between 2 panels. And when this room fills enough with water, it runs into cabin. Did you find out where the water comes? Could it be the weather strip between A pilar and door? Its mounted with clips and when i spayed water into clip hole it went into that little closed room.

 

[Mrcl]

Just a side note if anyone is having water in the cab still, it can also be the what appears to be the aircon condense pipe