Water in foot well area? Possible windshield issue

[gtbensley]

We recently had the van up for sale but decided we just cant part ways with it at this time.
We have had a couple off rainy days the past week or so and the van has just been sitting (95 E350 hightop). I went to move it yesterday so I could get my trailer out and noticed that the foot well on the passenger side was pretty wet. My only thought is that the windshield is leaking somewhere and allowing water to come inside. I pulled the cowl but didnt see anything too exciting there. Visually from the outside the windshield trim looks just fine, but maybe water is getting under it and leaking past the seal?

Thoughts? Thinking I might just pay the $180 and have a new windshield put in. I read stories of rusted windshield frames and hope its not that.

 

[REDOVAL]

My money is a leaking heater core since you mentioned it was on the passenger side.

Scott

 

[gtbensley]

My money is a leaking heater core since you mentioned it was on the passenger side.

Scott

Have not driven it in about a week and zero coolant smell. Its without a doubt water....But I was thinking the same thing at first.

 

[mgmetalworks]

My van would collect a lot of water in the driver side foot well just sitting in the driveway. Turned out to be a body seam where the firewall meets the floor. The seam sealer robot missed the gap between body panels by about 1/2" on both sides so there was nothing keeping the water from going into the seam then into the interior. Look for evidence of water running in along the bottom of the doghouse opening, just behind where it goes vertical. There is a body seam around there that runs up to the inner fenders along the bottom of the tunnel and can get water from up near the cowl to drain into it. Looking at it, it seems an unlikely source but I verified my problem with a hose sprayed on the windshield/cowl area.

When I had the body off, I had easy access to the seams and they were WIDE open. I prepped and filled them up with the appropriate body seam sealer. Another member on here tipped me off to the leak because he had found the same problem on his.

 

[gtbensley]

My van would collect a lot of water in the driver side foot well just sitting in the driveway. Turned out to be a body seam where the firewall meets the floor. The seam sealer robot missed the gap between body panels by about 1/2" on both sides so there was nothing keeping the water from going into the seam then into the interior. Look for evidence of water running in along the bottom of the doghouse opening, just behind where it goes vertical. There is a body seam around there that runs up to the inner fenders along the bottom of the tunnel and can get water from up near the cowl to drain into it. Looking at it, it seems an unlikely source but I verified my problem with a hose sprayed on the windshield/cowl area.

When I had the body off, I had easy access to the seams and they were WIDE open. I prepped and filled them up with the appropriate body seam sealer. Another member on here tipped me off to the leak because he had found the same problem on his.

That is EXACLTY where it is the most wet. The insulation there is soaked, right on the edge of the dog house where it starts to go up. And it is getting wet just sitting in the driveway while not moving. Any idea how I can access this area without pulling the body?

 

[mgmetalworks]

That is EXACLTY where it is the most wet. The insulation there is soaked, right on the edge of the dog house where it starts to go up. And it is getting wet just sitting in the driveway while not moving. Any idea how I can access this area without pulling the body?

if you pull the doghouse, look along the bottom of the tunnel, there's an overlap seam there. Check that it is filled with sealer. You can see it from underneath too. It is the seam that runs along the bottom of the tunnel, the firewall and floor over lap each other.

My van had no sealer at the front corner of the seam where the firewall and inner fender and floor meet. It runs like a river if the van is parked just right, front end slightly downhill.

 

[gtbensley]

I will give that a shot, cant really picture it but I imagine with the doghouse off I am looking back and up, sort of like trying to see the backside of the radio but on the other side of the firewall. I am thinking you might be right. I had water there a while ago once and it never came back so I never looked for the source. Probably had it parked just right this past storm, although the nose was slightly uphill.

 

[REDOVAL]

I certainly hope that's the case....was not aware of an issue with the seams in that area. Good to note, thanks for the tip MG.

Scott

 

[mgmetalworks]

I will give that a shot, cant really picture it but I imagine with the doghouse off I am looking back and up, sort of like trying to see the backside of the radio but on the other side of the firewall. I am thinking you might be right. I had water there a while ago once and it never came back so I never looked for the source. Probably had it parked just right this past storm, although the nose was slightly uphill.

My van is torn apart now so I can get this shot... looking in from the front. The new-ish black paint right in the corner (arrow) is my seam sealer that was added. Before it was a gaping hole. That seam runs along the tunnel/floor joint (under the foil insulation). like I said, it looks to be an unlikely spot but water made its way in there on my van.

 

[Raul]

Being a Hi-Top, you may want to check also the sealing between the fiberglass topper and the rain gutter. I had water on the driver footwell after replacing the windshield so I went to the glass installer. It turned out to be a rusted pinhole on the raingutter (standard roof). The water was running through the headliner to the A-pillar.

 

[gtbensley]

Tons of great helpful input, thank you all.

MG I think you might have nailed it, that's the exact area it's the most wet inside. I should be able to get to that pretty easily I think.

Raul I spent some time sealing the high top and that area this summer chasing a slight water drip from the interior light. Turns out it was the rear AC causing the issue. While up on the inside of the high top everything looked bone dry up there, and there is a pretty decent overlap between the high top and the old roof on the inside. Sorta like it would need to leak in two places to mske it inside the front seem. I'll double check though as I have read of rusted gutters and windshields.

 

[Corneilius]

Mine just started doing this yesterday grr! I can see my leak starting under the passenger side dash, right where the windshield and cowl and fender meet. I pulled my cowl trim and hit it with the pressure washer, this dislodged a bunch of dry rotted seam sealer. I resealed the base of the windshield and the panel junctions......floor mat was wet again this morning. Luckily if you have the weather tech floor mats they hold water like a pond.