Widowmaker[X]

Well, I had the dreaded and well documented "leak under glove box caused by cabin air filer compartment full of water" yesterday after heavy rains. After posts on this forum helped me clean things up (thanks!), I also noticed water sloshing around in the rear of the car. After doing some research, it seems as though there is a spot underneath the rear seat that can collect water, and I'd like to try to get to it to clear it out.

It sounds like this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLx6la535fQ

Has anyone else had this issue and corrected it?

I've been searching for instructions but nothing seems clear enough to help me out.

Thanks in advance...

CutterWolf

Well if its anything like a coupe all you have to do is to feel along the bottom edge of the seat and you will find to plastic hold downs. All you have to do then is to push them toward the back of the seat and left it up.

Widowmaker[X]

Well I pulled the seat out and sure enough there was a collection of water underneath. It reached the foam so I pulled the seats and put them outside to dry.

Two questions...

1. Anyone know what these are? The two rubber circle-things under the seat. I guessed they were sub-woofers but I believe that the subs on the Shaker500 are door mounted?


2. Does anyone see a problem with drilling drainage holes in the bottom of the seat pan? It seems to me that this would prevent this problem in the future, but I want to make sure that there is nothing underneath that could be damaged...

CutterWolf

LOL! those are not sub-woofters those are your fuel pumps. Your gas tank is located right under your rear seat area.

siggyfreud

Instead of making drains you should address the question, why is water ending up there in the first place.

157dB

Yea, have alook see at the TSBs.
Dont band-aid it, fix the problem thats causing
the problem instead of making more problems to
fix the original problem.
I really doubt that unless the water got high enough
to completely fill the rear footwells high enough to
get water under the rear seats, that the leak in the
TSBs is the same leak thats causing water to be under
the rear seats.
Unless you park your car pointing uphill on a 45-80 degree angle.

Sub-Woofers? Are you C R A Z Y ? Thats a new one.
Those are the access hole plugs for the fuel tank pump (1)
and level senders (2).

The answer to question #2 is that the fuel tank is DIRECTLY
below the area you are wanting to drill holes into for drainage...

Are you an engineer for the Corps down there in New Orleans by any chance?

2005Redfire6

That's odd how water could have gotten back there... Lol @ subwoofers

GTRaider

I have an issue with my 05 Convert but I know why - my rear glass has separated from the soft top allowing rain water to fill those wells. When I first noticed the problem, I took the rear seat out and took a portion of the seat cover part way off where it was the wettest on the passenger side. It was easy because there are just plastic hooks and some Velcro holding it on - and if you don't remove completely, it's very easy to put back on. I suggest that you take a shop vac and try to suck as much of the water out over the next few days because you will be amazed at how much water a foam cushion can hold. And be sure it's dry before you re-install so you don't get any mold in the foam later on. You can drive without the rear seat cushion for a week, if necessary. You might be surprised at how much noise that rear seat muffles when it's in place.

As for the leak, as others have said, find the cause instead of taking the easy way out. You might also have to remove the rear seat back to help track it down. Have a friend spray the car while you search on the inside for the cause of the leak. Since the rear wells are separated from the front by a fairly high area behind the rear foot well, I would say that it's unlikely that the water came from your front leak unless like 157db postulates, you park on a 45 to 80 degree uphill grade.

And don't let them tease you about the fuel pump covers! At first, I thought they were part of the sound system too - until I popped one off to see the fuel tank underneath. None of us know it all until we have a chance to learn first!!

Now if only I would win the lottery so I can replace my Top...

Widowmaker[X]

Thanks I'll take a look at those tsbs tomorrow. I haven't noticed any leaks or anything in the top, which leads me to believe that water is collecting in the quarterpanels and then entering the rear seat pan. You can defintly hear an amount of water sloshing around somewhere, either in the quarters or under the trunk.

It's not my fault that they look like speakers!

157dB

Speakers with wires running directly into the speaker cones?
What subs have you been looking at? Ones on Mars?
There is nothing under the trunk that holds fluid except
the fuel tank. Maybe thats what you hear 'sloshing around'.

The quarters dont hold water, either. The cabin vents are back
there in the quarter panels.
Something directly above the rear seats is leaking.
Diagnostic method:

Interior Fan on 100%.
Interior vents in rear quarter panels blocked off with rags.
Trunk closed.
Doors closed.
This 'pressurizes' the interior cabin.
Mist rear top area with soap and look for the tell tale bubbles.
It does not work as well on an older convertable...
Leak found the Ford Way...