lizlon17352

Hi, I have a 2001 convert. and about 6 months ago I noticed that behind the back seat where the convertible top would sit in when down, getsa puddle when there is heavy rain.Also, the back seats foot area gets wet, the cartpet is soaked. I dont see a leak and cant figure out where its coming from. Nothing leaks from the roof. If anyone can help out....thanks

kenv

I`ve got a `00 GT `vert, & have the same problem. The car has an appointment at the dealer next month. You might want to check under the spare tire, I also found a puddle in there[]

undecided.steve

The water in the area where the top lives when you have it down is most likely from the rear window seperating from the top. You can get it re-glued at an upolstory shop.

I had the water collecting in the rear passenger floorpan and it turned out to be the welded seam between the frame and the floorpan was not sealed with enough goop from the factory. I smeared silicon rubber along the entire thing and no more water.
BTW I found it by rolling back the carpet, spraying a hose on the outside of the car and watching.
The water normally runs through the frame and you can see this by pulling off the long plastic sill plate that lives on the floor under the door. The thing with Mustang written on it. The water is supposed to exit through holes at either end of the car. Mine never made it as it would run right into the floor pan.

Also the factory forgot to plug a couple of holes up near the right pasenger side behind the kick panel where the computer lives.
I'll post a pic later today now that I FINALLY got my camera back.

Steve

99GTvert

Hey guys. This kind of thing may seem common among us with 'verts...anyone vote for this to be a sticky? I'm up for it.

undecided.steve

You know what is so funny?
When I bought the Vert in Oct 2006, I reached the conclusion that because of the top, I would have to deal with leaks and so forth.
It's just part of owning a vert, and I was ok with that.

However, every leak I have had has been something other than the top!!
My wife thinks this is so funny.

The thing about these cars, and I have learned this from Google and tearing mine apart, is that they are designed to have water flow through them and exit at certain points. The coupes are similar as well.

It's normal operation and works reasonably well as long as something doesn't go wrong.
As an example, if you open your top and now look down where the pistons go, you will see that there is a drain slit/hole there.
That's where water that gets in around the trim plates at the back of the top goes.
It actually runs into your car and exits, or at least most of it exits.
You can also see this hole by removing the speaker and looking down in there with a flashlight or by looking under the car for the hole which is at the front portion of the rear fenders.

If those drains clog, and they do, water will accumulate and you will hear a sloshing sound when you drive.
You will also find that under the back seat you will have a puddle of water as well.

It seems to be normal operation for a little (a couple of tablespoons) of water to end up in there after a heavy rain, and this will just dry out, but anymore than that is not normal.

I'm working on my pics BTW..
Steve

99GTvert

Thats some good info up there^...

It seems like this thread (especially with that little lecture) should be a sticky because I can see others in the future posting about the same thing, leaks. Hopefully, when we have many more members that visit the vert forum frequently, this will be a sticky IMO

ryan1994mustang

i have the same problem with finding water in the well liner after it rains. i think i have found where mine is leakind though, bc its a new top so i know the window isnt separating already. if you look very closely in the corner of your 1/4 window there is a little hole and you can see the well liner so it has to go in there.

GreyStang

Yea figuring out leaks is probably the 2nd most frequently asked question about a vert... the 1st being questions about caring for the top itself. That's true what Steve says, Stangs do seem to be designed to have water pass thru certain areas & out the bottom/side. I feel pretty LUCKY my top hasn't yet leaked a drop, and my car is always outside (I have no garage) AND I drive my car all year around (no winter beater [:@] ) so the top goes thru a lot of stresses of hot sun in summer & freezing in winter.

lizlon17352

Hey, after tearing up my car to find this leak....I think I found it. I found that the back window is leaking on both far corners on the bottom. This water is leaking down those corners into the car and through the hole where the wire is in that plastic part where the covert top sits. Then that water leaks into the floor where the passenger sits. I took out my passenger seat and lifted back the carpert. The whole under padding is soaked. I ripped it all out and I am going to replace it. Hopefully fixing the window leak was the problem, but we will seal up the floor anways just to make sure. If the water is leaking on both sides of the back window, how come the water is only draining down to the right back seat?? I havent looked under the drivers passener yet, one step at a time. Thanks everyone for your help!!!

undecided.steve

IMHO the entire drain system in this car is poorly designed.
With the back seat removed, if you look carefully all the way in to the edge of the car, you will see a little "shelf" which has a slit in it. It's straight back behind the rear speakers and you can either pull the speaker, or remove the small rubber weatherstrip thing and then pry back the plastic to see in there.

This is where the water is supposed to drain out of the car from.
You will also notice that their is a little trough that leads right down into the rear passenger floorpan.
IOW you can look right up this opening, to where the shelf is, and where the drain is.

Common sense says that water wants to run from high to low points so guess where the water that doesn't make it into the slit (drain) is going to run when you stop the car?
Yep, right down the trough and into your carpet.
Or it is going to end up under the rear seat, where those two cables and grommets are (at least in my car).,
This is a sub floor so don't drill a hole there to make a drain

You have to remember it is normal for a little water to get in these parts, however, the drain system is flawed.
However, it's a crap shoot as to whether the water hits the slit, runs into the space under the rear seat or runs down the trough to the floor pan.

I widened the slit a litte bit which helped.
I also plugged up the trough leaing to the floorpan because that's the last place I want water to collect.

What I am planning on doing however is making a little "fence" to guide the water into the slit.
Some plastic and silicone should do the trick.

While you are in there, clean and silicone every welded seam you can find.
Ford is stingy with their seam sealer and all it takes is one missed spot for you to get a leak.