More Water leak.(long)

[Firm]

Some of you might remember that last spring I had a water leak in my truck and I thought I had it fixed after about 2 weeks of evenings and weekend sealing all the seams in the cowl trough, and the cruise control mounts, and anything else in that area I thought might be leaking. It stayed dry for awhile, but I'd kept a paper towel shoved up in the corner that was leaking so if it did leak it wouldn't get the carpet all wet. I periodically checked the towel and it was dry....But over the last few weeks whenever it rains, even just a little, the paper towel gets soaked! So now I am back at f-in around with this stupid friggin leak!

Anyway, heres the details. When it rains I can see water entering the cab from the upper left corner, behind the dash somewhere, I can see it run down behind the e-brake release mechanism, to the left of that square goldish trimed grommet that is(i believe) the main harness entry point.
I am getting pretty desperate because I cannot solve this, and I've spent countless hours at it. I am not really capable of removing the dash, this is my only daily vehicle...and I have work/school 6 days a week. My best guess at this point is that it is coming in from where the floorpan curves upwards and meets the cowl/body section at the very left corner of the cab. But I cannot access this point.

I was thinking about it earlier and I thought of two kinda ghetto ideas....But I wanna see what you guys think first, so I don't mess anything up.
-Buy a can of aerosol 'stopleak'...it's kinda like a spray sealant, remove the plastic wiper cowl cover again, and spray the exterior of that corner(around where the hood hinge mounts and stuff) and maybe down the side behind the cruise control box if I can.....I don't think I'll be able to spray any of this on the inside as it doesn't have a long nozzle on the can.
-Get some of that expandible foam crap, with a long nozzle on the can, and shoot it up into that corner from the inside.....Hoping this will plug the leak. My concern with this idea is that the foam won't plug the leak and will just make a mess, and then hold the water that comes in and make a bigger/moldy mess.

What do you guys think I should do?? as you can see I am getting pretty desperate for some kinda solution and I appreciate any feedback I can get on this.

[yuk]

Sounds like a windsheild seal kinda to me.. but Im a noob at S-10's. My mk2 jetta leaked just like this out of the seal also.

[deathphoenix99]

Somewhere on the forum I read that if your door bushings are busted, your door will sag and cause a leak around the door seal. Don't know if that is your problem or not though. What year is your truck? When you get a chance, spray your truck with a hose or pour water in specific areas and try to trace the leak. Good luck man.

[Firm]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I've been through every single thread even remotely related to this issue on this forum and tried everything thats been suggested. I've looked all over the internet for even more suggestions and nothing worked.
Until today! I think I finally found it! I removed the underdash hush panel and saw a rubber sheet with a foam backing along the back firewall....I pulled that away from the left corner so that I could push my head up againt the brake pedal and with a flashlight I could see up into the upper left corner, up behind the dash. Right near the corner where the inner kickpanel('innerfender'), firewall, and the wiper tray meet up behind the dash there is big screw coming through the firewall....around this screw I could see some rust and rust stain running down the inside of the firewall from it......I am not able to get a tube of silicone up there, so I sealed around this screw with some plumbers putty. I also used the putty to seal the corner where the aforementioned panels meet up because it didn't look very well sealed.
I haven't yet tested this as it's below freezing out, so my hose is frozen....but I'll report back once it rains and let you know if it's solved....I an pretty sure this is it though. I took some pics of area, so if this does solve it I will post them because this seams to be a common issue yet nobody has ever posted this solution.

[beandip]

Quote: Originally Posted by Firm

I am not able to get a tube of silicone up there, so I sealed around this screw with some plumbers putty.

i was going to suggest using some 3M rubberized undercoating spray and seal off the area where you thought it was leaking.

[Firm]

Quote: Originally Posted by beandip

i was going to suggest using some 3M rubberized undercoating spray and seal off the area where you thought it was leaking.

I actually went out and looked for something like this, found something very similar called 'stop leak' but the problem was all the spray sealant/undercoating come in aerosol cans without a long enough nozzle to reach this area....The nozzles they all had were like paint can nozzles....I would need something like the expanding foam can nozzles.(long tube thing)

[slammed98sdime]

Quote: Originally Posted by Firm

I actually went out and looked for something like this, found something very similar called 'stop leak' but the problem was all the spray sealant/undercoating come in aerosol cans without a long enough nozzle to reach this area....The nozzles they all had were like paint can nozzles....I would need something like the expanding foam can nozzles.(long tube thing)

Any luck yet??

[Firm]

Yes actually......I removed the under dash hush panel and jammed my head up against the brake pedel...shine a flashlight up into the upper left corner behind the dash....You'll see the grommet for the hoodrelease(I think) and just above that you'll see a plastic screw coming through the firewall, and above that will be the corner where the inner fender and firewall meet.....In my case the water was running in around that plastic screw, I could actually see the tail it left running down the firewall.....All I could get up in that area was some plumbers putty on the end of my finger(b/c it's so tight) so I sealed up around that, and up in the corner seem just in case......and it has been dry since!
If anyone needs anymore info please just lemme know....I think I even might have some pics I took of the area.

[cherrybomb_420]

post the pics up man, if you dont care, my truck has been doing the same exact thing ever since I've had it, over 2 years.. mines a 94 ext. cab 2.2

I'm hoping I can get to the spot youre talking about and I may have the same problem...

[Firm]

Well, I just checked this computer(g/f's) and I don't have those pics on here....My computer crashed two days ago, so all my pics on there are gone...But they may still be in the camera, I'll look tomorrow.

[NTI94S10]

neat trick with leaks, if you can get access to a fog machine or evap smoke tester.

close doors, all windows closed, AC on full blast /recirc.


using the wand or whatever on your machine, follow closely around all the seals/body panels. the smoke will stay relatively close to wherever you put it, but when you pass over the leak it will be pushed away by the air escaping from the leak.

[Firm]

Sorry dude but my pics of that area are gone......It's not that hard to access though. Just pull off the underdash panel and look up towards the upper left corner. Theres a rubber padding against the firewall there....pull that away and you'll be able to see(sorta) the area, and you'll definately be able to feel it.

[cherrybomb_420]

I think my leak is coming from a different area, that location looks dry as a tack. Bu t I'll let you know what I find, I got the carpet and seats pulled, it was leaking bad wherever it was coming from.

[Firm]

Get someone outside the truck with a hose and have them spray the windshield and wiper cowl area.....Watch that corner, then check elsewhere. There are a ton of threads on this forum about all the different possible leak places, aside from this one.

[Vash]

Sure it's not a leaking heater core? When they get clogged from Dex Cool mud the leak happens where the hoses join the core body.

[cherrybomb_420]

I think hes pretty sure at this point, its NOT the heater core.

[Firm]

Yeah, my leak is fixed. It was the corner I described above. And cherrybomb has a water leak, not coolant.