Door leak write up?

[EWC88]

Hey everyone I remeber on the old forum I had a thread like this up and I forget who posted up with pics the porcedure of fixing a water leak coming from the driver side door. I did remember though that one of the ways you would know its coming from your door is if the rubber seal on the bottom is wet, well after a rain storm today I had a decent amopunt of water sitting there and need to now fix that!

So I was wondering if anyone had a write up (pics be the greatest) and what items do I need?

[Archon]

Darcy (Ddalder) had a great write up on the old site. That hasn't been transferred over yet.

[harofreak00]

2000 - 2005 Water Leaks. Drying them up!

Repairing Interior Water Leaks - Door Related

General Information:

So you’re tired of the pool option... Here is some information which can help take care of many interior water leaks. Take this information for what it is because it won’t likely resolve every problem. There are several ways water can find its way to the interior, but this will address some of the most common leaks.

Even though door seals are important, there is another component critical to keeping things dry which is all too often overlooked. This component is the water deflector. It is a heavy, formed plastic sheet located behind each interior door panel with a bead of sticky black sealant applied around the outer edge. Its purpose is to prevent water from getting inside the car from the interior of the door.

After a good wash or rain shower, you may notice water collecting on the top of the door seal. Look closely at the inside of the door just below the interior trim panel. If you see that water has run down the inside of the door beneath the trim panel then your source is most likely a failed water deflector seal.






How the Water Deflector Works:

The water deflector works by sealing against the inside painted surface of the door. As water enters the inside of the door either by rain, washing or other means, it is deflected back to the inside of the door so that it may drain out the bottom through holes created as part of the door design. When the bead of black sealant becomes compromised, water is able to run down the inside of the door. It comes out from underneath the door trim panel where it will collect on the top inside surface of the rubber door seal. As it accumulates, the water is then free to run down under the carpet retainer and into the floor area beneath the carpet.




Here is a photo of a 2000 model year rear door (courtesy of Archon). You will note that it isn't possible to see through these water deflectors as it is in later years, but the process to deal with the leak is basically the same.




One challenge is finding any air bubbles between the sealant and the water deflector. In turn it will make working any out more difficult. During your post repair water test, it is important to be even more diligent when inspecting the inside surface of the door below the water deflector. You won't be able to see where the water is running down the inside of the water deflector and therefore won't be able to anticipate where the leak(s) may form. Failure to be thorough may result in a missed leak. The inspection area is shown by the yellow line (see below). Be sure to aim the water stream downwards towards the base of the window glass. Thoroughly spray the entire width of the glass for at least 2 - 3 minutes.



- Show quoted text -

With the inside door panel off for final testing, you may notice a small amount of water come through the green retainters. Once the door trim panel is in place and providing the foam insulators (which are part of the retainers) are in good condition, these should seal up. Make sure the door panel is pressed firmly in place to accomplish this and reduce the possibility of rattles. Replace any broken or excessively worn trim panel retainers.

Replacement Parts:

All the following parts will fit 2000-2005 Bonnevilles:

Water Deflectors:
Left Front - P/N: 15212772
Right Front - P/N: 15212771
Left Rear - P/N: 15212776
Right Rear - P/N: 15212775

Door Trim Panel Retainers:
Short Version - P/N: 25704141
Long Version - P/N: 25707329

Weather Strip:
Front (Colour GRAY) - 25725395
Rear (Colour GRAY) - 25725431

Weather strip is interchangeable from left to right.

** Part numbers for a taupe interior were not available when this article was written. These will be available from your GM dealer.

Repair Procedure:

1. Remove the interior trim panel.
2. Pull the water deflector away from the inside of the door. This may be difficult depending on how well it has adhered to the painted finish. Be careful not to tear or damage the plastic. Try to keep the bead of black sealant from becoming damaged. In some places it will stretch and may not come away from the door easily.
3. Try and form the black sealant back into a bead as well as possible. Your hands should be clean so as not to contaminate the sealant. This will only serve to work against you. Make sure the sealant is free of contaminants.
4. Prepare the door surface by removing any sealant residue with bug and tar remover. Make sure the area is well ventilated, especially before using a heat gun in the next step.
5. Using a heat gun on LOW, carefully warm the bead of black sealant. You don’t want to melt or damage the plastic water deflector. The sealant will become warm, soft and very sticky. I’m not certain as to the flashpoint of any substances in the sealant or plastic water deflector so caution is strongly encouraged. Use appropriate safety devices. Gentle warming is all that’s required.
6. Carefully press the water deflector against the door. Inspect very closely for gaps or air bubbles which will compromise the seal. This is the area which must remain water tight.
7. With the interior trim panel off, close the door. Spray down the affected side of the car very well with water. Open the door and inspect closely for water leaking past the bead of sealant. You will notice some moisture on the inside of the water deflector but it should no longer run down the inside painted surface of the door.
8. Once the leaks have been repaired, reinstall the door trim panel.


Preparing all the surfaces is important for successful results.
Make sure the water deflector is in good shape. It may be necessary to purchase a replacement.





Preparing the door.





If you re-used the existing parts and the repair fails, you may need to replace your water deflector. Also remember that the carpet can have a wicking effect. As it starts to get moist, it can draw further moisture in. This will only serve to worsen the accumulation of water in the floor area.

Another condition which may cause water leaks is a defect in the weather stripping.





Additional Methods to Help Keep Your Interior Dry:

1. Look for warped or otherwise damaged door seals and replace as necessary.
2. Don’t remove your door seals more than is absolutely necessary to undertake other vehicle repairs.
3. Keep your door seals clean and conditioned. Use a good quality rubber cleaner/conditioner such as Meguiar’s #40 Vinyl & Rubber Cleaner/Conditioner several times throughout the year. GM dealers in my area use AC Delco Silicone Emulsion (P/N: 10953014) as part of the semi-annual inspection to achieve the same results.
4. Door seals have a spring type metal which allows them to grip the edge of the body when installed. If the door seal is removed, inspect the edge where it grips the sheet metal lip of the car. If this has become deformed, you can try to squeeze the edges of the door seal back in shape. It may need to be replaced altogether.

Enjoy water at the beach or swimming pool. Enjoy being dry in your car!

[Spl170s]

very good writeup...i am in the middle of this repair myself. i got my carpet front and rear on drivers side completely dry after 2 days of running heaters with the carpet propped up to get underside dry....of course after squeezing out all the water in them first. what a chore!!

now, i am focusing on the seal panel. problem is, my seal is just no longer worth working with on the panel. it seems to have been removed to many times to make it worthwhile to use. is it possible to get the sealant itself from the dealer...or do you have to buy the whole plastic sheet...and it comes with sealant already on it??

[harofreak00]

Go to a glass replacement shop and see if you can get some sealant like this. If you get new water deflectors from the dealer they do not come with the sealant.

When I took them off, I used a Sharpie to draw on the inside surface where the adhesive originally goes before I cleaned it off the outside surface. Once it was cleaned off, I put the deflector back on and pressed it flush. I drew where the four drain holes are located. This is so I could manipulate the sealant right up to the edge so water will drain right into the door and not collect between the door and the deflector.



Like I said before, Bug and Tar Remover worked really well. I washed the deflector with soap and water afterwards to make sure there wasn’t anything left that might react with the sealant. I used a paint cleaner/polish on the door for the same reason and then gave it a coat of wax.



This is the roll of sealant:




Here is the deflector with the sealant applied. You can see the tracing of the drain holes in the picture:





I was very careful to apply the sealant to all the curvatures on the water deflector. I didn’t pay as much attention the first time around and there were some small gaps. I had to pull it back a little and reapply it.




I’ve got it installed. There are some small air bubbles, but the sealant is wide enough it won’t cause a problem.



And after the water test:

[Spl170s]

thank you very much for that info. i was going to buy a new deflector today assuming it would come with the sealant. glad i didn't do that! it would be nice though if my sheeting was clear like yours. mine are a dark gray color so you can't see through to check your alignments. i will have to come up with some creative markings to reference the deflector on the door to get things right.

[harofreak00]

I am 99% sure the new water deflectors from the dealer do not come with any sealant.

Actually the earlier opaque water deflectors are pretty easy to align. They come with a thin groove all around the edge that tells you were to put the sealant.

[Spl170s]

i do remember the groove now that you mention it and with that picture. plus, having the push plugs at the top do help to align everything. i just need to locate a roll of that sealant now. i just have to move fast so i don't get water in my car again before i can seal it up....

[EWC88]

Great write up! thanks Andrew, question what should I say to the glass repair shop just a sealent that goes on metal/plastic?

[Spl170s]

i picked up a roll of this at napa today at lunch. they called it glass setting butyl tape. can be bought in 1/4", 5/16" or 3/8" size. 15' roll. i got the 5/16" at right about $15 for the roll. part number on the box i got was MS4195. boxed by napa with the name Martin Senour Paints in the corner of the box. Pro adhesive sealants on the front of the box. MS4194 for 1/4", MS4195 for 5/16" and MS4196 for 3/8". looks to be able to be ordered online if your local store doesn't have it, but i would think if you gave them the part number they could get it in.

Hope this helps someone as well. Man, i am stoked to get this done tonight.

Again, thanks for the write up, very helpful. Helped me understand how much of a part this water deflector is in the car.

[harofreak00]

I need to clear this up, the new door seals DO some with sealant, but it the same crappy stuff that comes on the car originally. I would re-seal them anyways.

I'm glad you found some stuff that will work Spl170s!

The product in the pictures above is known as POLYshim II Tape and is manufactured by Tremco. Many glass shops will purchase this through a company called C.R. Laurence. They distribute many glass industry related items for both automotive and non-automotive applications. The C.R. Laurence part number is 7241xc3. Glass shops may also know this as a butyl architecural tape/sealant.

http://www.crlaurence.com

Under the search option at the top (yellow bar), look for "7241xc3". This will take you to the right spot. This is 1/8" thick, not sure about width.

It can be somewhat costly. Rolls are 40 feet (although some glass shops may sell by the foot or partial rolls kicking around). IIRC, the front doors require about 7'4" of tape. Don't remember what the rears are, but it will be about the same.

[Spl170s]

Good info. i have bought from CR before personally and used them alot at my old job doing custom machine design. they can get pricey though with shipping alot of the time.

I plan to do both front doors for now since they are what i took apart doing my stereo install. plan to do the rears in the near future though since i know where to get the stuff just to be sure no leaks again.

Thanks!

[EWC88]

Well I found out for sure that it was my door where its coming from cause I saw that the sealent is all dried up and not sticking by the drain, I will be going to Napa tomarrow to see if they can order the stuff for me that Spl170s got cause they didn't have it nor heard of it they said? But big thanks to Spl170s for giving me the part number on it and showing me the link through there website.


Also thanks Andrew for posting the write up, I thought it was you who showed me on the old forum but wasn't sure.