Discovery Td5 footwell leak solved

Hi folks,

I've learnt so much reading through your messages and looking at your photos I thought I'd submit this new (to me) water leak I've found.

2004 Td5 Disco with Air Con.

I'd been getting a build up of water in the passenger footwell, right into the front left hand corner. The carpet and foam were saturated. I'd been through the sunroof thing a while ago so was pretty certain it wasn't that. The air-con tubes were clear and draining and the I'd hosed the windscreen edges with no leak. I managed, by careful cutting where it won't show, to remove the heavy rug and foam from the footwell without removing the seats. With that clear I could see where any water was running in from. For days nothing new came in. Then we had a really heavy rainstorm and the car was driving into it, water came in through the door! I simulated it with a hose pipe when I got back, same again. The water was coming in at the leading edge of the door near the wing mirror. The attached photo showing the door open shows a dark patch beside the circular seatbelt warning label, the dark patch is water leaking in. It then runs around under the dash and down under the carpet building up slowly so you won't notice for weeks until someone touches a wet carpet.

Cutting out the carpet let me see what was happening (and thoroughly dry it); before you try to do the same try the hosepipe check around the top corner of the door with just the side kick-panel and the glove-box bottom-board removed.

Hi,
had the same leak on mine but on the drivers side, adjusted the door fit but still leaked but not as bad, in the end i fitted a length of 3 core rubber electrical flex, behind the door seal so it made a better contact/seal on the door, held it in place with a little silkaflex.
Problem solved, I think all Discovery's leak it just a matter of time till you find it.
Hope everything is now dry its amazing how much water that sponge can hold.

Hi there,

Thanks for getting back. I was thinking about how to beef-up the rubber seal, your idea of a length of rubber cable would be just about right, thanks.

I was amazed how much water came out of the spongy foam on the back of the carpet, it's taking ages to dry out in the house. The vehicle is dry now so the carpet goes back in this week.

We should be used to water leaks we've got a Series III Landy but then it doesn't have fancy carpets and sound proofing foam, water just runs out the gaps in the floor!

hi mogman
i got a bad leak and been trying to dry my carpet now since november.would it be possible to show us all where you cut your carpets to get them out which would save hours of stripping.cheers andy

Hi Andy,

The photos should show where I cut the carpet (Stanley knife and a pair of small tinplate shears.)

First I took out the trim strip inside the door edge, a few screws under a press-in plastic dress strip and then removed the seat base surround, just a few screws and pull-out fixer at the back.

I then took out the kick panel on the inner wing beneath the glovebox, again a quick job.

As the photos show I cut across from the tunnel to the door on the raised section under the front edge of the seat, this is hidden when the panels are in place.

Then I cut down the edge of the tunnel to the seat runner (The carpet does not go under the runner but the edge might need to be teased out with the end of a screwdriver.) Take care on this bit as if the knife slips you could cut the seat cover, I used the short shears to do most of it. My wife pushed the seat edge out of the way as far as she could to give me room to cut. I made the cut far enough back that it will always be down the side of the seat and out of sight.

I did slacken the fixing screws for the centre console but it may not have been necessary, just depends on the fit of your car's carpet.

The carpet with foam is thick and doesn't bend too well so I made a short cut downwards in the corner right forward in the footwell as you can see in the photo of the carpet, but I stopped the cut high enough so it won't show in normal use. That cut gave enough flex for the carpet to come out as you can see.

It sounds more work than it was, it didn't take very long, 30 minutes maybe, and was a lot easier than pulling all the seats and centre console out.

I had to cut the carpet in the boot a while ago to get to a failed fuel pump. Once back in place the fuzzy edges just blend together and you'd hardly know it had been cut.

Good luck.

hi mogman
thanks for the pics im going to give that a go as i cant see the carpet drying otherwise,and thats going to save loads of time too.
cheers and thanks again.
andy

Question...Assuming carpet is wet is there any problem in leaving in till summer when they should dry out, as i see there is a cover over the floor panel which i assume will prevent corrosion as this and of course the slight damp smell is the only problem or am I just copping out of doing anything about it ???

hi blackvalcan
i thought that but like yours mine has got that damp smell now i want the smell of leather back!
good luck andy

Hi again folks,

Finally got the chance to do some more hose testing to find the leak into the footwell. It's not the sunroof or the air-con. I sprayed water over the A-pillar corner on the (UK) passenger side, making sure the door window and windscreen got very wet but not the roof or top of the windscreen. After a while water started leaking in around the spot welded seam at the bottom of the A-pillar where it meets the floor and door opening. Also a few spots dripped off the cable harness that comes through the A-pillar from the door electrics. I made sure the grommet for the door electrics was resealed and water tight. I then used sealant along the inside weld seams including a bout six inches up the A-frame/door pillar edge. Next time I soaked it, after about ten minutes water started running in from the small hole beneath the cable inlet (see picture). This means water is running down on the inside of the A-pillar and running into the car depending on what slope you happen to be parked on.

Does anyone have any idea what natural drainage exists in the A-pillar? Anyone else had this lowe A-pillar leak?

So found all the leaks

The culprit for the one dripping down the a pillar was the heater intake vent, it was running along the inner channel.

I ended up taking the blower motor bolts out and moving it down to see it was still dripping, a quick look inside the cavity and it shows the cavity leads to each a pillar so the other leak must have been from there.

Ended up resealing the lower windscreen scuttle seal and the scuttle trim and its all good.