water leak in footwell

Hi guys,

I have noticed that my front right footwell (LHD 2009 110 2.4) has water pooling in the rubber floor mat, and the carpet is very wet after heavy rain. The door seal looks fine and door seals well as far as I can see. I do have some rust on the bolts that hold the bottom of the windscreen visible from inside the cabin, and a friend told me they can leak somewhere there.

Can anyone shed some light on where I should begin my troubleshoot? Thanks heaps!

In my experience, I'd stand 12 feet back from the vehicle, look at it, and everything you see is a potential place for it to leak from.

Some are well sealed and hardly leak, while others leak from all obvious and unobvious places. There is a manual developed by LR about sealing and waterproofing the Defender, makes an interesting read....and is 35 pages long!!

Linky: http://www.landroverweb.com/Pdf-files/Manuals/Land_Rover_Defender_Water_Ingress_Manual.pdf

LOL... I am fast learning that since it is water pooling on the mat, I am guessing that it is a drip coming from higher up. My first check (as per the manual you sent too) will be the windscreen mounts.

Top front of door seal is a favourite leakspot, which then runs down the edge of the windscreen frame and leaves you a few few rusty bits before it runs down onto the floor.
I am in two minds as to if I should drill a few holes in my floor to let the water out

Saint.V8 said:

There is a manual developed by LR about sealing and waterproofing the Defender, makes an interesting read....and is 35 pages long!!

Click to expand...

I think you missed a few zeros of that old chap...

I found no sooner have you worked your way through the water ingress manual and done all the jobs that you have to start all over again.

Hard-Drive said:

I think you missed a few zeros of that old chap...

Click to expand...

The latest, condensed paperback version of the manual is up to 5.4 and has automatic updates available.

Oldseadog said:

Top front of door seal is a favourite leakspot, which then runs down the edge of the windscreen frame and leaves you a few few rusty bits before it runs down onto the floor.
I am in two minds as to if I should drill a few holes in my floor to let the water out

Click to expand...

How lucky are you, the rest of us don't need to drill to have holes in the floor! Lol.

Mcclegend said:

How lucky are you, the rest of us don't need to drill to have holes in the floor! Lol.

Click to expand...

That's true ...
Just wait until the gradual oxydisation of floor allows automatic draining

SecaBlue said:

Hi guys,

I have noticed that my front right footwell (LHD 2009 110 2.4) has water pooling in the rubber floor mat, and the carpet is very wet after heavy rain. The door seal looks fine and door seals well as far as I can see. I do have some rust on the bolts that hold the bottom of the windscreen visible from inside the cabin, and a friend told me they can leak somewhere there.

Can anyone shed some light on where I should begin my troubleshoot? Thanks heaps!

Click to expand...

Try getting the head lining down first and see how wet it is there. I discovered that the roof seams had perished and caused a leak onto the head lining which in turn made it's way down the door seals and pooled on the footwell.
Turboman gave me a great tip. Use either Sikaflex to teseal the joins or for a fiver green house repair tape which I used temporarily 2 years ago! The best tape ever and it's water and uv proof.
I left the headlining down to let it dry out and hosed the roof to check for leaks. The tape worked perfectly and now I have no footwell issues.

Thanks guys!... by coincidence a big, brief rainstorm hit so I sat in the car and watched found the leak is coming from the top right corner of the door seal as per Oldseadog's issue... and something noted in the 'Leaks Bible' Sooo... can I please ask what other's have done to rectify this?... what product you used and application? Thanks in advance!

I stuck a new pair of seals on and that cured mine.
Something tells me that I bent the door top in a bit to make a good seal.
Seals are good to have as they like getting wet!