Rain water ingress detected at bottom of A pillar

[onebob]

My previously dry driver side footwell carpet now becomes sodden after rain. This is a recent happening. It is wettest right where the A pillar meets the floor. The headlining is dry, so is the carpet up behind the pedals, and likewise the space behind the footwell side kick panel and the area above in the dash, adjacent to the fusebox is also dry. The windscreen was replaced in 2010 and the vehicle interior has been absolutely dry until the last few weeks. Gotta say that I am not impressed with the way roof gutter ends right wher150347150348e the A pillar finishers and the windscreen top weatherseal all come together. Poor design really and maybe the cause of my problem. Anybody have experience with this?

[jonesfam]

Not from that area.
But due to it being a Land Rover, a Discovery & 15 years old I have rubber cupped mats for just such an emergancy.
After heavy rain it only takes one towel to mop up each side.[bigsmile1][bigsmile1]
Jonesfam

[Rok_Dr]

It could be that the windscreen needs resealing. That hole at the top is normal. Gently remove the A pillar trim and have a close look and/or run a hose over over and see if any water comes through.

I’ve had this issue on other cars in times past.

cheers

Steve

[onebob]

Thanks Steve, I did read that LR issued a TSB about sealant failure between the roof and the top of the A pillar. I have that TSB now and when the rain stops will investigate that and the windscreen sealing. I have determined that the A pillar is holding a quantity of water and it’s visible seeping out between spot welded panels inside the cab and outside underneath where the A pillar panel tapers to meet the floor panel. 150349150350

[onebob]

150355
A hole drilled at X will release much of water ...

[Tins]

Does it have a sunroof? If so, there is a drain that blocks under the car that is easily cleared. In fact, it may not just apply to sunroof cars. I'd take a pic under mine, but what do you know, it's ****ing down here.

[ozscott]

The only time I have seen a D2 leak is where some joker had hamfisted a windscreen replacement. Typically buggering up the seals etc.

Cheers

[Tins]

The only time I have seen a D2 leak is where some joker had hamfisted a windscreen replacement. Typically buggering up the seals etc.


You didn't see mine, then. The reason I found out where it leaked was because I got that screen mob with the Oirish name out to reseal my screen, and they told me, no charge, that it wasn't the screen. and advised me to pursue the sunroof. Admittedly, it was an aftermarket fitted at original purchase, dealer organised, but I believe the same drain getting blocked can cause the footwells to fill up when there is a hole ( well documented, here and elsewhere ) at the top of the A pillar, or the OE sunroofs drain through the same passage, although that's an educated guess..
The screen guys had seen it before many times, and even gave a piece of piano wire to fix it with. This didn't work, as the tube down from my sunroof only reached down to about the top hinge, but it pointed me in the right direction. There is a small opening

( :ttiwwp:, I'll try to remember to take one )

at the bottom of the A pillar that blocks. This drove me nuts, as the car would fill up in the footwells, I'd dry it out, it wouldn't rain for a bit, the car would dry out, with some help, and then it would rain, or I'd get my then wife to play the hose, and nothing would happen. I'd go away, scratching my head. Then we'd get a day or two of real rain, and it would fill up again. It needed to fill the bottom half of the A pillar again, and it would come into the car via the kick panels.

D1 and D2s have known issues for front floor flooding. The two issues are not the same. I have both types here, both fill the footwells occasionally, and there is nothing about them that is the same, other than the top of the A pillar leaks which have been posted about since AULRO began. The "opening" I speak of in the D2 does not exist in the D1. These cars do my head in.

I do not say this is what the OP's problem is, but it could be. I chased this damned leak for over 6 months, and solved it at about the time the car died. I tried the same approach to my leaking D1, and found that the two cars are chalk and cheese, nothing I had learnt was of any help.

All of the above explains why I am attempting to revive my SIII tray truck. Heck, ALL Series cars leak. They leak in, they leak out, and they don't usually have carpets..., unless their owners are mad....

I will attempt to get a pic of the drain I mean, but rain may stop play for a bit.

[jwb]

There’s a rubber flap where the door check strap connects. I sealed that up on the pax side and eliminated water getting into the A pillar and the footwell

[onebob]

I have found the cause of the problem - there is a drain hole at the bottom of the A pillar accessible from the inboard side of the floor sill panel - however it was hidden from view and totally blocked by accumulated mud on the sill ledge
150405

[ozscott]

Onbob how did you access that area?

[ozscott]

And is that pillar sheared off? Cheers

[onebob]

Onbob how did you access that area?

Trace the A pillar down to where it passes thru the plastic sill trim - get down on your back and shimy under the vehicle and locate the bottom of the A pillar where it comes thru the plastic sill trim - you will see this view ..
150406
The X is the bottom if the A pillar outboard side! Spot welded to the floor panel lip. Shimy under a bit further to see the back side of that structure, it looks like this ...
150407

[onebob]

The drain hole low down and is just out of sight ....
150408

[Rok_Dr]

Well found! that’s a sneaky location.

Glad it was a simple fix.

cheers

Steve

[onebob]

Well found! that’s a sneaky location.

Glad it was a simple fix.

cheers

Steve

Too early to call it a fix but the probability is in the plus zone, also bouquets to johntins for “feeding” my curiosity and resolve...

[onebob]

And is that pillar sheared off? Cheers

NO

[ozscott]

Good...must just have been how the photo looked. I am pretty sure I.have seen that area but haven't inspected. Will take a look. Cheers

[onebob]

Here is a pic of the interior side section of the A pillar and the driver side door wiring loom entering the pillar. At present how i think the water entered the foot well is that with to the drain hole being blocked with mud, the trapped water rose in the pillar up to the level of the hole (it’s a captive nut) just below the wiring loom grommet, and was able to dribble out unseen, behind the kick panel down onto the carpet below. Significant rain is forecast for Wednesday where i am so we will soon see if that’s right. 150466

[onebob]

.... but the question is where did the water that got into A pillar come from. I’m curious about the openings at the top corners of the windscreen at the end of the top rubber finisher strip. It was commented early in this thread that they’re meant to be there. My online research suggests that the A pillar drains now “discovered” are actually the exit point for the sunroof drains. However, I do not have a sun roof. So next I will next follow the instructions in the Technical Bulletin and see if that remedies the problem.

[onebob]

I pulled back the rubber at each top corner of the windscreen and after cleaning the crud out discovered that each side had a small section of the roof skin (looks like a little tab) that was not sealed to the body section beneath and right beside the top of the A pillars. I liberally filled the void behind the rubber corner trims on each side with Sikaflex 227 and now await the next downpour.150499150500

[knuts2au]

Mine had leaks from there. Only takes a little pin hole for water to stream thru, showed on the roof lining at the A pillar junction as water marks, plus the wet carpet. I'll have to have a look at those bottom drains when it's on the hoist soon to do the gearbox. 16mm so far tonight so will be interesting to see if mines wet in the morning as well!

[onebob]

Mine had leaks from there. Only takes a little pin hole for water to stream thru, showed on the roof lining at the A pillar junction as water marks, plus the wet carpet. I'll have to have a look at those bottom drains when it's on the hoist soon to do the gearbox. 16mm so far tonight so will be interesting to see if mines wet in the morning as well!

My D2 was exposed to torrential rain over a 24 hour period and there were no puddles in the footwell and no water trails or drips in the areas where they were evident before.

[onebob]

There’s a rubber flap where the door check strap connects. I sealed that up on the pax side and eliminated water getting into the A pillar and the footwell

Thanks for that info and I now reckon it was the culprit in my case. I saw exactly how that could happen a couple of days ago when it was raining heavily - there is an opening for water to leak directly into the A pillar through the check strap pivot bracket. Now that my A pillar drain is no longer blocked this leak water can now freely drain away and my problem has not returned.
150900150901

[ozscott]

Hi good people. I have had the same thing recently in torrential rain. Pic attached of blocked drain. I need to replace a broken A Pillar trim that is allowing significantly higher water ingress than the drain hole was designed to cope with. Will post this on the general D2 thread too for wider coverage. Thanks to the OP for the write up. Cheers https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220424/09a21888e254164852f3b6ffb29c052f.jpg