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Thread: Water ingress via plenum heater air intake

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    Water ingress via plenum heater air intake

    After a months worth of rain in just 4 or 5 days I’ve finally got to do something about the common problem of water ingress via the heater fan air intake under the lower windscreen plenum cover (aka scuttle panel). It appears as though water has got into my wiring loom behind the heater fan unit because progressively over 15 minutes this morning whilst driving to work the speedo stopped working, then an ACE fault warning light illuminated, and finally the cruise control stopped functioning. All of these rely on a road speed signal from the SLABS ECU which is distributed to the speedo etc from connector 0290 buried in the loom behind the heater fan where I expect (hoping) I’ll find a wet 0290 connector to dry out.
    IMG_3061.jpg
    That would only deal with the consequence however, so then it’s onto the source of the problem. I’ve searched up on this problem now and before and capping or deflecting water away from the heater intake is often discussed but an image of peoples solutions I haven’t been able to find more than one. Has anyone on here done it? Also I’m thinking that there is another facet to this, and that is around the drains being overwhelmed by the volume of water shed being from the windscreen, the water level rises in the plenum space, overflowing into the heater air intake duct
    because it cannot get away quick enough. I would appreciate others thoughts abd experiences...
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

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    Leaking windscreen?
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    Water ingress via plenum heater air intake

    Quote Originally Posted by Bohica View Post
    Leaking windscreen?
    Nup It’s a leaking heater fan unit. The picture below is not of my car but it shows the scuttle panel removed, and heater intake duct opening into the plenum space. Water can run directly into the duct if the scuttle panel does not make good contact with the windscreen glass. Mine does have good contact.
    IMG_3083.jpg
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

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    Replace the scuttle panel & plenum with new ones.
    I replaced mine awhile back & that stopped several leaks.
    I ordered them online in OZ & with windscreen top stip & some windscreen side panel clips I think it was about $500 odd delivered.
    Jonesfam

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    Quote Originally Posted by onebob View Post
    Nup It’s a leaking heater fan unit. The picture below is not of my car but it shows the scuttle panel removed, and heater intake duct opening into the plenum space. Water can run directly into the duct if the scuttle panel does not make good contact with the windscreen glass. Mine does have good contact.
    IMG_3083.jpg
    i fixed mine by sikaflexing all around


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    I have heard of someone cutting a bit of lead flashing to shape and placing it around the edge of the hole with Sikaflex to create a dam.
    Mine only leaks in very heavy rain if the car is facing uphill, but I have sikaflexed the rubber seal to the windscreen. I found I had to put a brick on the plenum to hold it against the screen while the Sikaflex dried.
    Regards PhilipA

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    Water ingress via plenum heater air intake

    Update on water ingress and loss of the road speed signal. I have temporarily taped the plenum to the windscreen with matt black duct tape and it has stopped the water entering the plenum by that route, this will do until a permanent fix is done. The road speed signal comes and goes intermittently now so perhaps the water in the loom is dispersing slowly. Even if after time it stabilises and it appears its back to normal i will still investigate the loom and connector C0290. Also considering to pack the C0290 connector with dielectric grease to keep water from getting just in case it happens again in the future.
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

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    Water ingress via plenum heater air intake

    Today we had a break in the rainy weather which allowed me to make a start on investigating the wiring loom. Easily located the C0290 header connector and found that someone had been there before me and I’ve had the nearly 10 years. The connector was taped to the loom with electrical tape that oozed water from between the wraps when squeezed. There is a cap on the connector that I should take off to to check the condition of the wire connections inside but it is refusing to move. This is my first experience with this type of connector and i don’t want to destroy it. Perhaps all that’s needed is some contact cleaner to spray inside to displace any water that’s in there, we will see.... more soon.
    IMG_3117.jpgIMG_3118.jpgIMG_3120.jpg
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

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    Water leak into ventilation fan air intake - what I did

    Quote Originally Posted by onebob View Post
    ............ I’ve searched up on this problem now and before and capping or deflecting water away from the heater intake is often discussed but an image of peoples solutions I haven’t been able to find more than one. Has anyone on here done it? Also I’m thinking that there is another facet to this, and that is around the drains being overwhelmed by the volume of water shed being from the windscreen, the water level rises in the plenum space, overflowing into the heater air intake duct
    because it cannot get away quick enough. I would appreciate others thoughts abd experiences...
    Hi Onebob,

    When I bought my D2a, I very soon found out that it had a water leak that showed up on the front passenger-side floor whenever it rained while the car was outside. It was definitely coming in via the ventilation fan.
    I removed the bonnet and the plenum cover to see exactly what the picture in your post #3 shows.

    I shaped a hood for the air intake from heavy aluminium flashing foil, and attached it to the black, raised intake in your picture, and with an opening that faces forward.
    There's not much room underneath the plenum cover, so you can't make it too high.
    This fixed my leak immediately and it has lasted for 5 years so far.

    I suspect that water can get behind / under the plenum cover from anywhere, and that drops then run along the underside of the plenum cover and fall into the ventilation air intake (this would be helped by having the fan "ON" and drawing air in at the time).

    I very much doubt that the drains beneath each bottom corner of the windscreen have anything to do with it.
    They would need to be very seriously gummed up with leaf debris or other rubbish.

    I also suspect that cars made for the European market likely have a hood fitted to the ventilation fan air-intake, to prevent the ingress of water. That may also have been the case for cars destined for here, because this is not a problem with all D2a's (or everyone would have experienced it).

    I guess it is possible that if ever your car (and mine) had a windscreen replacement in the past, any such hood or shroud over the ventilation air intake could have been dislodged or removed, causing the problem.

    Cheers,
    Andrew

    PS: I don't have a photo of my solution, and I'm reluctant to remove the plenum in order to take one.
    Sorry!


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    Water ingress via plenum heater air intake

    Thank you Andrew for your “word picture” of your cap solution, it is something that i plan to do as well. But also recognising that the genesis of the problem is the integrity of the seal of the plenum cover against the windscreen I’m looking at doing something there as well and some days ago I taped the plenum to the glass with duct tape and it has been very successful, so much so that I would consider it over a sikaflex bond for ease of application. So today, from the big red & green shed I purchased some weatherproof uv stable super sticky tape for the “permanent” job. Here’s a pic of the current duct tape solution - pretty much invisible, and it works...
    LROCV member #131
    1999 build D2 TD5 Auto, Mantec snorkel, 2" LRA spring lift, ARB on board air, Ashcroft ATB, CMM air ram CDL shifter, swag & gold pans ....

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