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Lincoln Town Car Water Leaks

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Comments

  • lp284lp284 Member Posts: 12
    I found it, It was the drain hole in the grill where the wiper blades are, Thanks
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    I looked at a fairly clean 91 t/c today.ABS light is on.I remember that in 91,being the 1st year for the 4.6,They had issues with the motor and the ABS.I can't remember what the problem was with the ABS though?Want to know before I buy it.Thanks.
    p.s.,any fix for the auto pull down motor on the trunk??
  • ardchoille13ardchoille13 Member Posts: 1
    Just wanted to say Thank You to everyone for all the great info on this thread. Got my rear passenger floorboard leak problem fixed just by reading the thread from beginning, never even had to ask a question, lol. Anyway, I do now have another issue.......Blower Motor works, no fuses or relays bad, still NO air from vents. Any ideas? I only ask here cause I see that lp284 had the same problem. Just wondering if you had made any headway on that issue.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    Ralka,you out here????I bought a '91 sig.series T/C yesterday.The ABS light is on.I know they had that issue when knew but I can't remember what the fix is.Any idea???Thanks.
  • ralkaralka Member Posts: 72
    [99towncarexec]
    sorry, have been very busy lately and haven't been on
    i can help with water leaks but i would have to ask friends with more experience in the electrical and code issues for the abs problem. i will ask around
    have yu had it scanned for the codes?
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    Not yet.I bought 4 abs sensors for the car.1 on each wheel.The car runs goods,brakes fine,just no ABS.It's in better shape then the 94 I sold last month.
  • tmdeetmdee Member Posts: 1
    Did anyone ever figure out the solution to water accumulating in the rear passenger floor board on Town Cars? I have the same problem as many others on my 2001 TC but I am hearing so many different remedies. I am leaning more towards believing the scenario that the water is coming from the firewall. Seems like Lincoln (Drive Quality right?) would have put a recall out to fix this problem. :confuse:
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    Yea,after trial and error,the problem turned out to be the hood release area on the firewall.Water was getting in there.We Put some sealer around it and that was that.I had a 99,which in that regard is no different then your 01. :shades: I have since been thru a 94,now have a 91.I like this one best!!No leaks,no creaks when I turn left,ABS sensors in front are new,so no lights there and the engine is smooth for 125k!! ;)
  • boss80boss80 Member Posts: 5
    i have a leak coming from the back of the engine 4.6 i want to know what could have a hole in it
  • kenb757kenb757 Member Posts: 149
    First do a cooling system pressure check (when the engine is cool please). If it's from a hose, you'll probably see where it's spewing from. If it's internal, a gasket might be leaking (much more expensive fix).
  • nwraaanwraaa Member Posts: 177
    Make sure that the coolant level is correct. Remove the engine cover and look at the hoses with aid of a flashlight. One of the hoses runs under the intake manifold. Often when it leaks under the manifold the coolant will run to the back of the engine if the front end of the car is higher then the rear end. The other hose is easier to check.
  • boss80boss80 Member Posts: 5
    how do i go about doing that
  • gotrekgotrek Member Posts: 8
    Hey fellas.

    I have been following the posts about the wet floors. I have a 1998 TC that started leaking about a month ago. When it leaks it's massive. Not uncommon to get two inches of water standing in the passenger floor board.

    Today a siliconed the stuff under and around the cowl and removed the drain plugs from the front and rear floor pans. While pulling back the front carpet I noticed a rubber pad with foam backing between the firewall and carpet (passenger side). It is soaking wet like water was getting under it. How do I get the rubber pad out?

    On a side note, I'm the third owner of the car. Is there a way I can find out if any recalls are open on this particular car?
  • gotrekgotrek Member Posts: 8
    Update.

    I was able to move the padding around a bit. Found some minor rust on the transmission tunnel under the pad.

    I put the heater on floor and dialed to 90*. It's starting dry aout a bit now. Now I know why you can turn the heater up that high. ;)
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    Hi.Yea,the rubber padding is for sound I guess.You'll need to check the firewall area near the hood release.That's where the water was coming in on my 99. I lifted the rugs and pulled the drain plugs and let it sit for 3 or 4 days to dry it out.I saw a little rust as well. Oh,and I squeezed the excess water out of the padding as much as I could.
  • gotrekgotrek Member Posts: 8
    Well, it's raining again today. There is still some leakage. Not nearly as much as before but still some runs.

    I still have carpet pullled back so I can monitor the leaks.

    Does the glove box need to come out to get at the rubber pad?
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    There's a filter behind the glove box that you probably have to remove the box to get to.I didn't take mine off,just loosened it till it was hanging. I was able to squeeze water out of it that way.It was coming in under the hood area thru the cabin filter. Under the hood,passenger side on the black plastic there's a potential leaky area as well. You need to take the black stuff off and put some goop in there as well.I forgot about that part.I did that on my 99 as well as the hood release area.
  • gotrekgotrek Member Posts: 8
    Thanks.

    I'll try to get it taken apart this weekend (weather permitting).
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    It's not a hard job taking it apart.Took me 15 minutes or so between the glove box and that stuff under the hood,which is where you should put some waterproof stuff for sure.Good luck.
  • melba1melba1 Member Posts: 5
    I had a leak like that in my 2000 towncar all it was is leaf's in the grill near the winshield. Lift the hood and unscrew the grill at the winshield and vacuum the leaf's out. I can't remember if I took the wipers off or not. It don't sound like that's what it could be but that was it. Its been 4 years now and no leaks. I keep it clean out.
  • dpapadpapa Member Posts: 1
    Regarding the "water accumulating in the rear passenger floor board" problem, I struggled with it for quite a while till eventually I found the source. I am not a mechanic, so forgive me if I do not use the right terminology, but the source of the leak was at the junction of the B-pillar and the rubber piece that goes all around the rear-door frame. Right at the top corner there was a big gap that apparently was caused due to the fact that the rubber had shrank over time. Once you identify that this is your problem as well, the solution seems pretty obvious.
    I hope this will be the source of your problem as well since it costs nothing to repair.
  • gotrekgotrek Member Posts: 8
    Well, I was pressed for time this past weekend. Rain was coming in fast so I had to work fast. I siliconed around the windshield (Pilkington brand-replacement?), the hood release cable and spray foamed the passenger side corner under and behind the cowl.

    I didn't see any leaks after the last rain storm so maybe I fixed it this time. :confuse:
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    I thought that was my problem initially in my 99.It wasn't.I spent 190 bucks for new weather stripping around the 2 doors and never put it on!All the water was coming from the hood release area on the firewall and that spot under the hood,passenger side where the filter is behind the glove box.Anybody want to buy some new unused weather stripping for two doors?? :)
  • bjnvabjnva Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2001 Lincoln TownCar and had the same problem. I removed the guard under the hood below the windshield, cleaned out but no results. I checked other possibilities, still no results. After wasting a lot of time and trying other recomendations of this forum, I took the car to the dealer and they found the cowl seal below the windshield was defective. They removed old gasket and replaced with silicone cement and this cured the problem. They dried the carpet, replaced the padding under the carpet that cost 450.00 dollars. Don't waste your time with home remides and lots of grieff let the professionals rectify such a problem. Hope this info helps. Best of luck.
  • robkstonerobkstone Member Posts: 48
    I resealed the fresh air vent, with silicone and a new gasket, on the passenger side in front of the windshield myself and haven't had any problems again since. Cost me probably $10.00 in supplies and about two hours of work. I'm not bragging, maybe I got lucky!
  • journeyman67journeyman67 Member Posts: 1
    01 towncar water leak pasanger side front and back wet carpet. I think that i found a soultion for my problem. under the hook. passanger side below the windshield remove the plastic peace to view the fresh air intake funnel. it is rectulanger shape plastic. their are 5 screws and two nuts holding it in place. their is a cheap gasket attached to the bottum of it where it attaches to the metal air intake. this is where it is leaking. i removed the trash gasket and cut a new one from a sheat of colk. i siliconed it to the plastic funnel peace and to the metal air intake. i reattached it. i tested it with a hose and it seamed to work.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    Yea,I did that on my 99 as well.Then I found the leak,or another leak,where the hood release cable goes thru the firewall.Check that too because it could be a problem with leakage.No such issues like this in the 91 I am driving now.Although 91's were/are known for the abs brake light and issues related to that. ;)
  • senator3senator3 Member Posts: 1
    I have had water in rear passenger well since a month after I bought my 2005 a year ago. The third time I took it back dealer charged 540.00 for door seals. Next rain/snow storm--there is more water than there has ever been. They claim they water test it but floor has always been returned still wet/ damp or frozen in last case (live in NY) Next trip back I will get THEIR insurance on loaner car as I can almost anticipate it acting like a toyota when I drive up to their showroom doors with the gas pedal sticking and the brakes failing!!! Anyhow I've read where they have also had problems with the sunroof drains plugging up---dealer also replaced those. Will try around the front compartment next .Seems like this SHOULD be a recall on Ford Lincoln's part.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    edited March 2010
    OK,First,if you need new door seals ever again let me know! I have a brand new set I bought for my 99 that I never used.Next,check under the passemger side cowling under the hood.Take the black plastic off and see if there are leaves and stuff down in there.Next,it could very well be the opening on the firewall where the hood release cable goes thru.That's what it turned out to be on mine. You will need to remove the bottom seat cushion and loosen up the front seats to lift up the rug,pull out out the drain plugs on the floor and let it air out!Took mine about a week in hot weather to dry out,and man it was soaked!I squeezed as much excess water out of the rug as I could when it was up but it still need time to dry.I'm in NY too.OH,by the way,pull the glove box down and see if the cabin filter behind it is all wet.That's the area under the hood you'll need to look at if it is.If it's not,then it's probably not that area.
  • robkstonerobkstone Member Posts: 48
    based on the experiences of many people on this blog, including myself, it would appear that the two primary methods of water coming into these cars, is the fresh air vent and the parking brake cable. If I was charged $540.00 for a repair and it didn't work, I would be back at that dealer and wouldn't pay them a dime until they fixed my car! Always pay with a credit card, and if the repair doesn't fix your problem, you'll have more leverage.
  • gotrekgotrek Member Posts: 8
    I agree.

    The quick fix I tried is still working so far - knock on wood. :)
  • qsoqso Member Posts: 32
    95 LTC--When it rains hard my roof inside liner gets very wet. I think the water flows aft until it is hits a bow and then sits for awhile and then soaks through.

    I know the water has to be coming in through the sun roof. I have inspected the seal on the sun roof door area and all looks fine. I haven't seen anybody else report any such leak so I was wondering if any of you techs have heard of this area leaking?

    Thanks for any tips.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    could be a drain plug is backed up.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    edited July 2010
    I get the check engine light when I put the cruise on and start going up hill.It'll choke a little or hesitate,the the light.It goes off after a while and all is normal again.Throttle body or throttle position sensor maybe??Tune up??What do you all think?( It also happens under normal acceleration without the cruise)
  • jasonlabtecjasonlabtec Member Posts: 1
    I have found the water leak problem for a 2004 Towncar. I had water on the front pax side and rear pax side floor mat area. Both were wet from underneath. I took out both seats and middle console and pulled up the carpet. I was shocked to find pool of water underneath the carpet in the footwells of each Pax front and rear sides. The carpet was soaked a lot deeper then it seemed from the top. The carpet is thick for comfort but also acts like a sponge when water gets inside the frame. Pulled out all carpet and inside is empty down to the frame now. There are drains on the bottom of each foot well in the car (Front has 2 drains each side and rear has one each side. You can pull up the rubber stopper and let water drain out of the car frame. Which I did for the remaining water...

    I then sat inside the car and had my dad run the water from a hose over the car.. nothing from the side or doors.. then the windshield. Nothing from the drivers side but when he hit the pass side. water was pouring in on the pass foot side .. I inspected more and found the water is coming in from the heater vent to the engine block located right next to the windshield.

    Looking inside the hood and taking apart the windshield rain guard. I found the problem. It is the seal around the heater vent. It had lost its adhesive and was not tight. I believe this may possibly be a manufacturer defect and will be calling my local Lincoln dealer to look into further.

    I will update their reply.. which will be out of warranty u are on your own but worth a shot..
  • robkstone1robkstone1 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 1999 Town Car and had the same problem when I purchased it used a few years ago- the water was leaking from the fresh air vent which is located in the engine compartment below the windshield in front of the front passenger- I purchased a new gasket and silicone from the ford dealer, did the repair which didn't take too long and it's never been wet again. The symptoms were the same as yours- wet on the passenger side footwell which eventually makes it way to the back of the car on the same side. I never took out the carpets like you did but I did remove the rubber plugs underneath and aired the car out thoroughly- when I did the repair someone else advised me to use a less permanent type of sealer so that if it leaked again, it could be taken apart again-which is good advice! I couldn't find that stuff so I used the silicone that the Ford dealer recommended.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    edited December 2010
    I had that issue on my 99 and it was water coming thru the firewall at the hood release cable.The issue under the hood on the passenger side by the fresh air vent is a common one with these cars going back to the early 90's.I ripped out my interior as well to dry it out.Once the area around the cable was sealed there were no more leak issues.My current Lincoln,2006,has had no such issues.I just wish they would put more power into these things.The newer versions have other annoying issues like the armrest door that keeps coming off it's hinges or various noises when shutting down.
  • robkstone1robkstone1 Member Posts: 2
    I think Lincoln(Ford) has missed the boat on this- Having rebadged Mazdas isn't the answer to discontinuing the Town Car. It wouldn't take much to give this(the present Town Car) vehicle some updated styling, stiffen the chassis, a 6 spd. automatic transmission to improve the mileage, additional horsepower, some additional luxury features like better carpeting, real wood, independent rear suspension, maybe a hybrid powertrain a la Lexus(since a lot of these vehicles sit in traffic waiting for their paying passengers) and lo and behold you'd have competition for the likes of Rolls Royce, Bentley, Mercedes Benz, BMW & Audi. The europeans are totally dominating this class which America used to be so strong. It's a pity!
  • nobby21nobby21 Member Posts: 1
    I too have the same problem, Only after a while the rain water gets under the "carpet" in the trunk and now smells of old mouldy water and it permeates into the main passenger area. I too get the brush off from Lincoln dealers "Old car, Old problem" I ripped out all the "carpet" and washed it down with Ammonia and then sprayed with Febreze, so, anyway, whats up with that?
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    Here are some ideas to help get rid of residual odor, if you've now gotten the mold/mildew out of the carpet - I wish I could help you figure out where the water's coming in, but you might try our water leaks general discussion.

    To help absorb any remaining interior moisture, leave some charcoal briquettes in the car for a few days

    Tip 1: Buy a carton of baking soda & pour half of it into a small container - a travel mug works well. Anything that won't tip or spill will do the job. Leave it open in your car for a few weeks as you drive around, then throw it away.

    Tip 2: Vinegar removes a wide variety of odors. Soak a rag or piece of bread in vinegar, or just put vinegar into a container that won't spill and leave it open in the car until the smell dissipates. You can accelerate the process:
    1. Put vinegar into an open container and place on the front passenger side floor
    2. Close the car windows and turn the car on with heat full blast, floor vents only
    3. Leave the car/heat running for 30 minutes to 1 hour
    If you leave an open container in your car with windows up on a hot summer's day, you may achieve the same effect.

    Keeping your car smelling fresh:

    - Put a handful of coffee beans into a cloth pouch under one of the seats
    - Keep a fabric softener dryer sheet under each seat
    - Put fresh citrus peels in a container in your car and leave them until they dry out

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  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    edited March 2011
    The leak could be coming from,of all places,the firewall where the hood release cable goes thru.That's where mine was.Another area is behind the glove box where the cabin filter sits.Water gets in under the hood cowl,passenger side.Take that off or look behind the glove box.If it's wet,there you go.Mine was wet and I had water coming in thru the firewall.
  • preacherav1611preacherav1611 Member Posts: 1
    edited November 2011
    On the passenger side, under the hood near the firewall/windshield. All the way to the left side on the plastic assembly that houses the vent intake, there's a water outlet with a rubber flap on the end. That was plugged up with dirt and leaves. Clean it out so the water can drain, else the water fills up and goes into the vent.
  • joew6joew6 Member Posts: 1
    I bought a 2004 towncar. Under the carpet in front floor board,passenger side was full of water. I opened glove box and had my wife to pore water from outside around the cowl. Water was coming from what looked like above heater box, leaking on top of heater box. I sealed underneath the cowl, under the bolts, gaskets, etc. Had wife to pore water the next day, after sealant dried, no leak at the same place. Let car stand out in rain(hard rain) with carpet still pulled back, floor board was not wet. Dried out carpet. Put the carpet back down, drove car for 2 weeks found water in floor board again. Took car to car wash with carpet pulled back, ran through car wash, no water in floor board. Must be small leak somewhere under the rubber backing of firewall that I can't see. Rubber backing seems to get wet under it, but not enought to puddle in floor board. Seems to be on extreme right side corner of rubber padding. Seems wet as far as I can feel up underneath it. No water under the kickplate. I need some expert advice on this. Should I reseal the cowl again? I don't think it is coming from there again. any suggestions
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    You need to check the firewall by the emergency brake,where it comes in from under the hood.My leak was there.Also,under the hood passenger side,you should lift up the vent type grating there and clean out the opening.Water gets in there too.Behind the glovebox,after yoou loosen it and let it hang down,there is a cabin filter.Reach in there and if it's soaked,that's where your water is coming from.I never would have thought to look by the e-brake,but sure enough.I've know about the ;behind the glove box" thing since the 90's though because they had the same issue back then.
  • lovetowncarslovetowncars Member Posts: 3
    Hello all. I have read through this entire thread and I am amazed that Lincoln has not had a recall to address this issue. It seems that the passenger side is the most common leak area.

    I just purchased a 2000 TC with sunroof. There was a terrible leak from the front straight through to the back on the passenger side. The dealership cleared the vents/drains and sealed up the front air intake. For now, the front passenger side is still dry, but I still have water in the rear passenger side. No where near as bad as it was prior to the fix.

    I only saw one mention of the B-pillar possibly being the culprit. I will check that when it stops raining.

    My big question is.... is it possible for the front air vent to be leaking with the water running to the rear passenger without actually getting the front wet? Are there channels under the carpeting and jute that would allow the water to flow to the back of the car without being enough in volume to get the front carpeting wet?

    I am still not able to determine if it is still residual water from prior tot he sealing, or there is still another leak in the car, albeit much smaller.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    edited March 2012
    Here's what I have learned and experienced over the last 30 years of Lincoln Town car driving and ownership.All the leaks I ever experienced came from the vent under the right (passenger side) vent right.Lift up the grating thing there and a couple of screws later you'll see it's all clogged up.It gets in thru the area behind the glove box because there's a pollen filter or some kind of filter back there.You'll see it if you lower the glove box and reach behind it.My 99 had the issue as did my 94 .2 different body styles with the same problem.One other area that was a problem with leaking was,believe it or not,the area where the hood release cable goes thru the firewall.That was a pain to find and fix.It soaked my front and back!!!I didn't think it could leak thru there and it took the body shop a week to find,but there it was!!They sealed it up and it was fine thereafter.I'm on my 2nd 2007 and so far no leak issues.
  • lovetowncarslovetowncars Member Posts: 3
    Thank you for such a prompt response. I have read all of your posts in this thread and I am anxious to get home to check some of the problem areas. I'm hoping it's just residual water that's still spilling to the back, but I have a sinking feeling it is not.

    I had a 94 TC that I drove to nearly 150Kmiles. The air suspension went and I just couldn't see putting more money into it. Damn, if I don't miss that car! Perfect car. No problems ever with it!

    The dealership did blow out the drains and showed me the drain on the front of the firewall. They also siliconed the vent and gaskets and the leak is extremely small now if it is even still there. I'm just perplexed how the back carpet is wet and the front carpet is fine if the leak is still that front vent. Hopefully it stops raining today so I can go out to look at it. I will keep you updated.
  • 99towncarexec99towncarexec Member Posts: 160
    I had to lift the rugs in both front and back and leave them out for a week to clear up the water and dry it out.There are drain plugs in the floor that got rid of a lot of water when I took them out during the time I had the rug out.Water can run to the back of the car with no problem.Not sure why the front wouldn't be wet though.Maybe the channels in the floor.I had regular suspension put in one of my town cars after the air bags went.It was cheaper to fix and rode just as good.
  • lovetowncarslovetowncars Member Posts: 3
    OK, it took a while, but I was finally able to get my car into the shop to have a real mechanic look at it.

    First off, he found what appeared to be a nail hole blasted through the floor in the rear as someone's half-[non-permissible content removed] attempt to solve the water issue. He also found a few more 'man made' holes that were appareantly part of the solution.

    He seam sealed all of the creases around the vents and drains and in the cowling area. He spot welded the holes closed since they didn't belong there in the first place.

    And something very important to note. The dealership said they blew out the drains, but it seems the air conditioner drain was not done. He ran the AC on the car for 2 hours and there was no condensation drip from the AC. He blew out the drain and said that it was clogged and full of (Insert creative word here). He was able to follow the rust stains all the way up into the dash board/firewall area where the AC drain is located. He said the water was coming down under the sound dampening material, staying in the floor channels, flowing to the low point under the passenger seat, and evetually to the lowest point in the rear passenger floor.

    Results: The front carpet was dry. Under the seat was wet. Back floor was almost standing water above the carpet.

    After 2 days of letting the carpet dry out and all of the work he did, I am hopeful it is fixed. I picked it up last night and we have rain all day today. Perfect timing. Hopefully the car is good.

    I hope this journey can help some other owners in their quest. The most important lesson though... make sure you have a mechanic that you can trust. I have been going to mine since I was 16 with every imaginable car failure you can think of. Now I think I am fortunate enough to have found another mechanic I can trust.
  • mikeseamikesea Member Posts: 1
    I found my carpets wet today in my 99 Towncar.Pulled the glovebox,ran a hose .Found the plastic cowling .in passenger side engine compartment was allowing water to enter the screened area .What I did was removed the cowling by removing 2 nuts and the 5 or 6 screws.OH ,also the plastic schoud that his the windshield needs 2 come off 2./There are 2 long body pins holding it in place.What i found was ,the foam seal was totally dried out and gone.I replaced the seal with black poly seam seal.Totally expect to find problem gon.Especially after the hose test confirmed the leak.Good luck.Its an easy job.
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