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Pontiac Bonneville Water Leaks

24

Comments

  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    Hi imaher63,

    I have just removed my door panels today (for the second time) I will attach the detailed instructions on how to do this so it will be easily available in this forum.

    Here is the simple version.
    1) Don't try this without a set of trim removal tools. I bought a set at Harbor Freight for $5 and they work like a charm. Forget about the special tools mentioned below. Just go buy a set of the plastic trim removal tools (they look like various shaped pry bars and miniature crow bars). Don't get the wimpy ones, they will just bend instead of popping out the fasteners.

    2) Start by removing the door handle trim. It is held in with four clips. Pry gently on the top and the top ones will release. There is a tab at the rear edge, so remove the trim plate up and forward. Pull the door handle out to make it easy to remove. Unclip the wire harness and set the piece aside.

    3) Next remove the tweeter trim on the inside of the ORVmirror. Pry from the top. There is a push clip. Then rotate gently out. There are two plastic tabs on the bottom and rear - don't break. Unclip the wire harness and set the pieces aside.

    4) The door panel is held on by a series of push pins surrounding the sides and bottom. These should be popped out with a pry tool, starting from one edge near the bottom, and working slowing around. They have foam washers to prevent rattling. Retain.

    5) After the push pins are popped, the panel should be lifted up and to remove. It is still attached in two places, and these are freed up by lifting. The first is a lip on the top edge that fits over a metal strip on the door inner panel. The second is two clips that provide support for the armrest grip. They slide out of grooves on the door inner by lifting up.

    Disconnect the main wire harness at the blue connection and the panel is free.

    To reassemble:

    1) Remove the two armrest clips from the door trim panel using a needle nose pliers to compress them. Don't squeeze too hard, you gotta use them again. Slip these clips into the brackets mounted on the door inner. (Now they are positioned so you can just press the door panel onto them to secure)

    2) Reattach the main wire harness connection.

    3) Hang the door panel on the top metal strip.

    4) Ensure the clips are all in position on the door trim, and not stuck in the door itself. Two longer clips go on the lower edge and act as the pilot for re installation. Put all the clips into the respective holes before seating any of them. Then position the two armrest clips into their respective holes. Now that everything is lined up, seat all the clips.

    5) Reinstall the tweeter.

    6) Reinstall the door handle trim. Pull the door handle out to allow the trim to seat itself, beginning at the rear.

    What's behind the trim?

    The most McGiver'd waterproofing solution I have ever seen. Water runs down the window channel into the door. There are weep holes along the bottom edge of the door for it to escape. However, there are lots of large openings on the door inner. These are sealed by a large formed piece of polyethylene that is "glued" to the door inner with a band of black mastic. Water obviously runs down the inside face of this polyethylene, because the door inner has several drain holes to allow the water to run back into the door. The mastic is applied so that these drain holes are in low spots. Well, that's the theory. But after several years of baking in the sun, the polyethylene tends to "wave" and the mastic releases (usually in those low spots where the drain holes are located). So, instead of draining back into the door, the water just flows downward, past the lower edge of the door trim and inside of the door weatherstrip. This seems to happen near the trailing edge of the door, and from there it goes under the sill plate, under the carpet, and usually ends up puddling in the rear foot well.

    I said I had removed my door trims twice. The first time I just pressed hard on the polyethylene to try to reseal the mastic. It looked good and I put it back together. Next rainfall I sat in the car and watched two rivulets of water flowing from each of the front doors (my rears don't seem to be leaking). So today off came the panels again, and I am going to get more aggressive with sealing the polyethylene. I got clear RTV silicone at AutoZone. I am going to try to adhere these sheets to the door inner once and for all.

    I got the RTV silicone for a second reason too. I also have water leaks in my trunk. Inspection indicates two areas. 1) There is a small opening in the factory sealing of the sheet metal near the right tail light. This is just a quality problem and a little sealer will take care of it. 2) The tail lights, center reflector bar, spoiler, and a filler plate at the lower edge of the trunk are all attached with bolts that penetrate the trunk compartment. They are sealed with washers that have a mastic on them. Water seems to be coming in from some of these. I thought a dab of silicone on each would stop that.

    Mold: My carpets had some visible mildew so I removed them for cleaning. I have a swimming pool so the first step was to wash and soak them thoroughly in chlorinated pool water ( 5 ppm) This cleaned them up nicely. Then I took Imadol's advice and went looking for Concrobium. I found it at Lowes, It is in a 32 oz spray bottle and consists of 1% Sodium Carbonate and 99% water. Cost $9. I sprayed it on both the upper and lower surfaces of the carpets. Instructions are to let it soak in and dry. No color fading no residue. no mold.

    Rust: My floor was rusty in the rear foot wells and particularly in the battery tray, which seemed to hold the majority of the water. I wanted a simple, and not necessarily perfect cosmetic solution. Turns out there are products that transform rust into a hard black crystaline material that can be painted. One product is called "Rust Doctor" and is available on the internet but only in gallon jugs. My application was much smaller, and I found that hardware stores carry a number of similar products. I bought Permatex Rust Treatment for $8 because it comes in a 10 Oz spray can and I could spray it into some of the seams and openings on the floor. These products need to be covered with a surface coat of non-latex paint to prevent rust from recurring. Rustoleum or equivalent will work fine.

    Here are the detailed instructions for the door trim.

    There are also some drawings that didn't want to copy, so they don't appear below. If you want to see the instructions including the drawings go to: http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=253&p=1301&hilit- =how+to+remove+door+trim#p1301

    Trim Panel Replacement - Side Front Door

    Tools Required
    J 36796 Clip Zip Tool
    J 38778 Door Trim Pad Clip Remover

    Removal Procedure
    Remove the inside door handle bezel. The front inside do
  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    Looks like the detailed instructions didn't all copy. Here they are repeated.

    Trim Panel Replacement - Side Front Door

    Tools Required
    J 36796 Clip Zip Tool
    J 38778 Door Trim Pad Clip Remover

    Removal Procedure
    Remove the inside door handle bezel. The front inside door handle bezel has electrical connectors, the rear does not.

    Insert a flat bladed tool behind the forward upper edge of the door handle bezel.
    Gently pry the upper portion of the bezel away from the door trim panel.

    Pull the bezel forward over the inside door handle.
    Disconnect the electrical connector.

    Remove the upper door trim panel.
    Use the J 38778 in order to release the retainer at the top of the upper door trim panel.
    Lift the upper door trim panel upwards in order to remove.
    Disconnect the wire harness to the tweeter.

    Use the J 36796 in order to release the retainers around the outside edges of the door trim panel. Start at the bottom and work around.

    Starting at the bottom rear of the door trim panel pull inwards, while lifting upwards in order to remove.
    Disconnect the door trim panel wiring harness.

    Remove the armrest pull cup retainers from the inside of the door trim panel.
    Use needle nose pliers to compress the 360 clip.
    Pull the 360 clip out of the nylon nut on the door trim panel.

    Installation Procedure

    Install the 360 clip retainers into the nylon nuts on the inner door panel.
    Connect the door wire harness to the door trim panel wire harness.

    Starting at the bottom, secure the door trim panel around the outside edges with the retainers (2).
    Align the door trim panel to the 360 clip retainers (1).
    Snap the retainers in to secure the center of the door trim panel to the inner door panel.
    Pull on the armrest to assure proper fit.
    Push outwards near the top of the door trim panel in order to snap the top door trim panel retainer into the channel in the window inner belt seal strip.
    Install the inside door handle bezel.

    Connect the electrical connectors, if any, to the inside door handle bezel.
    Guide the inside door handle through the opening in the door handle bezel.
    Snap the door handle bezel into place.
    Work the rubber around and behind both the manual lock knob and the inside door handle.

    Install the upper door trim panel (1).
    Connect the wire harness to the tweeter.
    Insert the tabs into the slots on the door trim panel.
    Insert the retainer into the hole in the door frame.

    Trim Panel Replacement - Side Rear Door

    Tools Required
    J 36796 Clip Zip Tool

    Removal Procedure

    Remove the inside door handle bezel. The front inside door handle bezel has electrical connectors, the rear does not.

    Insert a flat bladed tool behind the forward upper edge of the door handle bezel.
    Gently pry the upper portion of the bezel away from the door trim panel.

    Pull the bezel forward over the inside door handle.
    Disconnect the electrical connector.

    Use the J 36796 in order to release the retainers around the outside edges of the door trim panel.

    Rock the door trim panel (1) upwards, starting at the rear, while lifting upwards to remove.
    Disconnect the door trim panel wiring harness.

    Remove the armrest pull cup retainers from the inside of the door trim panel.
    Use needle nose pliers to compress the 360 clip.
    Pull the 360 clip out of the nylon nut on the door trim panel.

    Installation Procedure

    Install the 360 clip to the nylon nuts on the inner door panel by sliding the 360 clip down into the grooves in the nylon nuts.
    Connect the trim panel electrical connector to the door wiring harness connector.

    Starting at the bottom, secure the door trim panel around the outside edges with the retainers (2).
    Align the door trim panel to the armrest pull cup retainers (1).
    Snap the retainers in to secure the center of the door trim panel to the inner door panel.
    Pull on the armrest to assure proper fit.
    Push outwards near the top of the door trim panel in order to snap the top door trim panel retainer into the channel in the window inner belt seal strip.
    Install the inside door handle bezel.

    Connect the electrical connectors, if any, to the inside door handle bezel.
    Guide the inside door handle through the opening in the door handle bezel.
    Snap the door handle bezel into place.
    Work the rubber around and behind both the manual lock knob and the inside door handle.

    Install the upper door trim panel (1).
    Connect the wire harness to the tweeter.
    Insert the tabs into the slots on the door trim panel.
    Insert the retainer into the hole in the door frame.
  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    ive read up on the common water leaks with these cars and i dont think any of those apply. this is on my moms car its a 01 bonneville. she had water standing in the floor so i stop by take a look, pass side is standing in water. so i start looking around all the molding seems good but sprayed down all the windows and doors just in case, which hasnt even rained here since i can remember anyways, the car doesnt have a sunroof so thats out, so i start the car and run the a/c pull the carpet back and suck out all the water and dont see any signs of a leak. the car was facing down hill, turn the car around facing up hill with car running, a/c on it started pouring water in the floor, but doenst seem to be coolant feels like straight water. i was thinking condensation from HVAC box under dash, but i dont think there would be that much condensation. i am supposed to take a better look at it this weekend, so any help is great. also when the car was running it was a steady drip in the floor cut the car off and it started pouring out. this cant be an outside water leak as i said its been very dry here and my dad keeps sucking the water out of the floor but its keeps coming back.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Is the drain line for the evaporator inside the AC open? You'll have to get under the car to look up from below to find it. Run a piece of string trimmer line up into it.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    i dont know yet, like i said im going to take a look at it this weekend i just stopped by the other night and wasnt in crawling around on the ground clothes. thats all i could figure is the line is stopped up, but i just found it hard to believe there is that much condensation coming out of it. plus she said she hasnt been running the air since i told her not to and its still there but i think she has been cause i cant imagine my mom riding around without a/c. thats unheard of, lol. i just wanted to see if any had this problem before i didnt want to get into it and have to take the box out for some reason.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I believe you'll need jackstands to support the car up a little to allow room to crawl under to find the outlet. But if the water doesn't smell like antifreeze, that's a good thing.

    You'll want to try to suck the water out of the carpet and the underlayment with a good shop vacuum. Some people take out the carpet to get it dried. You might try a mold preventative treatment that they're marketing at home depot and lowes in the paint department. Corundum or something like that. It's an enzyme using a carbonate salt as a carrier to hold it after it dries in place. Another is sporiclean at killmoldfast.com I think is the site.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    yes i know ill need jackstands. im not a complete idiot lol. never messed with a pontiac just wanted to see if anyone ran into this or any other suggestions before i work on it. ill check into that mold stuff though im sure her car needs it, since she waited about a month to say anything, and another month has gone by and she is just now going to bring it over. but my dad has been sucking the water out of the floor from time to time, so well see i may just go ahead and take it out and clean it.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Let us know when you open the drain for the AC and if that was the problem...

    I was hoping everyone knows to use jackstands for crawling under... but I don't want to have someone find out the hard way.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • jroberts4jroberts4 Member Posts: 3
    it is toward the inside of the carpet
  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    Just wanted to post that my problems are solved. I removed the front door trims and found the polyethylene liners inside to be warped and un-stuck from the mastic. I re-seated them and sealed up the entire lower portion with clear silicone. It works. I used the same clear silicone in the trunk. Found that several of the attaching nuts/combo washers that hold on the spoiler, center reflector and a filler panel at the top edge of the bumper cover had loosened over time. They have a mastic gasket that had dried out. I removed the mastic, made a silicone gasket and re-seated them. No more leaks. It's all going back together today. Hurray.
  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    Seems like a lot of water for the AC - but not many other internal sources. No rain either. How about car wash - does mom like a squeeky clean car? If that's not the source, does mom have a very big dog? :)
  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    haha no mom doesnt have a big dog, no dog could piss that much haha. and no she doesnt wash her car. yea it does seem like too much water for a/c but i guess well see. i feel pretty sure its the drain though. like i was saying when we cut the car off the poured out a lot of water. but as stated its not coolant so.....yea ill definetly let yall know what happens with it, if she has time shes gonna bring it by tonight if not i guess itll be tomorrow. it was nice to find a website where people will help you think on things and talk with you like a normal person. im a huge car fan so i am on all kinds of other forums, and its hard to find anyone that ever replies unless its some dumb comment that has nothing to do with anything you posted. so i appreciate it guys and ill let ya know what i find.
  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    aight guys....well i got under the car, found the drain stopped up, just gave it a squeeze and it drained out water for over an hour. then pulled the drain off, to find all kinds of dirt stuck in it. and this drain is a 90 degree elbow and on the outlet has 2 flaps so its kinda closed but open enough for water to get out. which also keeps road dirt from collecting inside it when water is dripping out. well i was wondering how that much gunk got inside there then i pop the hood and check and guess what....no cabin air filter. i guess someone took it out somewhere my mom gets her oil changed at and never put it back, i dunno. so cleaned drain put in cabin filter, then came the fun of cleaning out water. removed trim panels seat pull up carpet. keep in mind my dad had been sucking water out already for the past 2 months, and i bet i sucked out close to 5 gallons. there was so much foam padding under carpet that it was hard to get it all out in an afternoons time, but i got it about the best i could, and mom needed her car back so....really needed to be set out in sun for a few days but mom cant ride around without carpet. lol all the wiring still looked ok, and scrubbed the carpet with some cleaner but the rest is just gonna have to dry out on its own now. but i dont imagine most of yall would have to worry about this problem since i believe it was due mostly to filter missing, just make sure if you take your car somewhere to get the oil changed that they put it back in.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Glad to hear that your problem was only the drain. At least there's light at the end of the tunnel.

    As for dryiing things... if you park the car in a garage, consider using a small fan left on blowing through the car. Leaving the doors open won't keep the cabin lights on if the car has auto power off feature. The moving air will help take out moisture. Or if they park outside, leave the windows open even an inch or so especially on days where there's a breeze through the car.

    As for the cabin filter, I assume it has the frame in place so you know there was one there from the factory.

    In 03 the cabin filter was dropped as a factory part. So those cars had people thinking there was a cabin filter in place when there really wasn't. I had to purchase a filter with the plastic skeleton frame and snap it all into place. It was several thousand miles after I bought it when I checked the opening where the filter goes.

    The quick change places do lots of things wrong and charge for parts they don't put in. They probably charged for the filter but didn't put one in. A mechanic friend of mine who owned an Astro van with a very difficult to change air filter told about a friend of his who took the car to a quick change place years ago and they regularly changed the filter. My friend asked how long it took them, and the 2nd person said they were in and out in a short time.

    My mechanic friend told him to ask for the old filter back the next time they changed it. It took them an hour for the oil change this time. The mechanic came out with the air filter looking tired and sweaty. Working above a tight, hot motor does that to you.

    The filter they took out was the ORIGINAL GM filter installed at the factory--all blocked with filtrate. After showing the filter to my mechanic friend, the 2nd friend returned to the quick change, talked to the manager, and got oil changes for life on the van due to the rip-off they had perpetrated on him charging for a new air filter every 2nd oil change or so!!!

    Check for receipts for the filter replacement if your mom kept them--(she should keep every receipt).

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    yea i dont mom still has reciepts but ill check. thats interesting about the filters, it may have not had one i dunno in that case. it didnt have a plastic tray to sit in, i reffrecened a book but i couldnt find anything in it. went ahead and got a filter but the way it was made it kinda folded on one side a little to match the shape of the cowl. so i just stuck it in there for now. where can i get the factory peice to retain it?
  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    I just replaced my 02 cabin filter with one I bought at Advance. It didn't have any loose parts, just the filter. It folds at about 1/3 - 2/3 to form an L shape. The bigger piece goes horizontal into the opening, and the smaller piece fits down the front of the opening. There are guides on the sides of the opening to support the filter. If yours went in ok as described and seated against the guides, you shouldn't need any additional parts. :)
  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    I have been depending upon mother nature to do my leak testing for me. After my last post, a huge tropical rainstorm occurred and no leaks at all. I was just about to throw the interior back into the car when a friend suggested that I give it one more test. I blasted every opening I could imagine directly with the water hose. Result: four more leaks. Both rear doors leaked at the polyethylene liner (sealed with silicone), the trunk weatherstrip leaked along the lower edge (glue holding it to metal had released (reset with silicone), the trunk latch hold down leaked (two bolts pass through body behind rear bumper - a genuine bit.. to get a wrench on, more silicone) and there was a leak coming from the vicinity of the rear window glass (you can touch it by putting your hand up under the metal in the trunk - more silicone). I really hope this is it. I'm finished. :surprise:
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    There's a frame or skeleton into which the filter is pushed. Yours may already have the frame.

    image

    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • midnightcamaromidnightcamaro Member Posts: 7
    yea moms car didnt have that peice i did like the other dude just stuck it in there. i assume the plastic piece is a dealer item?
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Dealer item?

    The companies offer a filter with the frame. Some people buy a Fram; their frame looks different and the filters are available with charcoal layer. I bought an AC at the dealer at the time in 03. It was easier to just buy it there and pay extra rather than screw around trying to find it cheaper somewhere else.

    On rockauto.com for 2003 I see a Wix filter with frame for $15. I see a fram which looks like it has the frame? for $30.

    Do website shoppiing on the parts store chains or ask at your local, quality parts store. I did that while shopping for Made in USA brake rotors for rear. The guy smiled, said they keep getting in some that USA on the box, and gave me Raybestos equivalents which were perfect for about the same price the parts store chains charged for noname Chinese.

    Local parts store deserve respect--ny opinion.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • tonysmomtonysmom Member Posts: 1
    In 2005 I inherited my fathers 2001 Bonneville (which he bought brand new and kept in his garage when not driven). It had less than 19000 miles; practically a brand new car! I want to keep the car because it was my dad's but I am sorely disappointed with GM and the problems I've had with this car.
    At 25,025 miles, the transmission took a dump and cost me over $3,000 to replace it because it was not repairable and I did not transfer the warranty when I inherited the car.
    Within a couple of months of the transmission replacement I noticed a sour-musty smell in the car and upon investigation found the carpeting on the front and rear passenger side to be soaked with water as well at least an inch of water in the spare tire compartment. I spent over $1,000 to have all of the window and trunk gaskets replaced and it still leaks water.
    I've had to have the heater/AC blower motor replaced...$400+.
    I've had to have the window motors to both rear doors replaced, even though they were rarely used... another $400.
    The paint is coming off on the lower areas between the back doors and the wheel wells.
    The passenger seat heater quit working, likely due to the water leak causing a short in the electrical system.
    The rear air suspension stabilizer motor is the new problem that I now have to have repaired.
    ARE THERE OTHER BONNEVILLE OWNERS THAT HAVE HAD THESE PROBLEMS? IS THERE A RECALL FOR ANY OF THESE PROBLEMS?
  • iamcluelessiamclueless Member Posts: 3
    About 6 mo ago I bought a 2001 bonneville, every since then I have had a terrible vibration in the front end, the tires have been checked and balanced and rotated, the car now has new axles on the front and still it vibrates. It seems not to be as bad if the tires are not low, but when they are as they seem to loose air, then its terrible. Noone seems to be able to solve this issue.
    Also when it rains and I raise the trunk there is a stream of water that appears to come out of the right side of the trunk lid, maybe from the spoiler? The seals around the trunk seem to be fine and it dont leak there. Any ideas? :confuse:
  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    My car is an 02 SSEi with 17 inch chrome wheels. I have both the problems you describe.

    Water pouring into trunk - The reflective plastic trim across the rear of the trunk lid exterior catches and holds water. When you elevate the lid, it pours out of the side of the trim and spills into the trunk. Problem: weak design. Solution: 1) Raise lid slowly and allow the trim to drain before opening fully, or 2) Don't open trunk for 24 hours after a rainstorm, or 3) remove the trim piece, inspect it for possible leak areas, seal and replace. Put silicone caulk around the washer-nuts holding trim piece on to trunk lid, on inside of trunk or else they will start leaking in future. (I haven't been ambitious enough to undertake 3 - 1 and 2 work fine for me.)

    Vibration: I have to force balance my wheels every 4 thousand miles or so. Road Force balancing is superior to ordinary dynamic balancing, and only some tire shops have the equipment. Inquire about Road Force Balance at your tire store. (see Hunter GSP9700 Wheel Vibration Control System at www.gsp9700.com/ ) The original Goodyear Eagles were very bad for vibration. Michelins are proving much better. The suspension is extremely sensitive to balance. Don't accept that "it is within allowed specs." That may be ok for some cars, but just isn't good enough for the Bonneville - it's just too sensitive. You are paying about $20-$25 per wheel for the force balancing. Get the wheel weighted so it is dead calm. This will probably mean deflating and spinning the tire on the rim to find a more suitable relationship (both rim and tire have heavy spots - if they mount the tire so these are opposing, much of the balance problem is already solved before adding weights). They don't like to do this unless you insist. Participate in the process and watch the readout. Don't allow them to use heavy weights to offset mounting orientation problems. After a proper force balance, the car runs smooth as glass (for a few thousand miles). :)
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    The GSP9700 must have different tolerance settings. My service manager t the Buick dealer told me they set it to the most sensitive setting. The tires and wheels should be below 10-12 in amount of force they are exerting due to different crush amounts. Michelins help.

    The Pontiacs had different bushings or something because there were different fixes on the TSBs for Bonnevilles than leSabers and ParkAves and SLS's. During the new years for these cars, the tires sent from GM to troubleshoot the vibration had to have 19 or less. But that's still feelable.

    BUT if you have quality tires such as Michelins ( Symmetrys came on my car and on SLS's at the time in 03) and I have replaced with Harmony tires which have done well, then the last thing is a top quality alignment. Not one at a shop with a guy who does all cars, but take it to a long-standing Buick, Pontiac, or Cadillac dealer where they have someone who was around during 02-03 where they troubleshot this problem. Align front and rear to the exact settings. When my car was new the rear toe was off slightly causing a bit of the vibration at 65--it was slight but I'm used to NO vibration because I have usually ahd Michelin tires and good balancing. I could feel it on a newly blacktopped interstate but only when accelerating slightly on upgrade; it disappeared on the other side on slight downgrade where there was less torque. I thought it would be the fronts varying due to bushing movement due to the torque pulling the car; it was the rear settings.

    Llike I said, find someone who has been around a while with a tech who knows how to use the RoadForce balancer to the top finest setting.

    I had my replacement Michelins which were good enough without RoadForce at first done at a branch of local tire store where I bought them and they have been almost perfect. The local store didn't use RoadForce but another one of their stores does. So I went there for the rebalance with RoadForce after a quality problem at the local store.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • shanemc2shanemc2 Member Posts: 2
    I know many of you have this same problem and mine just started last week while I was on vacation...came home to a wet driver's side rear floor. Today, it's raining and I noticed that the floor was wet again. Upon a quick investigation, I noticed that water was running down the Driver's front door somewhere and trickling in right at the point that the grooved plate and the trim meet about mid-way across the door jam. Anyone have a good idea to fix this problem?
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    If it's coming in behind the door panel on the inside of the door with the armrest and all, but over the metal when you go to the bottom of the door panel, your inner liner for the door is unsealed. It's glued to the metal with a mastic caulk that keeps the water from draining out from the plastic inner liner and makes the water go into the openings that feed it back inside the door metal. Then the water drains at the bottom of the door through the usual drain holes but hits so it goes outside the car.

    I'll email you a pictorial of this to your carspace email. Go to MyCarspace in the upper left corner and click on that. Your MyCarspace page has email capability.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • kts0347kts0347 Member Posts: 44
    Shane,
    You have a common problem that has been described by Imidazol97 above. Pull the door panel off and under it you will find a polyethelene molded sheet that is designed to keep water that runs into the window channel out of the car. Unfortunately, it is adhered to the sheetmetal with mastic, that over the years ends up releasing, and water runs right past it, and into the car, soaking the carpet. The solution is to re-adhere the polyethelene sheet. There are numerous discussions on this problem, earlier in this particular forum (check entries in the 30's and 40's) and lots of clear directions how to fix it. One suggestion - go to an automotive supply store or tool store (I went to Harbor Freight) and buy a cheap set of trim removal tools. That will really help you get the door panel off. And, pry carefully. If you break any of the clips, you can buy replacements at the Pontiac dealer, but they are about $3 each, and there are nine or ten on each door.
    Also, needle nose pliers work well to get the grab handle clips off. When you remove the panel, they will remain in the panel. You need to remove them by compressing them and then reinstall them in the plastic holder on the door inner, before reinstalling the door panel.

    You will end up with a dry car. One last hint - you will be shocked how much water is absorbed in your carpet before you notice it. Hopefully yours won't smell. If it does, that's a bigger job to remove and get it mildew-free.

    Have a dry day. :shades:

    Keith
  • shanemc2shanemc2 Member Posts: 2
    Thanks a lot guys! I'll get right on this!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Did you get the email with a link in carspace.com?

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • hodgee53115hodgee53115 Member Posts: 2
  • hodgee53115hodgee53115 Member Posts: 2
    can you send me the pic for the fix thanks
  • rocky74rocky74 Member Posts: 15
    Could somebody please send me the fix or the link or whatever also? Thanks.
  • lahu417lahu417 Member Posts: 1
    hi, 03 pontiac bonneville, i have water leaking in from driver's side door, making its way to the back seat area and leaving a puddle of water in the back seat. now passenger side is starting to leak too. please help, I cant take it anymore!
  • pontiachepontiache Member Posts: 6
    After reading through the post's it all started to make sense. I have replaced all 4 regulators on the windows of the car (another) fine design flaw. After re-assembling the door panels it didn't dawn on me that the water panels needed a new dose of sealant. It's been a rainy fall in the Chicago area and winter is right around the corner. The moisture inside the car is bad. Sucked out as much as I could but my windows are all fogged up every morning. Can't imagine what it will be like when it's frost. Removing the panels should be a snap now that I am a pro at it. I'm pretty sure the carpeting and padding need to be remove to make the car habitable again. Any suggestions on best place to get new carpet ? Now it's on to my next Pontiache issue...Drivers window is the only one that works. Any suggestions ? Thanks again for all the tips. Pontiache
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Are you sure it's coming in the door? Do you see water running out from under the inner panel on the painted metal at the bottom of door and dripping on the door seal?

    Or do you have a sunroof and the drain tube that goes down the windshield pillar and through the floor by the emergency brake has disconnected?

    If it's the door it's the inner plastic layer that should be caulked with a butyl caulk and shaped to direct water into three V-s and the drain holes back toward the outside of the door and out the drains on the bottom that are OUTSIDE the rubber seals around the entire door. I have pictures if you use your carspace email (upper left corner of this page in green striped area--it says My Carspace. I can send to your carspace email.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    People dry out their old carpet. It's best to remove from car (remove front seats) and then you remove the rubbery undercarpet. Hang them on clothesline on sunny day... It's that underlayer that's hardest to get dried without taking out of car.

    You don't say what year car you have. Some people have found when driver's door module can't communicate with the other three doors on the network it's a connection in the line between the 4 that joins under the driver's front seat. The connection corrodes on cars with water hanging around under there (sounds like yours at least now) and the networking from the driver module doesn't get to the other doors. Do the power door locks work on the other doors from the driver's door? I'm not sure if that's also networked, but the window problem has been found to be a simple corroded connection by a few people. Pull the carpet back and try to find the line under or among the power seat rails.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • pontiachepontiache Member Posts: 6
    Yea, now it makes sense. The wet carpeting and underlayment. The passenger and both rears do not work from their individual switches and do not work from the drivers door module. Will check the connection under the seat. Also; thanks for the heads up on the drain tubes issue. We'll check those out as well. Pontiache
  • ler29thler29th Member Posts: 1
    I'm going through a lot of the leak issues with my 03 also. Supposed to have been fixed under warranty several years ago. Remember, the battery cavity under the rear seat fills with water from the passenger side and can overflow into the drivers side on turns as well as run back out under the carpet on the passenger side. My leak is not through the doors but comes in through the front. All I have to do is run water down the windshield to have it flow onto the floor in the right front.

    Any ideas here?
  • rh_24571rh_24571 Member Posts: 1
    I have noticed this is a common thread but I am a newbie and need help. I have a 2001 with a sunroof and have water leaking into the passenger side. It started a couple months ago. The car will leak when it sits but not all the time. It leaked yesterday in the parking lot but not in my drive last nigh (I vacuumed the water out last night). I checked it and no water this morning. I left for work (35 minutes drive) in the pouring rain and when I got to work the rear floor was full of water. Almost 1/2 inch on top of the carpet. I have checked the doors and under the dash for leaks and found them dry. I did notice my trunk carpet was wet this morning also.

    Any ideas of where else to check. Need some serious help with this one. :confuse:
  • ceescarceescar Member Posts: 1
    No sunroof, wife's car, please send pics for the fix
  • rmgoat78rmgoat78 Member Posts: 1
    Hi imidazol97,
    Can you also send me the guide for drainage repairs?
    - 2000 Bonneville
    - No sunroof

    I noticed water on driver's front floor. I pulled up the carpet in the front only to find that it was wet under the seat and on the floor near the rear seat. Again, only on the driver's side. I have removed the seat and am drying the carpet out. But I haven't found the source of the water yet.

    Is the A/C drain tube in the firewall on the Passenger side or Driver side?
    Could water going into the cowl find its way into the cabin somehow?

    I also noticed that most of the weep holes in the rubber seal around door openings (not on door itself) were not punched completely during manufacturing. I had to use tweezers to remove excess rubber from weep holes.

    Tonight, I will check to see if water is coming in through the door. Perhaps, I need to caulk....

    Thanks!
  • rocky74rocky74 Member Posts: 15
    I have the same problem in my 1997 Bonneville. Could someone please send me the fix as well? Thanks.
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    I sent data to your carspace.com email account.
    Go to the top of this page and in the light green bar under the Home in the dark green bar is a link, My Carspace. That is your carspace page which includes and email account. The email address in the account is your username, xxxx@carspace.com
    Some may not receive email from outside Edmunds Carspace. But it works sending emails within Edmunds.

    Good luck

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • rocky74rocky74 Member Posts: 15
    I just checked my Edmunds email account, and there wasn't anything in it. Could you please try again? Or I could just give you my email address and you could send there? Let me know. Thanks!
  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,132
    Click on my user name in a post I've made and you'll see an email address listed.

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • worm1965worm1965 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 96 also, I have had a water problem on and off. I found my answer myself. it may be coming from under the windsheild wiper area. take the wipers off and remove the screen cover, there is a air intake channel about 8 inches x 4 inches under a plastic sheild. I had to modify the sheild. and i also bilt up a lip around the channel with calk (quad). its for exterior siding. I havent had any water problems after i did this modification.
  • rocky74rocky74 Member Posts: 15
    Interesting. Was it coming in on just the driver's side or both? I'll have to have somebody take a look at that.

    I have water coming in on the driver's side, pooling in the back, and the dealer wanted $600 to replace the rubber around both doors. I'm not convinced that's the issue, although the doors do leak. So now I have a few things to look at. Wish I had a someone handy with these things so I don't have to rely on the dealer or service station.
  • worm1965worm1965 Member Posts: 3
    It was mostly on drivers side, but it came on passenger also. the water damage caused a couple of other problems. (electical). It had corrioded ground wires under carpet. on the drivers side next to the rocker panel. My car wanted to stall out, windows would stop, seats would stop, and the air bag light came on and stayed on. now I have a bad air bag module. I also have issues with my dash cluster. all caused from water. It didnt happen over night.....it was caused from leaking for about ten years.
    PS. drill a couple of small holes in floor front and back. this will allow the water to stop building up.
  • rocky74rocky74 Member Posts: 15
    Wow -- I had the same thing. The car stalled out on me about a month ago, and it was due to corroded wires under the carpet. Cost me almost $400 to have that fixed. Replacing the wires also took care of the one rear window that wouldn't go down, but the car still gets wet, and lately my airbag light comes on, too. Does that mean that the airbag won't work?

    I'm not sure I want to drill holes in the floor -- isn't there a safety hazard with that?

    I'm not really handy with cars, so I have to figure out who I can take this to. Thanks.
  • worm1965worm1965 Member Posts: 3
    I was told that my air bags wont deploy. Drilling the small holes wouldnt be a safty hazard. all cars come with flood plugs under the carpet and rubber sound deadener. the plugs pop out to drain heavy water. I just drilled a couple small holes where the water built up the most. a couple of 1/8 of a inch size holes. the air bag module would cost over $400.00. I am not getting it replaced. the car is very nice, however I cant keep sticking a ton of money in it.
    PS. look for a auto electric garage, and see what they recommend. I hope all info was helpfull, Good luck. John.
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