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Chrysler Sebring Water Leaks

13

Comments

  • draw2draw2 Member Posts: 1
    I saw a question about Identifying the drain slits. Can anyone suggest a site?
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    Start with opening the door and on the underside pull the rubber seal away from the door. It could be stuck there are drain holes all along the door so be sure to clean all the gunk off the back of the rubber seal or it will stick to the door frame again. (the rubber seal is held on by little pop pin about every 6 inches under the door so be careful and do not damage them but the rubber seal is not glued on) I found that mine was stuck to the door sealing the holes off so the water filled the door and also when the door is closed water would seep over the top of both seals (one on the door and one on the frame of the car) and right into the passenger side. This is more common with the passenger side since the driver side is opened more often!
    Also along the frame there is a seam the drain slots are inside of the seam use a pocket knife to clean them out. On my 2005 there is also a rubber flapper door under the car near the rear wheels (Below the door) just behind the seam. You can reach in and pull junk like leaves etc. out of it to keep the back of the car from flooding. I also found one in the front just behind the front wheels only its much smaller.
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    also put the top down straighten a metal clothes hanger out and make a loop at one end (tiny one) so that its not sharp along the rubber seals that run along the out side of the front window there are drains (where the roof meets the window) gently push the hanger into both of them, it will exit where the fender and door meet, that will help keep them both clean , look close cause one it right ontop of the other. make sure you do it to the passenger and driver side
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    I have put up a little site with photos of the drain slits, the drain plugs and the flapper door to clean junk out I have also put up photos of fthe drains on the bottom of the door that causes the water fall effect when you open the door.

    here is the link:

    http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    I have put up a little site with photos of the drain slits, the drain plugs and the flapper door to clean junk out I have also put up photos of fthe drains on the bottom of the door that causes the water fall effect when you open the door.

    here is the link:

    http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    There are drain holes (slits) behind the rubber strip on the bottom of the door as well as under the body! (Also a flapper door on each side of the car plus 2 drain plugs on each side front and back.
  • criedi1criedi1 Member Posts: 2
    Could you give me more info and updated info on your leak issue. We have had a great deal of rain, and I am having the leak in the back seat foot well of my drivers side. You mentioned a clogged drain hole. How would I get to this drain to clear it?
  • criedi1criedi1 Member Posts: 2
    This is good to know. How do I get to the rocker panels? I'm guessing if I look in my manuel I will find it, but I would appreciate any info you can give me.
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    Go here, and look at the photos it will show you where the flapperr door, plugs, door slot, rocker slots are. I will post pictures also of cleaning the fire wall vents under the wipers.
    http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/sebringdrainslots.htm
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    Go here, and look at the photos it will show you where the flapperr door, plugs, door slot, rocker slots are. I will post pictures also of cleaning the fire wall vents under the wipers. The manual is usless and so is the dealers.
    http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/sebringdrainslots.htm
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    I have to re do the sit the photos are not showing correctly
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    :blush: Site is back up with larger pictures. Remove the rear drain plug to see if the well is full, check all of the pictures I put online that show your exactly where the drains are. I also took a picture of how the water gets in the car from the rocker pannel! Also make sure your windows seal and there is no gap between the rear and front window! ;)
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    :blush: :shades:
    May help to give the URL
    http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/
  • dymonddymond Member Posts: 4
    Got the same problem with my newly bought 2001 sebring coupe, after reading your post, because i also have water on my drivers floor, and my washers do not work. I discover that i was also missing this splitter and the hoses from the washer sprayer under the hood were just hanging there unconnected?? STRANGE so now i will try to fix this problem next, i also have a little water in my trunk in the spare tire well.
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    On the trunk leak, check all of the seals to make sure that none are cracked, also check around the tail lights it is very common for them to leak in almost all cars as they get older.
  • dymonddymond Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2010
    Would you happen to know where this drain hose is located -im having the same problem with mine.? everyday there it is wet? it does leek outside by it must also drain inside. Mine is a 01 sebring coupe 2dr. LXI
    thank you in advance.
  • dymonddymond Member Posts: 4
    edited June 2010
    Im trying to find the drain hose with is apparently leaking from the A/C into the car also. Can anyone please tell me where this is located? I have a 01-Sebring coupe 2dr
  • dymonddymond Member Posts: 4
    Did you ever find where the drains are? i have the same problem in 01-sebring coupe 2dr.
  • jartx75063jartx75063 Member Posts: 1
    If anyone figures out how to get to the "kink" in the A/C hose, please post. I, too, have a 2001 LXI - Cpe that is doing this.
  • cricket496cricket496 Member Posts: 4
    I am so glad I found these posts. Bought a 98 Sebring Convertible a couple of weeks ago. We have had rain during that time but nothing like the flood I was in last night. Got home looked in the back passenger floorboard and it had about 3 inches of water in it. I was so upset! Then the speakers started popping and I turned the stereo off, but the popping noise kept on then all the stereo lighting went off and now it wont even come back on. My husband seems to think this is a fuse, but I'm worried about an electrical short to the speakers and the stereo. Has anyone else had this happen also?
  • schaferjbschaferjb Member Posts: 2
    Great work and info/pictures on your website. My water leak is AC related. Twice now, I have had to lift the carpet and soak up all the water. After the first time, I took it to a Chrysler dealer and they said my evaporator drain line "must be clogged up." They "blew out the line" from under the car and said they ran the air for awhile and saw that the water was draining properly. I put the car all back together and was able to use the AC for a week. Yesterday I ran the AC and the passenger side filled with water again. I am currently in the process of drying out my car for the second time. Obviously the dealer did not fix my problem. Is my evaporator the problem???? The AC cranks out cold air (to the point your freezing). Is there something I can do or check. I am not to interested in giving it back to the dealer.
  • kaycankaycan Member Posts: 2
    Cricket,

    OMG that is what happen to me... (speakers, hissing popping) then smoke coming from what looked like the dash but not sure. We had heavy rains here in Illinois last night and this morning. I have had the flooding problem for abt 2 years, but last year I found the rubber plug holes (rear wheel panel), and that seemed to have held off heavy water leakage into the car. I have a '99 Sebring Convertible JXI and the flooding started happening about 2 years ago... I once found some slits under the car, I jammed a wire hanger in it, but it really didnt do much to stop the flooding. but from what I am seeing (as now more and more ppl are having the same issue)... I see that there are probably more than 1 slit and more than 1 plug. My radio is shot.

    I took it to my mechanic had him take the radio fuse out, for now to stop the popping and hiss ( I was scared I was gonna get electrocuted)... My electronic door locks no longer work and I hope those are my only problem. I have to wait until it "dries" out before my mechanic can tell if I have futher electric damage... I LOVE this car... and dont want to replace it... Im going to have the carpet replace as well as the radio, new wiring to new speakers.... I just hope it wont hurt my wallet too bad. I dont want to by a new car. Oh, the amp (passenger side) was siiting in about an inch or 2 of water this morning...The driver side was soaked, but not flooded... Im going to see if I can pull up the rubber railing thingys and put a coat hanger down in the rear qtr panels to see if that will loosen up any debris that is clogging the drain holes....
  • smallblockfansmallblockfan Member Posts: 1
    My 2001 Sebring Coupe AC started having intermittent operating problems about 3 years ago - seemed to be related to humidity, but would frequently start operating after a brief engine shutdown, AC repair shop said it was a sensor integral to the compressor ($900) and recommended I drive until it got so bad I couldn't stand it. Recently found water puddling in front of drivers seat, but could not locate source after ripping up floor mats. Also could not find AC drain even with car on jack stands. Local mechanic identified drain as passing through the firewall just above and to the right of the gas pedal, he said that it came out just behind the steering rack with about 1/4 inch clearance - no room for a drain tube. He blew out the drain and sealed (at least tried) the tube to the firewall with silicon. Both problems have been fixed. I suspect that water accumulating under the evaporator because of the clogged drain was causing an error reading on the AC instrumentation kicking it out.
  • jopeckjopeck Member Posts: 2
    I have a '97 JX convertible and every time it rains, water is getting into the frame on the passenger side. There is no water in the car at all, but I can hear the water sloshing around in the frame. I've had small holes drilled to help drain it out, but the mystery is where its getting in. Any suggestions?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Must be a convertible top drain somewhere. Most converts have them but I'm not familiar enough with your car. Anyway, it's possible the drain leaks internally as it passes water to the ground.
  • pete120pete120 Member Posts: 1
    I noticed all of the inside water leaking / pooling mentioned in the Sebring Convertible Posts. I wondered how everyone felt about the long term advisability of running my new Sebring Convertible through an automated carwash in the fall / winter months ??
  • ydasilvaydasilva Member Posts: 2
    edited September 2010
    We had a large amount of rain fall in the DC area this morning (3-4 inches overnight). Now I have about 1 inch of water pooled behind the driver's seat. I called the dealership right away & they said they have a guy that comes out every Wednesday just for this kind of issue. That makes me think that they know about this problem & wait until someone complains before they do anything about it. I don't know if my warranty will cover this. I've had this car for 14 months without any problems. Of course, this is the first BIG rainstorm it's been in. I guess all that snow last year didn't count. Oh yes, this is the first car I've ever had that has a sunroof. Maybe that's where the problem lies.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Clogged sunroof drains are a suspect, as are clogged drains for the fresh air vents under your wiper blades. Other less likely but possible areas are the outside mirror mounting seal, and the windshield, of course.
  • silverstreak5silverstreak5 Member Posts: 2
    When it rains My front passenger floor is soaked in water , about twoto three inches. There seems to be a few drops of water on the inside of the car next to the dashboard paneling that meets with the door. Is it the drains on the door or under the seal on the door , roof area or even the windshield? The water is no where else. PLease help......also, does anyone think it would be covered through my dealership warrenty? : :(
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    If you could get under the dash a bit and see if you see water running down the firewall---that would tip you off to a fresh air vent drain being clogged...usually roof drain leaks don't enter that way, and windshield leaks...well...maybe but generally they are in the corners of the windshield.
  • mopar70mopar70 Member Posts: 1
    I to have this water leak in my 1996 Convertible Sebring. I hear a swishing of water in a tank that seems to not be emptying out. The back floor floods deeply and then it swishes up to the front floors. I will be taking it in to the Chrysler shop in town to see if they can clean the drain holes unless someone knows where the holes to clean out are? They had told me there is a drain pan that must not be emptying out. The person we purchased this from did not tell us that he had had any of these problems. Now I wonder?
  • ydasilvaydasilva Member Posts: 2
    My 2009 Sebring has a sunroof. As I described water kept pooling up on back seat's floor. I took it to the dealer & they fixed it without charge. They said it was under warranty. It was a drainage tube that was blocked up.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You might try lining the trunk with newspaper, then closing it and washing the tail lights with water. Tail light gaskets are a very common source of water entry from the rear of the car. These are the gaskets that mate the entire tail light assembly to the body, not the gasket that mate the lens to the bulb area.
  • rjg63rjg63 Member Posts: 1
    I have the same problem with my '97 Sebring convertible but it is on the drivers side. Wiki answers says it is due to plugged drain holes (3-4?) on the underbody on a strip of metal where the underbody and visible body come togerther (wherever that is.)
  • jopeckjopeck Member Posts: 2
    And that's exactly what it was!
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    go here and see the pictures I took of the drains under the car and in the doors http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/Drains.htm
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    go here and see the pictures I took of the drains under the car and in the doors http://chryslersebringdrainslots.webs.com/Drains.htm
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    edited May 2011
    Awesome info! Thanks for posting this for us!

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  • ClairesClaires Member Posts: 1,222
    Thanks, rbender!

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  • hms121hms121 Member Posts: 1
    in the 2007 the hose runs to the right of the gas pedal put a pan under when you unclog. lots of water
  • ceebring11ceebring11 Member Posts: 1
    Same thing happend to me and i was wondering how did gettin your radio replaced? i was going to keep the drain holes clean and also park in my garage on rainy days but i dont want to get it replaced if the same thing will happen again.? please get back to me asap!
  • kaycankaycan Member Posts: 2
    I was able to get the radio replace, without having to get a amp, BUT the sound is not as great with the amp. Thinking abt having an amp put in. I slightly have a wet floor on driverside, but no flooding. I took it to the dealer, and allegedly they cleaned out the stoppage, but like I said, I have damp floor board in driver's side when it rains.
  • cynthccynthc Member Posts: 1
    Your site was EXTREMELY helpful. I'm a new Sebring owner 2005 and loved the car til I drove it through two hours of rain and found the passenger floorboard soaked. Took it to Chrysler explained my problem and all the tech did was check to make sure it wasn't the air conditioner. I read all the advice on line about cleaning drain slits but had no idea where they were located. Can't wait to try it out and fall back in love with the car again
  • icnduiticnduit Member Posts: 1
    Thank you,thank you,thank you. I can not thank you enough for the information on water leaks on my 98 chrysler convertible. My wife loved that car until the leaks started on the drivers side. I only wish that I had found this out before.Thank you again.
  • lorimissjane64lorimissjane64 Member Posts: 2
  • lorimissjane64lorimissjane64 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 2005 Sebring convertible that I purchased in May 2011. I took it thru the carwash and it leaked around the driver & passenger windows. It also leaked during a heavy rain. Do I just need to replace the weatherstripping along the top of the windows or is it something else? If it is the weatherstripping, where online is the best place to buy from?
  • jbuscjbusc Member Posts: 11
    Two questions regarding my 2001 Sebring Convertible - I pulled up my driver's floor mat to find the drivers floor & carpet soaked - the rest of the floor was dry - I drove in heavy rain 2 days ago but none leaked in the roof/side window area. Where should I be checking for leaks, firewall maybe?
    Second question the hooks that attach the roof to the header appear to have threaded hokles that look like set screws should be in them but there are none - aren't there supposed to be set screws to keep the hooks from turning & where might I get some? (I called the local dealer's parts department and they seemed to think there are not supposed to be set screws - then why the threaded holes? Thanks
  • eiluj77eiluj77 Member Posts: 1
    I found this on another web site, it seems plausible, I just vacuumed 4 inches of water from the back and front driver side floor boards. It's sleeting right now, so I'll have to wait to look for the weep holes but I have a good feeling about this one. Please let me know if this works. Sebring Convertibles have weep holes under the body that get clogged with debris and cause the water to back up into the floor. Take a paper clip and straighten it to clean out the weep holes. The weep holes can be found just under the frame at the doors where there is a seam(about where the jack would go). Along this seam about every 12 or 16 inches there will be a small slot for the water to drain.
  • rbenderrbender Member Posts: 30
    I've posted photos and web of the drainage holes many times!
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