Water Leak Investigation. 2005 V6 Premium Coupe.

EM2SWUSN

New Member
Nov 29, 2015
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Hi, I have been searching relentlessly for an answer to this issue. And while I can say I have made progress in stopping the infamous water leak, I cannot get it completely taken care of. Here is my issue as it stands:

I discovered a water leak on the passenger side of the vehicle. Investigation found that it was coming out of a small gap in a seam where the lower part of the cowl meets the A pillar on the underside of the dash above the bulkhead to door wiring grommet. I could see water dripping out of the seam which means water is getting into the cowl.

I have sealed the cowl retainer grommets with weather strip adhesive, and this has reduced the leak by about 90% however, water is still getting in and posses a rust and mildew issue.

I have sealed a few areas that were suspect. I don't know if they were at all responsible for the leak but coupled with the grommet sealing the leak has slowed. I have heard of a "seam skip" which apparently is a cause of the leak but I have not seen pictures as to where it would be and only vague descriptions of "cowl pinch weld area".

At this time I can't tell where the remaining leak is coming from. I have read the TSB on the issue but it doesn't seem to address the cause, at least not entirely. I have not and will not take it to a dealer because I don't have money to waste on something they most likely won't fix. Plus, i can fix it myself pending I find the source of the leak.

Searching various forums for answers has only turned up vague descriptions of possibilities or solutions to problems I don't have, such as clogged drain grommets. I know this is a pretty widespread issue with these cars so I know someone out there has to have the same problem I am having. So I am looking for advice and clues as to what could be the issue. If you have any pictures of a possible leak source, or have experience fixing this leak, please respond. It would be most appreciated.
 
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It leaks when it rains. The leak comes in from the cowl channel below the windshield, and leaks down the a pillar through a small seam where the cowl channel meets the a pillar and onto the passenger floorboard. Its a very common problem with these cars. I have sealed everything I can see that could pose a leak such as the cowl retainer clips, and several seams where water could possibly enter. While this has slowed the leaking significantly, water is still somehow getting into the cowl channel, though albeit very little now even with heavy rains. But until this leak is completely stopped I can't reassemble my interior because water under the carpet poses a mildew and rust risk. I'm looking for more indepth information on what others have done to plug the leak. I'm mainly interested in what is known as the "seam skip" in which the robots on the assembly line were miscalibrated and left an area of a welded seam without any seam sealer, which would allow water to enter. I'm not entirely sure where this skipped seam is.