i had a thread about this a few months back but i can't seem to find it, so i decided to make a new one and maybe get some different opinions or suggestions. Here's the deal, i have an 02 wrx. My driver side floor is flooded and only when it rains. . there are no signs of wetness around the area, just the are itself. All the windows and doors were shut. It almost seems like the water is coming from under the car into the cabin, which i highly doubt but it does seem like it. This only happens when it rains heavily for a few hours. Under my driver's seat, there are no signs of wetness, only where the floor mats are basically on the driver's side. I've noticed that right behind the hood release latch, there is wetness there also and i think it was dripping water. . i'm pretty sure this happened during my accident and the dealer didn't catch it because it hasn't been raining during that time. Any possible suggestions on what/where this problem is??

The drain for the HVAC system is probably clogged. Water pours in the intake tract of the HVAC system (at the base of the windshield) when it rains and is drained out the bottom. If the drain is plugged up, it will spill out onto the floor on the passenger side of the car.


Brian

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but i my passenger side has no signs of being wet. . only the driver side. Also, if this is the problem .. how do i get to it and unclog it?? i don't know where/what the hvac system is

theres a hole/plug thing under the brake pedal I run my wires through... maybee that thing fell out... but for that to be an issue you would have to be driving in some deep water...

Sounds like you've got a leak in the seal around the windshield or the "windshield wiper area" in front of the windshield, or perhaps in the A pillar or below. To try to pin it down, I'd stick my head and a flashlight under the driver's side dash while a friend hoses down the driver's side windshield/A pillar area to try to get it to leak.

Check the gasket/weatherstrip along the bottom of the door - it is held in place with a bunch of small plastic clips - some may be broken, and the weatherstrip may have moved to a point where it can't seal (I had some of the fasteners broken on my passenger side doors when they were replaced - I found them when I was checking over the car, though, so I don't know if they would have resulted in a leak.

There are also some plugs in the floorpan (under the carpet) - looks like there are three in the drivers side floor-pan - maybe one of them is loose/missing? If you pull the trim at the door opening, you should be able to reach under the carpet and feel around... either that, or put the car up on jack stands, get under there and take a look!

Older (pre-90's) VW Jetta's used to have this problem (leaky weatherstripping on the base of the doors) for the rear doors - so the floor in the back would get wet - drove people nuts trying to find the leak!

You mentioned accident. Sometimes the inner structure will twist and crack the factory seam sealer. When the body man pulls the car back to specs, the gap "appears" to close. So, he does not re-caulk that area prior to re-assembly.

The other response was on the right track. Get a flashlight, and hang upside down. Let the friend drench the area.

Or, take it back to the place that did the repair. (best)

thanks for the help guys. . the cars going to the dealer that fixed it tomorrow. . hope they'll do this for free since it should've been fixed in the first place. .

well. . took it to the dealer this morning. . and it was actually the window?? The water was getting past the window seal and down the a-pillar. . i guess that sounds reasonable, but as i looked at it. . i don't see a possible way for it to get to the apillar . . they had the "senior master subaru tech" look at it so i guess they're right. . .ahh. . it's free :D