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Old 08-16-2012, 08:03 AM   #1
curty
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Member#: 228454
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Maine
Vehicle:
2010 Impreza
Black

Default Like wet floors? Help me!

This morning I got into the car and noticed a puddle of water on my driver's side floor mat.

It rained all night- the car was parked in the driveway, all windows and sunroof were shut completely.

I investigated a bit before leaving for work... It seems as if the carpet is wettest by the a pillar and the corner of the floor closest to the e-brake.

I'm thinking that I'll chase the sunroof drain when I get home, but was hoping for any other suggestions in case others have had similar problems.

It's a 2010 impreza hatchback, 2.5I

Thanks in advance!
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Last edited by curty; 08-16-2012 at 12:21 PM.
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Old 08-16-2012, 09:06 AM   #2
lemming
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Location: Duvall, WA
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Has your windshield ever been replaced, or has the wiper box/cowl trim been removed for any reason? I don't know about the newer cars, but on the GC/GD era cars, the cowl trim attaches to the body via a pair of pegs that go through the top of the cowl. There are supposed to be grommets in those holes. The passenger's side hole is directly above the inlet for the AC system, so if the grommet is missing or leaky, water will drain through the AC blower motor and soak the carpet in the passenger footwell.

I had an issue where my old '99 wagon would get wet floorboards after a heavy rain, and it was basically this. We fixed it through liberal application of clear silicone. It wouldn't surprise me if Subaru continued with a comparably dumb design all the way through the current models.
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Old 08-16-2012, 12:13 PM   #3
curty
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Thanks for the input.... All of the trim is original- hasn't been removed, and the windshield is original also.

I played around with the weatherstripping around the doors during my lunchbreak... Didn't find any holes or anything out of place. I have heard of those openings, and I'll definitely take a look to see if it's the same case with mine... And if so, put the silicone to 'er
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Old 08-16-2012, 01:08 PM   #4
s2ktosti
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Could be a leaky grommet in the firewall between the cabin and motor. Had that happen on my Evo IX, very annoying. If it's under warranty, take it in.
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Old 08-16-2012, 07:16 PM   #5
curty
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So, I checked the firewall and couldn't find any unplugged holes...

Both the sunroof drains and the drains by the corners of the windshield seem to be working fine.

I ran the ac for a while, and the drain hose is discharging fine.

I havent found any weatherstripping or gasketing that looks suspect either. After pulling up the driver's side carpet (and finding nothing but a lot of wet foam), I still don't have a good idea of where the leak is coming from.

Any other suggestions would be awesome... Thanks for your time
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Old 08-16-2012, 07:53 PM   #6
garudatwo
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Still under warranty? If so, bring it to the dealer to have them document every little issue you have with it.
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Old 08-17-2012, 06:52 AM   #7
curty
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Unfortunately, no warranty left.
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Old 08-17-2012, 07:01 AM   #8
YCT
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Check the sunroof drainage system, what you can do is to use an air gun attached to a compressor to blow out the clogged system. My mom's matrix did this when hers was clogged. Who knew....
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Old 10-10-2012, 05:53 PM   #9
curty
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After a brief hiatus from leaking issues, I'm at it again...

Today, however, I was able to see the direction the leak is coming from- I'm seeing water dripping from behind the driver's side dashboard, and puddling into the trim around the fuse box cover and hood release lever. When I stick my hand under the dash, I can feel water dripping from... somewhere.

The plan for tonight is to pull the dash trim apart and look for the source of the leak. I've tested all of the drains and haven't found any clogging issues. The door gasket is in good shape and seems to be solidly in place.

I did notice that it was dripping rather steadily with the car parked, but I didn't collect a single drop in my makeshift rain bucket on my approx. 45 minute drive home.

If anybody has experienced similar, or has any tips on potential leak sources, anything would be appreciated.

(and please forgive any spelling errors-sent from mobile)

Thanks All.
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Old 10-10-2012, 06:26 PM   #10
curty
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More info.

The water is coming from the A pillar trim that covers the A pillar airbag. It's dripping out of the corner of the trim piece, allowing the water to find its was behind the dash and ultimately the floor.

The plastic A pillar trim is about 2 feet long... None of the headliner above it is wet. Without disturbing the airbag, I cant see any further to determine the leak point.

I guess it leads me to believe its either windshield related or sunroof drainage... I have a couple of photos as well... Anybody know if it's possible to upload from a phone?
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Old 10-10-2012, 06:53 PM   #11
paulpat
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Phone to Photobucket to nasioc.
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Old 10-10-2012, 07:14 PM   #12
SpamBot
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Instead of waiting for Mother Nature to take her course, why not wait for a dry, sunny day to do some leak testing? Just use a garden hose with a spray nozzle. Not a stream, just a gentle spray, sort of like rain. Start low, near the cowl, and check for leaks. If it stays dry, move up the A pillar a bit. When you start seeing water, you've found the area that is leaking.

Do you have a roof rack? Don't neglect spraying around the mounting points. Water can seep through there, and flow to the A pillar.

Good luck.
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Old 10-10-2012, 09:35 PM   #13
curty
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Found a crack in the plastic leading up from the sunroof drain on the driver's side. After putting some water to it, that seems to be the problem.

Packed the crack with water-weld, plugged the drain hole with a qtip, and sprayed some liquid rubber into the area to help seal it up.

Looks like rain tomorrow, so I'll let her dry overnight and see what happens...
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Old 10-11-2012, 01:51 AM   #14
Tdaz250
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No warranty left on a 2 year old car?
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Old 10-11-2012, 03:36 AM   #15
aod12
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Mileage affects warranty as well. Also 2010 models were available in late 2009. So 3 years would be fast approaching if not already.

Keep the update on how the fix goes. Cheaper than going to dealership for sure.
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Old 10-12-2012, 08:27 PM   #16
curty
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It seems to be holding up pretty well... Plan to flush plenty of water through this weekend to test it further.

As for the warranty, bumming. Purchased in October 09 and racked plenty of miles up during a period of 120+ mile a day commuting. But hey, repair expense to mileage ratio has certainly improved since my days as a GM owner, so I have little to complain about!

Thank you all for your insight.
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Old 10-13-2012, 10:37 AM   #17
Ziggyrama
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Why wait? Take a garden hose and blast some water at it and see how it holds up. You need to test it with moderate water pressure. Remember, when you drive on a highway at 70mph in rain, the water will try to force its way into the crack. So, instead of waiting for these things to happen and drag this thing out for weeks, take a hose and blast it. If you don't see anything, you're good to go. If you do not have access to a hose, go to a local touchless carwash, spend $8 on the cheapest cycle and see what happens.
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