Diagnosis And Testing - Water Leaks: Notes

Water leaks can be caused by poor sealing, improper body component alignment, body seam porosity, missing plugs, or blocked drain holes. Centrifugal and gravitational force can cause water to drip from a location away from the actual leak point, making leak detection difficult. All body sealing points should be water tight in normal wet-driving conditions. Water flowing downward from the front of the vehicle should not enter the passenger or luggage compartment. Moving sealing surfaces will not always seal water tight under all conditions. At times, side glass or door seals will allow water to enter the passenger compartment during high pressure washing or hard driving rain (severe) conditions. Overcompensating on door or, glass adjustments to stop a water leak that occurs under severe conditions can cause premature seal wear and excessive closing or latching effort. After completing a repair, water test vehicle to verify leak has stopped before returning vehicle to use.