water ingress.

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joderest

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All cleaned up and sealed as best I can. I had to put a bit of paint on the area as rubbed through to metal when cleaning it all down.
It looks a bit messy, but once liner in you do not see it.
Heavy rain tonight so test looking.
IMG_20210128_114059.jpg IMG_20210128_114059.jpg IMG_20210128_114108.jpg
 

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joderest

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Odd thing. It rained Tuesday and water got in car, it rained hard last night and no water got in car, don't really understand, it must be something to do with the course the water takes.

Fingers crossed
 
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joderest

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Ok, I give up, it leaked again.
Local garage now for them to find it.
At least I have not spent much, about £10.
I do not like admitting defeat, but needs must.
 
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I know, i know, getting very boring, but some one one day may find all this useful.
I was disappointed yesterday due to this, I put the interior of the car back together, as carpets were as dry as they are going to get until the summer. However, i left the door threshold trims off, so that i could monitor if any leak, i stuff kitchen roll in the gaps where water is appearing to see how much getting in. As i wanted to use the car for work today, and its been sitting on the drive for two weeks, started it up and took it for a run round the block. The paper towel was soaking when i got back, hence the post that still leaking. Dried it all out again and stuffed more paper in there.
If you live in the south of the country, you will know that the rain last night was monsoon type, it was dark when left for work, drove through really heavy rain and puddles that washed right over the car.
When i checked the paper at work, it was not dry, but only appeared to be water from getting in and out of the car, just damp. Changed the paper, it was still raining, and does not appear water is getting in, yet !!!!.
I wonder if there was a puddle in the car under the gaps, and when i drove it ,it moved back to soak the paper. I do not know, and i am going to use the car for next few days to monitor.
Recovered slightly and will not be giving up, i will find the leak, if i have not already done so.
 

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What sealant did you use on the body?
 
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It was a Dunlop sealant, it was all i could get at short notice, sort of rubber type stuff, skinned over very quickly with a hair dryer.
 

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It was a Dunlop sealant, it was all i could get at short notice, sort of rubber type stuff, skinned over very quickly with a hair dryer.
A lot of sealants don’t... they allow moisture in behind and with capillary action the water gets to where it shouldn’t.

CT1 is what I’ve used and that works
 

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Sorry to hear you haven't found the leak yet, on the bright side your ML seems to have almost no rust at all :)
 
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Taffy7hfa.
To be honest, if it was a bit of a dog, i would not bother, but its clean and tidy, hardly any rust, and still only done 55,500 miles. Runs with out issue, no lights.
(dam, said it now, bound to happen). The jury is out at the moment on the water leak, couple of days should tell me one way or another.
 
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I used "The Dogs Bo**ocks" last time, which is like a CT1, but as it was raining, did not stick, and just came off when i cleaned it up for this go, i think the old sealant was wet, so was a waste of time.
I dried it as best i could this time with a lot of heat, I was going to plaster the area with clear wax oil as well, but it never turned up in the post, so all i could get from local DIY store was this DUNLOP sealant, it is sort of a rubber stuff, not like silicon, and was odd to use, skinned over very quickly, so dries quite fast, and states when skinned is water resistant.
We will see, i forced quite a lot into the hole in the old mastic before going over the top, but is that the leak ? not 100% sure, it could still be coming from somewhere else i have not found yet.
I suppose next job will be to seal the screen (which i was waiting for the summer to do).
I have also located a small bit of damage to the door seal, do not think its causing it, but have sourced another one anyway.
 

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Could it be getting past the window seals on the doors and then finding its way through the doors back onto the carpet ?
 
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Taffy7hfa
Already looked at that, even took the door card off and checked the seals inside, except for maybe a bit of a suspect speaker seal, nothing.
 
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update
After yesterdays rain it all seemed fine, no water inside i could detect, however, todays its not raining and the kitchen towel has picked up some water, right at the front where it was getting in before, i really do not understand that, it must collect somewhere out of sight, a box section perhaps, then run into the car.
I suppose it could be the screen and taking a while to find its way down, so next job is seal all round the screen .
 

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I can vouch for CT1.
2 Qs.
Is the car parked at the same spot and facing the same way every day..?
Is the door card fabric..?
 
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mattkh.
Good thinking, but no, its ether at work in the car park ( leaking) or at home on the drive (leaking)
The door card is plastic and leather, the door seal is a huge one piece semi plastic thing, which is all nice and neatly sealed, so have ruled that out. There is never any water drops on top of the door threshold. just under it.
Going to have another "sealing up" session on Thursday, car will be more sealant than metal soon !!!!
 
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Update to those avid followers and question.
I was thinking about what MATTKH said.
Yesterday at work, rain all morning, it leaked on the PASSENGER side but hardly any water on driver's side !!!
Last night, sat on drive in heavy rain, no leak passenger side, but water on driver's side. This set me thinking. When parked at work it does sit leaning slightly to left ( passenger side) when on drive at home sits leaning slightly to right ( driver's side).
Had an hour's window or so today between rain, took body door seal off passenger side, seal that runs down side of windscreen, had a good clean and poke around, right up on the corner was a gap, I could slide a small plastic pry tool in about half an inch or more, this was right past the screen seal. Pushed a load of tissue to soak up water and put tape over it as started raining again.
I wonder, I have been working on the driver's side as that is where the water appeared whilst on the drive, sealing the bulk head reduce the amount of water by two thirds. Could the water be entering on passenger side, running across somewhere and appearing on driver's side ?. The car certainly had two leaks.
I am going to seal the screen tomorrow if rain holds off, and see if I have a resolve.
Wish me luck and I will update again in a few days as more wet weather forecast.
Thanks to all those taking the time to read this and comment.
 
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Hi.
Today's job was seal the screen, after a good clean up, used Captain Trolleys, boy, it does run. Left it an hour then filled over the top with CT1.
I masked off the screen seal on the top so there was not too much mess, me and sealant have never got along.
Picture below is the "suspect hole" I found, the Pry tool goes in about 3/4 of an inch, and there was no resistance, it appeared to go right through to interior, but you cannot see it with all the trim on.
Fingers crossed, as it rained about an hour after I had finished.
Weather for weekend is wet, so will update again next week. Fingers crossed again.
Before some asks I did touch up the rust.
IMG_20210204_091358.jpg
 
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So, i expect some of you are on tenterhooks waiting for me to update, its as boring as normal.
Since having a go at sealing the screen, NO water has got in the car for two days, and it has rained. Decided to use it for work today, and when i got to work, the paper towel had soaked up a bit of water, however, not deflated yet, as had the thought that if there is still water trapped up behind the dash where ever it was running, it has to come out. I have noticed last couple of mornings heavy condensation at bottom of screen on drivers side, hence why i am hopeful.
Forecast tonight is heavy rain and snow, so another decent test is on the cards.
I suspect i will know by Tuesday if i can relax !!!!!
 

alexanderfoti

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Well done. I hate tracing water Ingress, it's a ****** nightmare.

Fingers crossed you have it. As you say, the interior absorbs looooads of water for ages and its very hard to get it completely dry.
 
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Not jumping up and down with joy yet !!!!!
I would settle for a tiny bit of water, but this was filling the car !!!!
 


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