Rain water inside the car

[Yanayaya]

I've hardly even started my stereo upgrade and I've noticed something that might be totally normal but I want to ask anyway because to me, it's just not right. I started to remove my interior, I removed the door cars and center console etc, I noticed that when I removed the driver side door card the speaker terminals where soaking and corroded. It was all rusted and qute knackered, I had to remove the clamp with a screw driver in the end and getting the speaker off the terminals actually broke it it was so corroded (sorry no photo).

So there seems to be rain water getting onto the speaker (although it worked fine) in the door panel itself, so I looked around but found nothing. Overnight we had major downpours again and in the morning I came out to this:



I know that water will filter through the door and run out through the drain holes, but the amount getting into the car seemed like a lot and that's obviously why the speaker was so rotten.

[TonyTwoTribes]

On my VXR Ro the rubber seals had certainly hardened due to their age. That will let more water in than originally intended as they lose sealing flexibility and the gap was more visible between the glass and the rubber . I covered it when parked on our drive.

[mfp4073]

Once you remove the plastic sheet from the door the rain water will pour in.
The best thing to do is dry the door out, then use a good quality cavity wax and spray the whole of the interior of the door.

To stop the rain getting into the car, use silicone sealer all the way around the plastic sheet. The secret is to use a lot more than the factory ever did, especially around the speaker area.

I think the problem occurs due to (a) lack of factory sealant, and (b) the design of the door/and speaker seems to collect water before it drains out.This is why some cars get the dreaded wet carpet.

I also removed the two black plastic drain caps located at the base of the door,as they will become blocked over time.

I hope this helps, John

[Yanayaya]

mfp4073 said:

Once you remove the plastic sheet from the door the rain water will pour in.
The best thing to do is dry the door out, then use a good quality cavity wax and spray the whole of the interior of the door.

To stop the rain getting into the car, use silicone sealer all the way around the plastic sheet. The secret is to use a lot more than the factory ever did, especially around the speaker area.

I think the problem occurs due to (a) lack of factory sealant, and (b) the design of the door/and speaker seems to collect water before it drains out.This is why some cars get the dreaded wet carpet.

I also removed the two black plastic drain caps located at the base of the door,as they will become blocked over time.

I hope this helps, John

This is good information John thanks, only thing I would say at this point in time is I haven't actually removed the plastic yet haha, everything is still in placed. I will be using the time to waxoyl the inside but not until we get some rest from this weather. With my stereo upgrade I'm also installing sound deadening in there.

[S800VXR]

Common issue. As others have said, use a good sealer to reattached the plastic membrane however... Don't just pile loads on, use some common sense and seal as close to the hole edges as possible otherwise water comes in through the door cutouts, drops down to the sealed edge and pools till it either gets to another hole which allows it back into the door and out the bottom or as normally back into the car.

[mfp4073]

Yanayaya said:

This is good information John thanks, only thing I would say at this point in time is I haven't actually removed the plastic yet haha, everything is still in placed. I will be using the time to waxoyl the inside but not until we get some rest from this weather. With my stereo upgrade I'm also installing sound deadening in there.

No problem. It took me two attempts with the silicone sealant to sort mine out, and several years later...its still dry!

John