XF body water leak to drivers foot well - Ford Forums - Mustang Forum, Ford Trucks, Ford Focus and Ford Cars

yeah right · 05-03-2004, 00:03

Rain water is getting in. It wets the carpet and drips on my right foot when driving. I think I've found the culprit. One of the settings for the ventilation system on the driver console is a vertical vent that comes from above the firewall beneath the wiper motor panel into the passenger compartment. There's a opening with an upstand in sheetmetal and a plastic vent bolted below it which leads to the foot well with a butterfly near the bottom (vacuum operated as usual......). The bolts for the plastic part of the vent are only accessible from the drivers foot well - and even then they're damn near impossible to get off. It seem the gasket/seal between the metal & plastic is what's leaking. Does anyone have and ideas on how to fix this without removing the dash?

XESpakman · 05-03-2004, 04:01

in the XD to XF falcons, the fire wall around that vent rusts out as leaves and dirt get stuck there due to inadequate drainage, It has happened to me with two XE's. The only way to fix it is to remove the dash and weld it up or cut the panel between the windscreen and bonnet off and do it from the top. Or sell the car in summer and get a new one...

clevokid · 05-03-2004, 04:52

Another possible source might be a crook rubber around the wiper arm where it comes out through the panel in front of the windscreen. But most likely is rust in Plenum chamber

davway · 05-03-2004, 04:58

yeah i have the SAME troubles as you. i pulled off the grill that is under the wipers and managed to see that the 'walls' around the holes that let the air into the cabin has rusted away. the 'proper' fix is to rip out the dash and weld new metal in. MY fix is to get some sealent or spandafoam (heard sikaflex is good too) and get in under the wipers and make a new wall with sealent, gradually building it up so its high enough to keep the water out. will be doing this tomorrow if it doesnt rain.

MaD_WoG · 05-03-2004, 05:21

mums car was really bad, so we removed the dash, and cut a hole in the firewall.... she fabricated a new part, out of metal meand, and fixed the lean, and rewelded the firewall......

easiest thing, is drive with a towel on ur feet (i had to in my old old car) and sell it in summer

TruBlu351 · 05-03-2004, 07:06

Ahhh, yes!!! Someone else in my boat, although it seems you now have an amphibious Falcon too!!

I FREAKIN' HATE FLOOR PAN LEAKS!

Check out this link to my gallery! A gutted cannibalised view of how to fix a Falcon leak!! It's not an easy job.....but now I enjoy wet days.

http://www.fordgallery.com/showphoto...cat/500/page/1

The water comes in the from the outside air-vent where the wipers are. It then flows into channels on each side of the car exiting via little 5 cent piece holes just infront of each front door, behind the front fender. The drivers side is a very NARROW channel and is easily blocked. It may look like it comes from where you described, but mine was leaking from up under my pedal box - the MOST inaccessible place on the car. My passenger side had a fist size rust hole in the water channel.

25 years of leaves, dirt, mud, gravel and RUST blocks these small pi$$ant holes. You have to CLEAN IT OUT and then block the rust holes somehow.

Take your front right fender off (5-10 min job), remember the small nut inside the door hinge area up near your side rear vision mirror. You will now see the small water drain hole. Get a LONG coat hanger wire, bend a small loop/hook in the end and start fishing for mud! Pour a big glass(es) of water down your vent to assist in flushing it out.

I used selastic/silicone sealant and glued in a big plastic patch. On the drivers side I had to mould in some small fibreglass sheets to rebuilt the rusted out water channel.

Driz'a'bone :)

ps: I couldn't put the damn dash back in, so built a new one!

TruBlu351 · 05-03-2004, 07:08

Oh yes, I removed about 2 handfulls of crap from the drivers side.

yeah right · 05-03-2004, 13:09

Thanks guys - I had the feeling this wouldn't be an isolated incident.......it had the ring of "Ford cocked up again" about it.

Jackso11 · 06-10-2004, 19:54

mine leaks too! Haven't had a chance to find out why yet tho....had the car since saturday and there was a big storm last night.....very wet foot.
Going to check it out now.

davway · 06-10-2004, 20:32

didnt get to do the silicon thing i said as i couldnt get my hand in far enough to build a wall so now my idea is to remove the grill under the wipers and fabricate from metal or plastic a solid sheet to go where the grill did to stop the water getting in. i know itll stop airflow too but thats what windows are for. Daves green beast has the same thing which is where i got the idea from.