Wet carpet passenger floorboard.

[maillemaker]

So, I finally got around to pulling the floor mats out of this Mustang as I was going to vacuum. Previous owner had a rubber floor mat on passenger side.

Lifted it up and the carpet is soaked. I did drive in the rain last week.

It is a 1995 Convertible.

Is there a schematic that shows all the drain locations?

 

[ttocs]

Up front and does it smell like coolant? if so it is your heater core and get ready to learn how to pull the dash out.

 

[maillemaker]

No, does not smell like coolant. Yes, up front.

 

[ttocs]

look at the seal around the windshield and make sure that there are not any sections that you can lift up or that are missing.

 

[maillemaker]

I wonder if my AC drain is plugged. I never get any water draining under the car when the AC is running. I'm going to order a shopvac attachment with flexible and small orifices and try and suck it out.

 

[PinkieT]

I wonder if my AC drain is plugged. I never get any water draining under the car when the AC is running. I'm going to order a shopvac attachment with flexible and small orifices and try and suck it out.

Plugged condensation drain would be my guess. Good luck!

 

[ttocs]

not sure where you are located but I know I have not had the ac on much the past couple of weeks here but then I lived in phoenix for 9 years and I know some places it is still hot.

 

[maillemaker]

Alabama. It just turned fall yesterday. Been running the AC pretty regular until then.

I also just washed the car before I discovered the wet floorboard. I wonder if my cowl drains could be plugged?

 

[ttocs]

well either go for a long drive on a hot/dry day with the ac on, or get your hose and see if while you or a buddy hoses the front end down you can look for water making its way down inside

 

[Mustang5L5]

The drains are back in front of the rear tires. One on each side. Look like this




The convertible top is designed to channel all the water flowing down it into two large pockets under the rear quarter windows, where these drains are. If they are clogged, the side channel under the door fills with water. Often times it comes out in the rear floor, but if the car is parked with the nose downhill, the water can flow up the channel and come out in the front area. If you pull up the door sill and peel back the carpet, you'll see it's wide open int he front.

Clear the drains with a coathanger or compressed air. There's couple rubber plugs in the floor you can pull to help the water drain out in the meantime, and just peel back the carpet and let it dry. You can also get in the car and have someone use a hose on the exterior and see if oyu can ID leaks.

The header seal around the windshield is also another source. Water flows around the windshield and actually runs down a channel in the A-pillar seal on the inside of the window and then crosses over and dumps at the front of the door jamb. Sometimes this seal get filled with leaves and detritus in the channel, which causes the water to dam up and spill over in the area where the mach 460 speaker is. It then flows down the inside of the dash area somewhat out of sight onto the floor. The 01-04 seal is redesigned and compatible with the 94-00 cars, but you need a few seals as they all work together.

I had the same leak in my '00 convertible. I cleared the rear drains, as well as cleaned the inner channels on the header seals (and found leaves). That seems to have done the trick as it's been several months now with no leak problems. I park the car outdoors, so it's always in the rain.

 

[maillemaker]

The drains are back in front of the rear tires. One on each side. Look like this

View attachment 29074


The convertible top is designed to channel all the water flowing down it into two large pockets under the rear quarter windows, where these drains are. If they are clogged, the side channel under the door fills with water. Often times it comes out in the rear floor, but if the car is parked with the nose downhill, the water can flow up the channel and come out in the front area. If you pull up the door sill and peel back the carpet, you'll see it's wide open int he front.

Clear the drains with a coathanger or compressed air. There's couple rubber plugs in the floor you can pull to help the water drain out in the meantime, and just peel back the carpet and let it dry. You can also get in the car and have someone use a hose on the exterior and see if oyu can ID leaks.

The header seal around the windshield is also another source. Water flows around the windshield and actually runs down a channel in the A-pillar seal on the inside of the window and then crosses over and dumps at the front of the door jamb. Sometimes this seal get filled with leaves and detritus in the channel, which causes the water to dam up and spill over in the area where the mach 460 speaker is. It then flows down the inside of the dash area somewhat out of sight onto the floor. The 01-04 seal is redesigned and compatible with the 94-00 cars, but you need a few seals as they all work together.

I had the same leak in my '00 convertible. I cleared the rear drains, as well as cleaned the inner channels on the header seals (and found leaves). That seems to have done the trick as it's been several months now with no leak problems. I park the car outdoors, so it's always in the rain.

Thanks! I am inclined to think my problem is the A-pillar seal. How do I access it?

 

[ttocs]

if you look at the front of the windshield there is a plastic/rubber-ish seal that goes between the glass and the metal. See if there are any sections of it that are able to be moved away from the glass easily. That is more of a cosmetic piece than an actual seal and the sealant is below it but once that top starts to fail it can then cause problems below.

 

[Mustang5L5]

I'm going off memory here as it's been some time. It's easiest seen with the top down and window down, but you can access it with the car "closed up". At the very top of the A-pillar, you'll see a sort of "scoop" where it joins with the first seal on the top. Look inside and oyu can actually see a channel. Feel with your fingers where the channel runs on the inside of the seal towards the interior. Feel that it's clear all the way down. Mine had leaves and junk stuck in it down near the mach speaker area.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Found a pic on LMR's site. You can see the hole there. Now that i'm thinking back, i believe you need remove the a-pillar trim to access the area.

https://lmr.com/products/1994-2004-mustang-convertible-weatherstrip-install

 

[maillemaker]

if you look at the front of the windshield there is a plastic/rubber-ish seal that goes between the glass and the metal. See if there are any sections of it that are able to be moved away from the glass easily. That is more of a cosmetic piece than an actual seal and the sealant is below it but once that top starts to fail it can then cause problems below.

What are we talking about here? Up top or down by the hood? My A-pillar trim is messed up on the passenger side and does not sandwich the little rubber strip well (up top). I can't see any glass-metal interface by the hood as it is obscured by the plastic cowl cover.

 

[Mustang5L5]

Here’s the channel I was taking about. This “scoop” and hole runs to the inside of the a-pillar frame. Will need to take off the trim to check it all the way down.

 

[maillemaker]

Here’s the channel I was taking about. This “scoop” and hole runs to the inside of the a-pillar frame. Will need to take off the trim to check it all the way down.
View attachment 29083

Where does that dump the water? I followed the trim down and it looks like it just terminates next to the dash?

I squeezed my trim and I don't hear anything crunchy inside it. I will try blowing some air through it.

 

[Mustang5L5]

again, going on memory, at the base of the apillar the door weather strip kinda tucks under that. It kinda crosses over and dumps inside the door jamb. I don’t think it can support a lot of water volume. If you aren’t finding junk in the channel, it’s likely not the source. I would put money on rear drain overflow.

This guy covers that here

 

[maillemaker]

I went and pulled the trim off the driver's side to figure it out (passenger side is up against the wall and I can't open the door).

Looks like the A-pillar weatherstrip has 2 conduits in it.

They just dump out against the door jamb. I guess Ford hoped the water would run out rather than in. Maybe there is a sheet metal lip under the kick panel; I don't know.

Anyway at this point I guess I just have to get out the hose and watch for water coming in from somewhere.

 

[ttocs]

I forgot that the a-pillar trim covers all the sides of the windshield, but I remember how much of a pia it was to take it off.