Expert: William Forster - 2/12/2007

Question
I have a 96 Grand Am, 2 door, with 90,000 miles. Have had this car for about 2 years. Really a good car. For about the last 3 months I have noticed the carpet on the drivers & pass. sides floor, has been wet after it rains. Really soaked, not from water on your shoes. So I took it to a car wash and sprayed the front windsheild and wiper area. Sure enough, it leaked in to the car , at the foot well area not from the dash area. How does the rain water usually get channeled out from the wiper area? That appears to be the problem area. The front windshield seems to be fine. I just don't know what to look for in the wiper area. There is a grill between the hood and the front windshield. Is it a funnel or tube or should it be open to the ground outside.  

Answer
Hello Mike! The fact the water is on both sides leads me to believe you have 2 separate leaks. There is no tube or hose draining the cowl. Remove the cowl vent panel to see if there is a rubber seal that has come loose on the passenger side air intake area. Some cars have a seal here, or a filter, or both. Look for any obvious signs of trouble. Look for split seams, or rust trails around seams. Sometimes even a miss- fired spot weld will leave a small hole. You would be amazed at how much water can enter an interior through the tiniest pin hole. The water going through the hole acts as a siphon, and can draw water long after the rain has stopped. Another solution is to pull back the front carpet, and look for dirt trails. These can sometimes lead to the source of the problem. Bill