Thats right. i've got water in my fuse panel under the dash. i found this after sitting at the bank not able to go anywhere. the car would start right up and idle but it would idle very low. at about 1k. whenever i pushed the gas it would rev for a split second and then drop to 1k again. if i held he peddle all the way down (i know stupid idea) it would rev to about 4k and then down to 1k about every 3 seconds or so. at first i thought maybe my fuel pump was failing but sence i was stuck and couldnt go anywhere i started searching. i looked under the dash and saw a shinny substance in between the fuse panel and its casing so i squeezed the casing and water just started to pour out. once it stopped dripping i tried the gas again and it worked like normal. so...... my question is, where is this water coming from? i'm thinking one of two things. either a leak outside of the car (its been snowing and raining) or possibly condensation, but it was alot of water so im doubting condensation right now. anyone have any ideas as to where this may be coming from? or any ideas to keep this thing dry if i cant find the leak?
Water in the under dash fuse panel
- Thread starter SGGilmo
- Start date
I had a 2001 accord that had a similar problem, the water came from my air vents. The water was some how getting into my vents and draining under the dash. I was lucky it wasn't on my fuse pannel though. If you can't find the leak, I would run some good auto tape around the seal of the 2 panels. If that doesn't work then some how water is getting in from behind the panel where it is open to the back of the dash and then the only thing I can think of is a rubber stopper is missing in your firewall somewhere.
Hope it helps
Hope it helps
hmmm.. that i would not dought at all. the previous owner did some hack job wiring when he put in the alarm (himself). hell when i replaced the clutch i found out that when he did it a while back he only put 5 of the bell housing bolts back in.
thanks for the suggestion i will have to check those two spots when it stops snowing and raining today.
inner fender is there
hood latch boot thing is there and not damaged
body seam probably.
im thinking the windshield is leaking. it has a crack on the passenger side that goes from about 4 inches up the piller to about 4 inches along the bottom. not to mention both front doors leak water at the corner of the windows. i have a crossover in each of the front doors and i had to stick them in balloons and duct tape the hell out of them to keep them dry. i would do the same for the fuse panel but it would be a bigger pain in the ass then what its worth. although i am still searching to find a rubber grommet missing. anyone know where they are all located on the firewall?
well i think i may have found the leak. right behind the clutch pedal there is a rod that moves through the firewall that is controlled by the clutch. its covered in grease and water. from the looks of it there should be a rubber boot around it to well, keep out water. i dont want to try and find the boot because chances are it will have to be ordered so im just going to seal it with some clear caulking. (same stuff you use for windows on a house) i figure it should work just fin and only cost me a whole $2. hopefully this will stop the water now.
Well all of my electrical problems seem to be water related. it has finally dried up and i took the whole under dash system apart and dried it (including taking the fuse box apart) everything seems to be working great sence then. no more flashing dash lights with the key out, no more draining battery, gas millage has gone back up, and no more pulsing throttle when i push the gas peddle. now i just have to find the leak. (that rod just goes to the reservoir duh) im pretty sure it has to be a drain for the front "cowl" (where the windshield meets the hood. big plastic part that the wipers are on) so its time for old school ingenuity. just gonna pour some water down on the car and look under the dash to see if i can see water coming in.
im just glad i didnt buy a new ignition switch yet.
dont underestimate hack installs
ive done a few installs in the past myself and everytime i think that ive seen it all...i get a car with a starter or alarm that no longer works. most often the cause is a weak connection somewhere. what i also find in cars that have had a starter installed for 100 bucks is that most of them have missing boots in the firewall which definitely lead 2 leaks. my philosophy as an installer is that if i can barely pull off the boot how the hell do i expect 2 put it back on? there r ways 2 work around this obstacle that only a pro would know since they wouldn't do that 2 ur car. anyhow...my guess is the windshield, the rubber boots in the firewall...or any other seal that could have been compromised in a repair or accident
ive done a few installs in the past myself and everytime i think that ive seen it all...i get a car with a starter or alarm that no longer works. most often the cause is a weak connection somewhere. what i also find in cars that have had a starter installed for 100 bucks is that most of them have missing boots in the firewall which definitely lead 2 leaks. my philosophy as an installer is that if i can barely pull off the boot how the hell do i expect 2 put it back on? there r ways 2 work around this obstacle that only a pro would know since they wouldn't do that 2 ur car. anyhow...my guess is the windshield, the rubber boots in the firewall...or any other seal that could have been compromised in a repair or accident
yeah i bought some silicon sealant so if/when i find the leak im just gonna seal it with that inside and out if i can.
Well, I've been battling a leak that leaves my floor mats on both sides soaked after a rainfall, more so on the passenger side.
After a significant investigation I think I finally found the source of the problem...
I removed the plastic cover (below the winshield) where the wiper motor resides and if you look at either corner of this channel or compartment you will notice that any water that gets trapped in this compartment is meant to go into small openings (about 2 inch holes) on either side and fall off behind the wheel wells.
What I found is that there is an indent in the metal that allows for water to sit (not drain) just inside the 2 inch openings and both sides have corroded in the same spot. The corrosion is directly in the corner of the frame which allows for water to leak undetected behind the firewall insulation behind the dash and depending on how corroded the metal is your leak may be slow or in my case very significant.
From inside the vehicle you can see the corrosion in the driver side above the fusebox (way on top of all the wiring in the very corner by the windshield) but you cannot see the passenger side unless you remove the blower and AC compartment.
I've had to fabricate a couple of aluminum channels to silicone over the corrosion from the wipper assembly compartment, it is very difficult to work in the area where the corrosion has occured from the top but it is nearly impossible to fix from inside the car unless you remove the dash.
I hope this helps some of you find your mistery leaks,
After a significant investigation I think I finally found the source of the problem...
I removed the plastic cover (below the winshield) where the wiper motor resides and if you look at either corner of this channel or compartment you will notice that any water that gets trapped in this compartment is meant to go into small openings (about 2 inch holes) on either side and fall off behind the wheel wells.
What I found is that there is an indent in the metal that allows for water to sit (not drain) just inside the 2 inch openings and both sides have corroded in the same spot. The corrosion is directly in the corner of the frame which allows for water to leak undetected behind the firewall insulation behind the dash and depending on how corroded the metal is your leak may be slow or in my case very significant.
From inside the vehicle you can see the corrosion in the driver side above the fusebox (way on top of all the wiring in the very corner by the windshield) but you cannot see the passenger side unless you remove the blower and AC compartment.
I've had to fabricate a couple of aluminum channels to silicone over the corrosion from the wipper assembly compartment, it is very difficult to work in the area where the corrosion has occured from the top but it is nearly impossible to fix from inside the car unless you remove the dash.
I hope this helps some of you find your mistery leaks,
lol. i forgot about this thread for some reason. i actually found the leak and its exactly where you stated. i missed it the first time i took it apart. completly over looked it. sence then i have repaired the two spots the the best of my ability with some sheet metal and silicon and many angered words trying to get the stupid silicon tube at the right angle to seel it all the way around. it was a pain but worked like a charm. no more leak and i didnt have to relocate the fues box like i had planned as a last resort. and sence i bought a new fuse box for the relocation project i took the old one out and swapped in the new. the old one was pretty will screwed. all the plastic seperaters inside were corroded and almost to the point where the rods were going to be connected. who knows what that would have done.
lol im in the same situation except water is dripping down my ECU wire harness :O
i gota track down the source when its nice out.
i gota track down the source when its nice out.
in your case there may be another problem as well. wull of that plasic cover/cowl and look at the drain on the passenger side. it might be clogged. if it is then chances are the watter is pooling and going into the cabin "filter" (youll know what im talking about when you see it) and then trickling down.
I would like to say....THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
I've been dealing with this same problem now for about 8 months! This was the first thread that I've seen on the internet that addresses this problem in detail.
After reading this I took the driver seat out, and folded up the carpet on the one side, and propped up the insulation along the firewall. After drying up all the excess water (it rained today), I removed the cowling around the wiper motor, and noticed the drain holes. Having my wife pour some water down the hole, I immediatly noticed the small stream of water coming down the firewall.
Being as thorough as I am, I removed the front fender to get a better look at things, and can see some more corrosion. Not sure if this is leaking, but I'll be damned if it ever will, cause I'm gonna put so much silicone there you won't even know it's metal!!
As for the "channel" you guys made...any chance I could get a more thorough explanation? I'm sure I could figure it out, but if someone knows what's worked, and is tested, I might as well do the same.
Thanks again!
I've been dealing with this same problem now for about 8 months! This was the first thread that I've seen on the internet that addresses this problem in detail.
After reading this I took the driver seat out, and folded up the carpet on the one side, and propped up the insulation along the firewall. After drying up all the excess water (it rained today), I removed the cowling around the wiper motor, and noticed the drain holes. Having my wife pour some water down the hole, I immediatly noticed the small stream of water coming down the firewall.
Being as thorough as I am, I removed the front fender to get a better look at things, and can see some more corrosion. Not sure if this is leaking, but I'll be damned if it ever will, cause I'm gonna put so much silicone there you won't even know it's metal!!
As for the "channel" you guys made...any chance I could get a more thorough explanation? I'm sure I could figure it out, but if someone knows what's worked, and is tested, I might as well do the same.
Thanks again!