Floor wet after wash, Dripping near brake pedal and handbrake bracket

[XHXR6 36]

G'day Everyone again, 

 

I've noticed this for quite a while now, Whenever I wash my XH I find after I wash it that there is literally a small puddle of water in the center of the floor pan on the drivers side. The Passenger side seems to be fine though. So it's like there is a faulty seal somewhere. I noticed it was dripping from where the break pedal and handbrake bracket are from underneath the dash. Could it be the seal around the windscreen or something else ? 

 

 

Cheers,

XHXR6

[BigCav 464]

would say with 99% confidence your plenum chamber area has rusted threw

[gerg 10,871]

My XE is the same after rain but on passenger side. Shits me to no end... Makes the carpet smell like crap.

[bigpaulo 239]

I have the exact same problem as you gerg but for the life of me i dont know where its coming in. And I cant find any rust in the plenum!

[gerg 10,871]

Weird! Not a faulty seal around the heater inlet?

[bigpaulo 239]

possibly...im not very familiar with how the heater system works so i wouldnt know how to diagnose it

[agentkiwi 110]

My XE is the same after rain but on passenger side. Shits me to no end... Makes the carpet smell like crap.

Does yours have a sunroof?

The obvious drains on passenger side are plenum & sunroof if fitted.

Leaking front windscreen or door seals?

[Stevemack 122]

Put the hose in the plenum only and check if water appears, if not then it's probably the windscreen seal.

[gerg 10,871]

Does yours have a sunroof?

 

The obvious drains on passenger side are plenum & sunroof if fitted.

 

Leaking front windscreen or door seals?

Nah mate, just a silly stocker S-pack wagon... I suspect a bit of plenum rust is the culprit, will have to cut it open one day, dreading it too

[XHXR6 36]

Put the hose in the plenum only and check if water appears, if not then it's probably the windscreen seal.

 

I'll definitely try that the next time I wash it mate. 

[XFute-1JZsoarer 140]

I'd say it's most certainly the plenum, my XF ute was the same, and when you looked in through the top of the plenum, you couldn't see any rust at all.

But when I took the dash and steering column out, I found that the issue was around the drivers side vent...

 

As you can see, some knuckle head just filled it full of silicon instead of actually fixing it properly.

But I have only had this and some rust pitting on the floor from the water getting in, other than that there's no rust anywhere else, so been pretty lucky still.

 

Hope this is some help.

 

Jay.

[bigpaulo 239]

How difficult is it to remove the dash completely? I might have to do this

[agentkiwi 110]

How difficult is it to remove the dash completely? I might have to do this

Put it this way, it isn't that hard to take out, just screws, nuts & disconnections.

Getting it back in exactly right first time can be a lot trickier!!

[bigpaulo 239]

Currently the interior of my ute is pretty much gutted, apart from the dash backing (not sure what you call that)...im tossing up whether I pull all that out or cross my fingers and hope for no leaks haha

[XFGHIA747 76]

Like the boys have said mate for how hard it is to take the dash out it might be still ok but the longer left the bigger job in the future, some times its hard to fine I just chuck a bit of food coloring in with water and tip in there easyer to see where its seeping

[XFute-1JZsoarer 140]

Took me 20-30 minutes to pull the whole dash and column out, was really easy for a 1st time doing it.

Putting it back in may be a little trickier though.

I'm about to start bolting a XG dash into my XF, so I'll keep you posted on how I go if you'd like.

I'm using rust converter and steel reinforced epoxy putty to repair the hole, as my welder is on the fritz and I wanted it done now.

I used the putty on the floor where a couple of pinholes had formed, I took a hammer to it 20mins later and it had set like a weld! Awesome stuff to use and very easy to work with.

Just gotta work fast with it because it hardens in minutes...

[bigpaulo 239]

I just happened to be going through your build thread lasr night! Yeah id definitely be keen to hear how to put it back in. Once the whole dash is out, is it still driveable? Unfortunately I have to park my car in the street over night. Im currently using a milk crate as a seat hahaha

[dizzy616 183]

i got same issue in my ute as the picture just a bit further up. dreading the job lol. but thats what i reckon it most likely is

[Mr Polson 10,214]

I just happened to be going through your build thread lasr night! Yeah id definitely be keen to hear how to put it back in. Once the whole dash is out, is it still driveable? Unfortunately I have to park my car in the street over night. Im currently using a milk crate as a seat hahaha

 

Nope, because ignition connections run via the dash loom.

[wagoon 2,429]

Once the whole dash is out, is it still driveable?

I stripped an xf with a carby motor (I mention this as I don't know if injected motor is wired different). Took the entire dash out only leaving the column and fan and vent passages in the car. I didnt cut any wires I just unplugged everything, Drove it from out in the yard where I stripped it into the shed to remove the engine.

[XFute-1JZsoarer 140]

If it's a XF or earlier you can probably rig the ignition up to start it (run a wire from battery positive to the coil positive, then arc the starter motor with a screwdriver to kick it over) put the column back in after you pull the dash and use the key to unlock the steering and you should be right.

If it's a XG or XH, you'll be shit outta luck mate...

It's a simple job to get it out, why not leave it where it lives on the street and pull the dash out? All the vents stay connected to the heater box, so they can stay in with it, but it might pay to pull the box out, so you can check the passenger vent also.

I'll be putting the dash in over the next day or 2, so just check my thread for the installation process if you'd like.

I've already swapped the heater box to the XG one, but that's an easier job to do than the dash in my opinion.

[bigpaulo 239]

If I read your install thread backwards it should be like instructions for removal haha 

[Tim9 2]

I cannot believe how these plenums are designed!

 

If you pull off the windscreen wipers and the grille you will see what I mean!. They have a cover plate that runs over the top of the drain gutter in the plenum, next to the interior air inlet duct, designed especially to catch leaves and crap so your car will rust out in no time. To top if off there is no special seam sealer or rust protection in this area.

 

Actually I think the cover plate must have bee some add on to stop water getting into the air inlet duct from turbulence in the plenum, some bright spark came up with that was cheap, it looks like some idiot just welded in a scrap bit of plate they found in the workshop in there.

 

Also the paint from the factory does not reach in there very well at all, and the welds from the stupid plate over the gutter would accelerate the rusting.

 

On top of it all it is almost impossible to get to this area without cutting away the top external panels, and even then the access is not ideal, you would have to attack it from underneath as well.

 

There are rust repair panels for the (valance?) area in front of the windscreen.

 

I initially wondered why they sold these panels as I have not seen many rusted there, now I realise that that is so you can get into the plenum and weld these back on.

 

Apart from that the actual duct to the internal ventilation system in the plenum is great for attracting rust also.

 

I have done a temporary fix, as mine was nearly totally rusted out and I needed to get it sorted quickly.

 

I cut out the gutter cover plate with a dremel, small hacksaw, and angle grinder (be careful this is dangerous in the confined area, not recommended).

 

Cleaned out the rust with a 3M  stripper disk, (matted wire type).

 

Did not cut any external panels.

 

Used the KBS rustblast system to treat the metal, with black stuff as the final coat.

 

Poured lots of that stuff in there to get inside as well and brushed what I could reach from under the dash.

 

Then used the septone metal repair stainless steel matting, (like fibreglass but better).

 

Reformed the gutter and sealed up all of the holes.

 

Recoated with 2 coats of rust blast black.

 

Now is all sealed up and protected until I want to get keen with pulling the interior out and start welding.

 

 

Hope this helps.

[Tim9 2]

Regarding the Passenger side footwell.

 

This could be the same issue as the rusted plenum, however it sounds like the heater core, mine has just gone.

 

Try running water in the plenum grille below the windscreen only. If no water, clamp the heater hoses under the bonnet to see if it is still happening.

 

You should smell coolant if it is the heater, and you said it smells a fair bit so sounds like coolant, also your coolant level will be dropping all the time as most of the coolant will be going out of the drain-hole that comes out of the firewall, (under the bonnet), that comes out just above your passenger side chassis rail, with a smaller percentage going into your footwell.

 

I re-plumbed the inlet and outlet back into itself under the bonnet as a temporary fix, and will try the Resolene system sealant when I get a chance.

 

Your heater won't work but it stops it leaking as a quick fix.

 

Cheers,

 

Tim

[Tim9 2]

Hey does anyone have the factory manual and or pics for for pulling out the dash?

 

I only have the Max Ellerys one and it is not very clear.

 

If someone could scan that in and put it up as a sticky that would be great!

 

Cheers,

 

Tim