Water leak

Hi i have 89 Reatta and I've been having a problem with water getting into the car. Car sat for a year and when i returned to it there was water behind the seat so i decided to pull out the carpet since it was wrecked by the water. i removed all the water but water is still getting in somehow. headliner was wrecked as well but not from water damage (mice?) so i removed that and when i did i found a few spots of rust on the inside of the roof around were it looks like the outline for t tops could this have to do with the water getting into the car? There is no rust on the outside of the roof. So were is the water coming in from. also the emergency brake has started to get surface rust so could it be coming from the vents on the outside of the car. Any suggestion of were the water is coming in from as well as solutions to stop water from getting in the car would be greatly appreciated .

Does this car have a sunroof? If so, the drain tubes are probably obstructed (one drain tube at each corner of the gutter around the sunroof opening). If not, either it is sneaking in around the side window weather strips or possibly around the rear window if it was replaced and inadequte urethane sealant was used. Had this problem on my second 88 coupe. Rear window had been replaced at some point and there was a void in the adhesive allowing a small amount of water in during storms or washing.

Found the bad spot and injected more urethane adhesive to stop the leak. Also eliminated wind noise at highway speeds.

If you strike out with those, maybe check the trunk seal. If you have gotten water in the spare tire well (will be obvious if you have) it may have filled enough to overflow into the lower floor pan inside the car.

KDirk

never had any water in the trunk only in the passenger area of the car, and no the car does not have a sunroof is it possible the weather stripping on the doors have gone bad?

With no sunroof and confirmation of no water in trunk, the door seals are the most likely culprit. The vent window has some adjustment for angle (inward/outward) acessible with the interior door panel off that can provide some amount of relief by getting it to seal more tightly against the weather strip. This also affects the main (moving) side window by extension as the edge guide track for the moving window is part of the vent window. Thus, adjusting the vent window inward angle will also pull in/push out the moving window affecting the seal.

The other problem is where the weather strip attaches to the body, especially around where the peak of the vent window meets the rubber weather strip. I believe many leaks occcur here due to a poor seal between the weather strip and the body sheet metal. Some weather strip adhesive or other suitable sealant (Lexel brand crystal clear caulk may be an option to consider) may need to be applied under the strip so that there is no way water can sneak behind it and then run down inside the car.

Bear in mind that the weather strip snaps into metal channels screwed into the body sheet metal around he door frame opening. If these metal retainer channels do not have a good continuous water tight seal behind them before being attached to the body, water can seep aroud the back edge of these channels effectively bypassing the weather strip entirely.

Of course, all of this assumes the weather stripping is in good condition. Naturally, if there are cracks, voids or large chunks missing, that would be obvious. If that is the case, then replacement weather stripping should be procured and installed. There is also an auxiliary weather seal that attaches just behind the vertical edges of the windshield to seal against the angled front edge of the vent window frame on the A-pillar. If these are missing or damaged, that is another potential cause of your accumulated water. These strips are self adhesive and tend to be easy to damage during the removal of a damaged windshield with a knife prior to installation of a new windshield.

KDirk

This might be a stupid question in some peoples mind but what exactly is the vent window? is it just the door window or is something else, Also how would i adjust the vent window for a better seal? Due to the fact that in the top corner of the drive side door closet to the trunk the is sign of water getting in due to the fact i can see water stuck inbetween the glass and the wether sealing.

It's the stationary glass where a vent window would have been where the side mirror mounts.

Here's how to adjust it:

It could also be the rear window, my 88 coupe leaked like a sieve at the top of the rear window when I first got it. It ran down unseen along the pillar where the seatbelt anchors.

i couldnt be the rear windows because theres never been water in the cargo area inside the car, so its most likely the weatherstriping

mine leaks above the vent windows in certain types of rain.

If the leak is in the foot well or under the seats, it may just be the weep holes are plugged up where the A/C condensation pools up under the dash. The condensation wells up and eventually drips down into the foot well. I used a wire hanger and removed leaves or pine needles etc. and problem fixed. Good luck.

Front carpet wet pass side could be heater core.