Here are the 15 most common causes of water leaking into your car:
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- Issues in the drain plug
- Exhaust system condensation
- Drain hose clogging
- Problems with the windshield washer system
- Issues with weather stripping
- Problems in the seals
- Damages in the sunroof drain
- Troubles with the muffler drains
- Damaged drain pan
- Issues the latches or the hinges
- Aging door seals
- Header tank overfilling issues
- Dirt in the evaporator coils
- Troubles with the ambient temperature
- Other physical damages
Have you ever been in a situation where you looked inside your vehicle and realized that there was a puddle of water? It could be that you spilled a cup of coffee or some beverage in the vehicle! But you don't recall that! So, what is this water dripping inside your car?
Addressing the problem is extremely important to avoid damaging the interior and causing issues with the difference sensitive components. When water sits in the car, it damages the electric system and results in long-term problems like mold building on the mats or the different upholstery components.
There could be a variety of reasons that leads to water or fluid leaking inside your car. This article focuses on the main 15 causes of water leaking into your car. It walks you through the details about each cause and potential repair options to get the help you get rid of the problem as soon as possible.
Water leaking into your car: 15 causes
When water leaks into your car, it leads to significant damage, and the more you ignore it, the more complicated the problems will be and the higher the repair costs. Unfortunately, water damage can impact your vehicle's value long term and if you're planning to sell this car, you must address the water problem as soon as possible.
Automotive experts have done a ton of research to investigate all potential causes for water leaking into your car. Let's take a closer look at the most common 15 causes of this problem:
1. Issues in the drain plug
The first and most common cause for water leaking into your car is when you have a problem with the drain plug. The drain plug is sometimes called the cowl and is located at the base of your windshield outside the vehicle.
This drain plug is responsible for preventing debris, contaminants, or probably water from leaking inside her vehicle. Unfortunately, there are a lot of external factors that could damage the cowl and causes it to drain water inside the car.
For example, if debris or large elements outside the car hit the drain plug, it can damage it or at least build corrosion that could allow water to leak inside the vehicle.
How to repair it?
The easiest way to repair water leaking into your car because of drain plug issues is to continuously inspect the drain plug and confirm that it's in good condition. If you realize some signs of corrosion and anything else, you better address it immediately before things get more complicated and the water causes further damage to your vehicle.
2. Exhaust system condensation
When you see water leaking inside the car, it's not always a significant problem. In other words, if your AC system or the exhaust system are compensating, they can easily lead to some vapor clouds or a little water leaking inside or outside the vehicle.
Typically, this should not be an area of concern, but if you realize that the water is building up and causing some puddles inside the car, you might want to look at the systems and confirm that they don't have any problem.
How to repair it?
As we mentioned earlier, condensation from AC or exhaust systems should not be an area of concern. Still, if the issue is more complicated, your mechanic needs to look closer and confirm that neither system has a faulty component.
3. Drain hose clogging
Sometimes you'll feel that water is leaking inside your car during certain situations. In other words, if you feel that water is dripping only when the AC system is turned on, the problem is most likely related to some clogging in the air conditioning system.
For example, if the drain tubes are clogged with dirt or other foreign objects, it can lead to water leaking from the weak components and making its way to the interior.
How to repair it?
The solution to getting rid of this problem and preventing water from leaking inside your car is to address the problem and look at the drain hose. Then, check the AC tubes and the system to see any clogging-related problems. If you identify the problem, your mechanic should be able to fix it immediately.
4. Problems with the windshield washer system
If you confirm that the previously mentioned components are in good condition, the next step is to investigate and check the windshield washer system.
Typically, this system is durable and is not expected to leak or cause damage inside the vehicle. However, internal problems might be caused by external factors or anything related to the system's quality in certain situations. These problems can easily lead to damaging internal connections of the windshield washer system, resulting in water leaking into your car.
How to repair it?
To fix the problem, your mechanic must go through the entire once you wash the system and identify the locations of a water leak. Your mechanic also needs to identify the reasons behind this water leak because it could be some clogging or other things you've done that caused the problem.
5. Issues with weather stripping
On some occasions, you might notice that water is leaking in your car because of a problem related to the seals. For example, a very common problem is the weather stripping seals against your windows and windshields to allow water to stay outside and never get inside the vehicle.
The weather-stripping rubber is not designed to last forever, and there might be times when it's damaged or needs replacement. You will notice that it's damaged whenever you realize that water is leaking inside your car from the location of the weather stripping.
How to repair it?
If you identify the location of a leak from the weather stripping, the next step is to replace the faulty component and have your mechanic confirm that it's sealed completely without any issue.
6. Problems in the seals
Not only the weather stripping that could cause water to leak inside your car here, but tons of other seals around the vehicle prevent water from getting inside and damaging the pulse rate and the different components.
Therefore, any of these seals can get damaged, and when it's damaged, they will not do their job, allowing water to leak inside your vehicle.
How to repair it?
To resolve the issue and prevent water from leaking from the different seals come it's critical that you go through the entire seals and identify the locations where water might leak from them. Once you identify them, the next step is to consult your mechanic and learn how to repair these seals or replace them if necessary.
7. Damages in the sunroof drain
If your vehicle has a sunroof, the sunroof has drains designed to prevent water from leaking inside your vehicle around the sunroof system.
It's not rare to deal with situations where these sunroof drains get clogged or damaged for whatever reason. When that happens, it allows water to leak inside your car.
How to repair it?
The solution for this problem is to inspect the sunroof drain system and confirm that it's clear of any contaminants or debris. Once it's cleared out, your mechanic must also confirm that there are no breakage or other damages allowing water to leak inside your vehicle.
8. Troubles with the muffler drains
If you confirm that the sunroof drains are in good condition, the next step is to check the muffler drains because those can go bad as well.
Typically, water will leak in your vehicle through a floor drain if you use your car a lot for off-roading. However, this problem is not very common for smaller vehicles driven on city roads.
How to repair it?
If you are using your vehicle for off-roading, you must consider investigating any potential damages in the muffler drains. If you identify the culprit cover, you must repair or replace the components if necessary.
9. Damaged drain pan
Sometimes the problem might not be related to that different pathway or the drain plugs themselves; it could be related to the drain pad. However, without any previous warning signs, the drain pan will not get damaged suddenly.
In other words, you should be able to track that drain pan and see if it's about to get damaged and the four water starts dripping inside your vehicle.
How to repair it?
If you confirm that the drain pan is about to feel or is feeling, the next step is to replace it before things get more complicated and before water damages your vehicle.
10. Issues with the latches or the hinges
Your car has tons of latches and different hinges everywhere. Unfortunately, these hinges can go bad, and low water leaks inside the vehicle.
That's why it's important to identify where the water is dripping inside your car. Because once you know these locations, you'll be able to narrow down the list of potential hinges or latches causing the problem.
How to repair it?
After you identify the damaged latch or hinge, the next step is to check with the mechanic if you need to replace them completely or if you need to fix them and resolve the problem.
11. Aging door seals
The door seals are not designed to last forever, and those can get damaged as well. However, they are designed to prevent water or contaminants from leaking inside your car. They're also responsible for containing the air conditioning and preventing your vehicle from spending too much energy when there is a lot of air coming from the door.
How to repair it?
You need to know where the leak is coming from exactly. The door has a lot of seals, and if you feel that water is dripping from the upper portion of your door, things will be much easier for you because you have a limited area to focus on.
However, without knowing where the water is dripping from, you can go through the rabbit holes and try to identify the potential damage seals and spend your time and energy looking at their components.
12. Header tank overfilling issues
Sometimes, a problem in the header tag can leak water inside your car. First, check your vehicle owner's manual to see if your header tank is overfilled. If that's the case, it could potentially allow water to drip inside your vehicle.
How to repair it?
Once you confirm that the header tank is overfilled, the next step is to figure out how to get rid of this fluid and understand how much exactly it should be inside this tank to avoid future water leaking inside your car.
13. Dirt in the evaporator coils
Your AC system contains specific coils referred to as evaporator coils. They are very sensitive and significant components in this system. When they go bad, they can impact your AC system functionality and lead to water leaking into your car.
How to repair it?
You must monitor the situation of these evaporator coils regularly. You can check your vehicle owner's manual to know when to check on these coils. However, if you feel a problem with the coils, you have to fix them immediately, whether this is mentioned in your vehicle owner's manual or not.
14. Troubles with the ambient temperature
Sometimes an external problem could lead to a water leak inside your car. For example, if the outside weather has a lot of humidity and you turn on the AC system, the outside humidity can result in your age system producing more condensed water than before, and that's why you'll see water dripping inside your car.
How to repair it?
According to experts, when water is leaking inside your car because of the outside ambient temperature and because of your age system functionality response to this temperature, you shouldn't be too concerned because the problem is temporary, and it's not going to lead to severe damage.
15. Other physical damages
Finally, there could be some external damage to your vehicle itself. For example, if your car has been through a car accident or got damaged because of an external factor, the external protective system will not work properly, and water can easily leak inside your car.
How to repair it?
To get rid of this problem, you need to figure out where is that physical damage and check if it's something repairable. If it's not something you can repair, then you need to discuss with your mechanic the potential alternatives to protect your vehicles and share and prevent water from damaging the upholstery and different sensitive components.
Final thoughts
There's nothing more frustrating and annoying than dealing with water leaking inside your car without knowing where it's coming from. Unfortunately, the problem doesn't stop at being annoying, but also it can get into situations where it impacts their vehicle's value or your vehicle's drivability.
To avoid causing complications of water damage in your vehicle, you must address the water leak problem as soon as possible. This article helped you identify the potential culprits for water leaking into your car.
Once you identify the potential culprits, the next step is to fix the problem as soon as possible. However, if you feel the problem is beyond repair and is expensive to fix, it could be perfect timing for you to sell this vehicle and buy a better one!
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