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Rain water is running down into my doors. What do I do?

Centauri

Centauri

New member
I have only owned the car for a few months but really just noticed this tonight while driving as I ran the windshield wipers and the water streamed back across the door glass and... straight down into the doors. So when I got home I decided to pour some water on the outsides of the glass to see how bad it is and it pretty much all goes straight down into the doors.

How big of a deal is this? And more importantly, how can I fix it?

Thanks guys.

-1999 GTP sedan
 


I don't think so, it seems like all of the water I pour is making its way to the ground eventually.

I've just never seen this before because the strips don't even look that bad.
 
the stripping has little rubber pins that push into little holes in the door frame, remove the old, install the new. pretty simple.
 


Yay cheap cars and single door seals? Hah.

So to be clear, the water is going into the door where exactly?

If at the window, you need the that exterior window seal, which isn't likely as simple as the "instructions" I gave earlier. Those would be for the door seal.
 
Centauri said:
I don't think so, it seems like all of the water I pour is making its way to the ground eventually.

I've just never seen this before because the strips don't even look that bad.
Click to expand...

it can leak into the door frame hinge side if it leaking out the bottom of the door when you hose just the door frame.

the sun roof drains are also in the door hinge side, look by the lower hinge theres a rubber tube sticking out.
 
The water is going into the door pretty much as soon as it reaches the bottom of the glass, regardless of where that point is. The driver's door is particularly bad.
 
where in the door? inside the car like the window switches get wet? or down the out side of the glass? and leaks out the bottom of the door its self?

im confused.
 
I really don't know how else to describe it; if I pour a glass of water onto my door glass from the outside, I clearly hear the sound of it dripping down into the door.

It eventually makes it way out of the door from the bottom and onto the ground.
 


it happens. but thats the out side window molding, theres not much of a seal there once the rubber part that rides the window is worn out cracked or un flexible.

if you open the door at the handle side end is a cap, under the cap is a screw, loosen the side view mirror lift the back up a bit, and pull back and it will unhook.

pretty sure the dealer may sell them new. or try to find a used set if its bothering you enough.
 
Is this just something normal that I should ignore? I just don't want this jacking up my speakers/other-electrical.

I'm just looking at my Taurus, which is even older and beaten up, and not a drop of water can get down into the door from the outside because of the way the seals are designed.
 
Centauri said:
Is this just something normal that I should ignore? I just don't want this jacking up my speakers/other-electrical.

I'm just looking at my Taurus, which is even older and beaten up, and not a drop of water can get down into the door from the outside because of the way the seals are designed.
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your speakers are in a plastic shield that covers them on the back side.
 
nice gap like mine? lol these are so dried up they are pointless. the plastic paint on them also cracked and peeled, so i took it all off and painted all 4. after the painting pic.

windowtrim3.jpg
 


Centauri said:
Is this just something normal that I should ignore?
Click to expand...

Yes. The bottom exterior molding of a car door's moveable glass is commonly referred to as a belt molding or reveal molding. Designs differ widely but in everything I have worked on, rain and wash water drainage is designed in this method:

Light and medium rainfall should not enter the interior, however pressure washing and hard rain with the car parked at an angle are not warranty-able leakage scenarios.

That being said, no belt molding is intended to stop all water. Just most of it. Some might call it a window sweep, and thats an appropriate term and description as well.

Drains exist at the bottom of the door shell. In many cases, these are holes in the metal with a rubber insert to keep dusy from ascending into the door while at the same time allowing any standing water in the door shell to drain. These drains must be clear, sound like your are but periodically check them like maybe twice a year as maintainence.

The "weather liner" is the final barrier. The plastic or coated papaer sheet behind the door panel that lots of folks toss out. It must be water-tightly sealed at the sides and bottom, to the door shell. Careful examination of the door shell will reveal the water flow path intended within the liner.

Everything outboard of the weather liner is designed to operate in an environment where moisture is present. From there inboard, it is not. Dismissed, do your homework!
 
I re-read that and well, it could be more clear and have less typos but the main fact is that the interior technically doesn't start until you're in past the door trim panel. So inside the door qualifies as exterior if that makes sense. Not an issue unless drains become clogged
 
Thanks very much for the thorough explanation. 😎

So it's not something to freak out about immediately but I may want to replace the 'belt molding' at some point anyways, especially for the drivers door.

Any place else I can get it than the Sears link above? RockAuto is coming up blank.
 
dealer may sell them, not gonna be cheap tho. morads may have them in good shape used. or a good old junk yard finds are out there.
 
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