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[johnnydog]

Whilst attempting to locate a water leak into the drivers footwell, I noticed that the lower rubber moulding between the base of the screen and the scuttle was loose, albeit mainly on the passenger side. Removed the scuttle and found the hard plastic seat / retainer (90460336) was loose and could be moved away from the bottom edge of the screen, and didn't appear to 'grip' the edge of the glass.
Has anyone had any success in using some form of adhesive sealant in small dabs to keep it in place? The lower seat / retainer is just one piece. Can it be removed whilst the screen is in situ? Being hard plastic, it gets brittle over time, and appears to be held in at either end by a small metal clip visible at the end of the moulding.
Whether the loose seat making the rubber moulding loose is contributing, I'm not certain, but the drivers footwell is like a lake, even after this nice spell of weather, but the car has been standing for a while. It isnt coolant, definitely rain water. Currently got the carpet and foam up, just trying to find a source of the leak.
Any thoughts please?

[johnnydog]

Must have caught the 'bold' button.....

[Doctor Gollum]

The leak is almost certainly the cabin intake drain bei g blocked. If it isn't you have a hole somewhere.

The screen trim is partly decorative, and partly to help divert water into the scuttle drains.

The frame piece the rubber clips to is clipped to the side frames.

Proper removal, cleaning and refitting is a screen out job as the frames AND rubbers are fitted to the screen prior to fitting the screen. Removing and refitting it in situ will damage it, so it will never seat correctly again.

The issue is caused by not ensuring that the frame is correctly seated prior to refitting the scuttle... bearing in mind that the scuttle is fitted BEFORE the screen.

Sealant is a poor attempt to bodge something that should be done properly. Bear in mind that none of the above are fitted from the factory with any form of sealant or adhesive except for the actual screen glass to body bond... 

[johnnydog]

Is the 'cabin intake drain' under the pollen filter; the one that typically cause a wet passenger footwell, or is there one on the drivers side too that would result in water ingress into the drivers footwell?
As with many jobs, doing half a job or a 'bodge' isn't my ideal, but as the screen is good, but the lower retainer has lost some of its grip on the screen, before resorting to a screen out situation, I just wondered whether a couple of small blobs of say windscreen bonding may help to keep it in its correct place to then hold the moulding correctly?

[Migv6 le Frog Fan]

Yes, also a drain at the drivers side. Easier to get at too as it isn't obscured by anything.

[Doctor Gollum]

Last first, in a word no. For the reasons I gave earlier.

To clarify the frame will never fit properly again, and it's hard enough to get decent bits as it is.

As to a drivers footwell leak, unlikely to be a scuttle drain issue as that side drains to the inner wing.

Could be rot under the screen aperture or anywhere along that side of the bulkhead/pillar. Blocked sunroof drain, door seal or tear in the A postwhere the check strap has pulled out.

Heater matrix also leak to the right, but you make no mention of coolant loss or smell.

[johnnydog]

Yes, also a drain at the drivers side. Easier to get at too as it isn't obscured by anything.

Is it the 1" slot visible at the lower edge of the inner wheel arch bowl, on the cross member where it meets the bulkhead, more or less under the steering column?

[johnnydog]

tear in the A postwhere the check strap has pulled out.

Heater matrix also leak to the right, but you make no mention of coolant loss or smell.

Not likely to be a coolant leak as I stated in my first post.
The A post check strap welding has partly come adrift looking at it, so a temporary seal will rule that out before it can be done properly.

[Doctor Gollum]

Yup, and it's not connected to the drain bung in the scuttle with anything other than air. 

[Doctor Gollum]

tear in the A postwhere the check strap has pulled out.

Heater matrix also leak to the right, but you make no mention of coolant loss or smell.

Not likely to be a coolant leak as I stated in my first post.
The A post check strap welding has partly come adrift looking at it, so a temporary seal will rule that out before it can be done properly.

A reasonable use for rtv

[johnnydog]

Yesterday, I managed to successfully remove the lower retainer /seat without any damage to it or to the metal clips that sit at the ends of the side seats / retainers.
It was obvious the problem was it had lost its hold on the lower edge of the screen. I do have a full set of new VX retainers, but as it was just the one piece and wanting to keep the full set in case I ever need a new screen, I decided to clean it up and refit it. I used a product called Adiseal. Excellent stuff - the merest blob provides a near instant hold, but remains slightly flexible. It's not like silicon - far superior, and can be used on glass and hard plastics. Managed to replace the lower seat / retainer without issue, and now it is sitting nice and snugly, ready for fitment of the lower moulding.
Re the water ingress, the foam sound insulation is now dry, but the cause...?
The only evidence of previous damp ingress was a minor bit of rust on the metal bracket to bulkhead for the accelerator pedal. The only thing above nearby was one rubber wiring loom grommet, but no staining to the metal body work to the base of the screen. I found the bonnet release cable grommet through the bulkhead not seated properly. Just for good measure any component on the engine side of the bulkhead on the drivers side that passed through to the interior above the pedal area had a smear of Adiseal round the join; at least just to eliminate them.
Going to replace the scuttle trim and other bits removed to help gain some access to the bulkhead components leaving the interior trim until its rained so that I can check if the leak is still present or cured.
There is no evidence of corrosion to the base of the windscreen or the bulkhead - in fact the metal work is one of the best I've come across on an Omega, so still a little baffled......

[johnnydog]

Well, I have finally traced the most likely source for the water leak into the drivers footwell. After the first bit of rain yesterday, my footwell was quite wet again with water puddling in the lower recesses in the floor pan.
It was also clear to see the water was dripping from the top of the inner sill onto the floor pan. Tracing it back, I could see rain water that had run along the roof gutter, behind the metal trim in the door aperture that screws to the underside of the gutter and A pillar was coming out at the end of the trim, running down the A pillar to the inner door seal, where it ran over the edge of seal into the inside recess of the seal. It was then collecting at the lowest point before trickling down onto the inner sill onto the floor. This wouldn't have been visible previously as it would have come into the car under the sill cover.
I am assuming that the seal has lost its shape and therefore not making a good watertight seal with the door itself. Looking like a new seal or a good used one may hopefully cure it.
The topic below from many years ago outlines the same issue although the 'remedy' suggested was to seal up the gap at the base of the metal gutter trim where water runs onto the A pillar which surely would only cause a build up water behind the trim?? This can't be a good idea, surely?


http://www.omegaowners.com/forum/index.php?topic=105419.msg1319787#msg1319787

[Doctor Gollum]

That trim has a seal against the body. Remove it to investigate further. 

[johnnydog]

The trim is off and it has sealant in the recess of the outside edge adjacent to the actual gutter, and a very thin strip seal commencing somewhere near to the start of the curve just before where the gutter finishes continuing down to the front edge. It is intact, and I assume the thin strip is to guide water towards the outer edge so that water comes out from under the trim on the outside edge towards the hinge . It may also function as an insulator for the trim against the body. The thin seal strip finishes spprox. 15mm from the end of the trim, which may then cause water exiting from the trim nearer to the seal. I still don't get why water is managing to get 'over' the seal though, and there are no splits tears or cracks.
I may extend the thin seal strip a little and try to build it up slightly, so that it is a tighter seal against the body.
Got a brand new genuine GM seal on its way anyway if all else fails....

[iansoutham]

Is your water coming in at the base of the door area, roughly in line with the speaker grille?

Reason is that I have just found this weekend a small section of my drivers u selfie carpet wet and there is a stain line in that area on the inner plastic sill trim at that point.

My first thought was coming through door at that point, but your problem sounds identical.

Do you have a picture of where you think the problem is on yours exactly?