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1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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fireman06
New User
Dec 2, 2010, 5:31 PM
Post #1 of 6
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1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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I have a 1993 Chevrolet Lumina with a 3.1L motor. The car is a 4 door sedan with around 124,000 miles. I have a water leak on the drivers side. The car floor will get soaked on the drivers side when it is just parked out in the rain. I had the heater core checked for a leak at a radiator shop, they pressure tested it and said there was no loss of pressure. The insulation behind the brake pedal area seems to be wet up along the firewall, I am not sure if the water is maybe leaking down the firewall or if the insulation is just wicking the water up from the floorboard. I took off the molding along the outside bottom of the windshield but could see no obvious problems with the seal. I am at a loss at where the water could be coming from. I am not able to park the car under cover so I need to find where the water is coming in from. Any thoughts?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 3, 2010, 3:03 PM
Post #2 of 6
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Re: 1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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Somewhat common and a possibility is the windshield. You could try taping off sides then top with painter quality tape glass over seal to paint and if problem goes away that would be it. Painter's tape if good stuff will seal out water but remove cleanly later vs fighting with goo from other tapes. I'd be looking for that and especially if windshield has been replaced or rust is an issue,
T
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fireman06
New User
Dec 3, 2010, 5:45 PM
Post #3 of 6
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Re: 1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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I have spent the better part of the last 2 days looking for the leak, without success. I peeled back the carpet and pad, which was soaked, took off as much trim as I could and then put the garden hose on it and looked for water coming in. I finally found water leaking down on firewall near the emergency brake mounting, and sometimes behind the brake pedal area. I tried taping off the windshield and did not have a leak when running water over the window area. The only time I seem to get water coming in the car is when I flood water under the wipers area on the drivers side. I looked in that area as best I could but can't see anything obvious. If anyone knows where there are possibly any drain holes I could check that may help. Or possibly something else?
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 4, 2010, 1:50 AM
Post #4 of 6
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Re: 1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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Water can travel from source and if now NOT a windshield it will be tricky IMO. The fresh air that comes into the car comes from the area where wiper arms mount and that does need to drain out as of course folks get air without the water coming in.
Most of the "HVAC" box for heat and A/C is on the passenger's side but it can travel as said. For whatever reason - a crack, flaw in a seal, plugged drain with heavy pollen or small foliage that can get thru screens, mud wasps etc., it needs to be found.
May take some help to isolate. I've seen/heard of this on even new cars and sometimes they would "gas" the interior and try to detect the source coming out and chase it that way. Glass places may have suggestions for tough to find ones too.
Perhaps you can see something from the underside that's plugged up.
At any rate, when all fixed absolutely dry out carpet and padding as the moisture under it won't just dry out so easy on it's own. Lift it up, fans - whatever it takes or you'll be like Fred Flintstone's car with your feet on the ground except with rust holes!
Could be tough to find,
T
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fireman06
New User
Dec 5, 2010, 9:12 PM
Post #5 of 6
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Re: 1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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So today my brother helped me and we took off the covers from the wiper area, took out the wiper motor and supports, and visualized the area. We saw nothing obvious. We then peeled back the carpet and I watched the inside area while my brother used a hose to direct water everywhere along the windshield and the firewall, and inside the engine compartment even. There was absoulely no water leaking in. We flowed water for about 30 minutes and got nowhere. Very frustrated now. Can't wait for the rain in the next couple of days to show me we are missing something.
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Tom Greenleaf
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Dec 6, 2010, 3:06 AM
Post #6 of 6
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Re: 1993 Chev. Lumina Water leak
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If this is going to play hide and seek you'll go nuts. Back to first post you had pressure checked cooling system and if this was a heater core making such an amount you would be finding coolant level low and antifreeze would make an odor + fog windows such that they won't clean off easily. I hope you aren't running plain water in cooling system - ever.
There's a chance this was a one time thing with some debris in a drain and now gone - just can't say. Dry it out as best you can now with carpet up - fans - run heater (car's) whatever it takes. You may need help with this if the car is a "keeper" it can't stay wet under rug as it will mold up and be a problem.
Outside chance that the normal drain for A/C if still working is or was clogged and HVAC box was filling up with water even from use of defog or defroster the A/C is enabled taking some moisture out of incoming air even with warm/hot air request. Some GMs used an elephant nose drain hose (floppy end at firewall or box) that can stop draining or be intermittent AND wouldn't care about hose water or rain but by chance where it was parked perhaps a certain angle allowed plain water in. If you think something like that is even remotely possible find the dang thing. If an elbow with floppy end it can be snipped a bit without harm.
Almost all HVAC box moisture problems end up on passenger's floor but there could be an exeption.
Do use Lysol type spray product now. This can make you sick if mold and mildew build up in rugs and padding!
Good luck. Do let us know what you or anyone found as the source,
T
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