Lotus Excel

I thought I'd fixed the water leak, during the recent cold spell I noticed 9walking past the Excel each day) that the front and rear windows were misting up, and I wrongly assumed it was the residual water from the original water problem cycling mist to condensation and back again.

WRONG

I went to the car today to put a dehumidifier container (crystals in a plastic container) in it, and realised the water was sitting in the foot-wells again. So I've taken steps to reduce the amount left in there. I dried the front screen, drilled two smallish holes in the drivers foot-well floor (carpet securing poppers removed in passenger side so no issue there) and pressed the floor lining with a cloth to bail lots of water out. It's not dry, not by a lot, but it's not got a water level above the sound deadening layer any longer.

I had checked, and today I re-checked, there's no water in the blower intake area. I previously removed the windscreen sealant at the base of the front screen and re-sealed it, it no longer has a 1-2mm gap between the glass and the adhesive, it looks sealed. I previously attempted to adhere the rear screen back in at the top, at it had a 2mm gap between the glass and the sealant, but that doesn't seemed to have worked well the screen is still not adhered securely, so it may be getting in there, but the strange thing is that it's not wet in the rear seat wells, so I doubt that's the cause.

I've checked the door seals, and no apparent issues there.

I've noticed the roof lining is dry, so that tends to rule out the top of the front screen.

The water is clear, so it's not coolant.


Any other ideas anybody?

Hmmm got aircon? If so, drain tube blocked or popped out?

Wiper arm spindle?

I think you might need to get in while someone plays a hose around the windows, and around rear of bonnet....

Maybe even assume lotus position with head up under the dash....

Robert

When I first got my Excel I found water was getting into both footwells. The source was traced to a very slight leak from the front bottom corner of each doorseal. I tried improving the seals by inserting plastic tubing and then by replacing it with a thicker "Woolies" doorseal but the leak was only stopped completely by fitting a new Lotus spec. doorseal.

I initially went up a blind alley and thought the leak was from the heater blower intake chamber when I poured a couple of pints of water into it as a test and water began dripping from behind the dash into the passenger footwell. I later realized that the chamber only leaks when some oaf pours a couple of pints of water into it and not during rain or normal car washing with a hosepipe !

Wiper arm spindle is a favourite and you can fairly easily remove the arm & nut/washers and put a seal of clear silicone sealant around the spindle to fill the aperture in the body.
Another suggestion is to remove the radio - this gives you a good general view of the under-dashboard area. I was doing this once in the middle of a hailstorm thinking it was one of the few jobs you could do undercover - and a little stream of rainwater appeared, via the wiper spindle.

Another easy one to try, check the security of your radio aerial. Mine was loose, and I had water dripping into both footwells via the sunvisor housing and the windscreen pillars! The headlining remained dry. You can see the connection by popping out the interior light, and you tighten the screw from the outside. Not too tight though, its only a brass screw. M4x50 if I recall... DAMHIKIJKOK!

My first Excel leaked too: eventually traced it to ingress via the speedo cable - easily fixed - and, if I remember rightly, both indicator repeater fittings had water dripping off the wires.
My current Excel is waterproof!

Famous last words?!

A small trick to eliminate possible leak sources.

Make an 20% alcohol mixture and "spill" this on strategic places from outside.
The moment you can smell it inside - you have the leak.

Do allow sufficient time between each "spill" to avoid mixing up leak sources.

Redwoods in US are capable of sucking up water to 50 m by capillary rise - water can creep long distances, and gravity is only a weak force.

Thanks all. I thought I posted a reply to this, but it seem it somehow failed.

At least I don't have air con, so that's one less option, door seals seem OK, but just realised I have the door card off one, so that may impact it....

Aerial seems a good bet, but possibly windscreen wiper is even better bet, I think I'll try that 20% alcohol method, I was thinking how can I dye the water without causing stains in the car, at least alcohol will achieve the desired effect.

My car seems to have a lot more condensation inside than last year.
@robertverhey (or anyone):
Where does the drain tube exit the car? (parts manual shows it as a short right-angled hose, with a grommet where it passes through the car body). I haven't gone to look for it yet, so sorry if it's obvious.

Hmm good question, I've never checked....will jack up the beast and crawl under and have a look in a day or so....unless you get there first, in which case please let me know!

Robert

The drain tube exits at the bulkhead, if you stand at the front wing, exhaust side look into the engine bay behind the engine above the chassis leg the tube should come out of the corner.

I am starting to suspect the aerial as noted by other members, there are a few damp patches in the headlining, both front and rear, not around the front trim piece, but spots approx 2 inches across. I'm wondering if the water is getting in there as noted and tracking across to a weak point in the lining bonding and then coming through. Oh well, I'll find it eventually, just as I found 3 inches of water in the spare wheel well when i went to tap the petrol pump that had stuck after 3 months of lack of use.