Help!
My carpet just inside the drivers side door right behind the plastic wear pad is soaked. I've dried it with a fan but it keeps coming back even when it isn't raining. I've looked underneath and can't seem to find a problem. I'm in Michigan and just brought the Bronco back from Arizona, the body of the Bronco looks like it just rolled of the assembly line, and the doors seal down low appears to be in good shape.
Any ideas would be much appreciated!
Thanks
Drew

 

It's likely the windsheild......also check the drip rail above the door to see if the factory sealant dried up and fell out

 

Ok,
How do I fix the windshield? Do you just use silicone, would you do the same thing for the drip rail?
Thanks

 

On the winshield you might need to pull it and get a new rubber gasket....depends on how hard it has gotten in the AZ sun......look for cracking....if you can find a place that looks suspicious you might be able to fill it with silicone.....or run a thin bead along the bottom of the whole thing....silicone on the drip rails will work just fine............make sure the cowl drains are not plugged and your cowl area is not holding water also

 

Wil do, thanks I really appreciate it!

 

The fact that it gets wet even when it's not raining pretty much rules out the windshield and window seals. Do you use either the air conditioner or the defroster? Both of these will run the A/C compressor; the defroster runs the A/C compressor to dry the air even if the temp setting is on hot. And whenever you use the A/C compressor there is condensation that is supposed to go into a drip tube and out of the truck. If your drip tube is missing or broken or fell off or is clogged etc. then the condensation will go onto the floor. This may not be the problem, but it's a lot more logical than saying the windshield and/or seals are the problem (no offense to that poster) when it gets wet even when it doesn't rain. It could also be a leaky heater core, although that is on the passenger side behind the glovebox. But I would not rule that out because the heater core may be leaking and the water is running down the dash and coming out on the driver's side. When the truck was in Arizona I'm sure the A/C was used a lot, and in Michigan I'm sure that the heater and defroster are used a lot. The heater core leaking would show itself whenever you use the heat; and the defroster leaking would show it when the defroster is being used (or A/C in warmer weather). Unless the heater core is leaking catastrophically, you'd only see a small amount of moisture; and if the condensation drip tube wqas leaking, even if it is gone completely, would never show a HUGE amount of moisture all of the sudden but it would build up and soak the carpet. So check those two things. I just don't see any window seals etc. being the problem if it still gets wet when it's not raining. Hope this helps you.

 

It's not the heater core if it's on the LH side.....plus it would fog the windsheild....and smell sweet if there's antifreeze in it.........no mention of that....if it's not raining where's it coming from ??.....never stated time between rain storms....the AC evaporator is right next to the heater core......left hand side....my Bronco floor fills up in the same spot RH side everytime it rains....garage it ....bet it goes away if not driven in the rain....

 

I'm thinking it may be frost and morning dew that is accumulating.

 

You make valid points, but as I said the heater core is on the passenger side so it was a long shot. And I cannot count on somebody having the proper antifreeze/coolant in their system so I did not mention a sweet smell. If someone just puts water in their radiator then there'd be no smell. I don't know the Bronco or how it is maintained. As for the A/C condensate drain, there is one inside the vehicle but I'm not positive of it's location. But I've seen a couple of mysterious wet carpets caused by condensation tube failure. Anyway like I said those are long shots, I was just putting them out there because he said that it gets wet even when there is no rain and if he dries it out it comes back. The best advice now is this - wait until it is totally dry outside and in the Bronco; then peel the carpet back where it usually gets wet, get in the truck and close the door, and have someone spray all over with a hose, starting at the top of the windshield and working their way down, all the way to the door sills and underneath the area. If it stays dry then open the hood and spray the water on the firewall (be careful not to soak the MAP sensor if it has one, cover it with plastic). That's how I found a wet carpet issue in my own Bronco, in my case it was the passenger side and the foam stuff where the heater hoses go through the firewall was missing and water was coming in there. I'm not saying that that is the problem here, just that it was how I found the leak on my Bronco and ever since I fixed that early on in my ownership of the Bronco in 2001 I've never had a water intrusion probem, even in car washes it stays bone dry. And that leads to another suggestion - wait until it's dry in and out and then go through a carwash with the carpet peeled back in that area - most of the deluxe car washes even start out by spraying straight up from underneath so it would be a good test. All you need to see is one trickle of water - it doesn't take a huge leak to eventually soak a carpet. Remember that where there are welds in the floorboards they have putty or bondo-like stuff applied to them at the factory and if one of those seals has a gap then water could come from underneath. Also the center console, if it was missing a bolt then water could come in from there. What you must remember is that water will always follow the path of least resistance and just because you see water in a certain area that does not mean that the water is entering in exactly that spot. I spent almost 20 years as a plumber and traced down many leaks and sometimes the actual leak was dozens of feet or even yards away from where the water was accumulating.

I'm mostly concerned about the fact that is gets wet even if there's no rain. I know he did not mention the time between rains but he did say that he dried it and it came back without rain. That right there almost proves beyond shadow of doubt that it's not a windshield or other seal. As far as dew and/or frost that's a long shot too but I suppose it's possible. But if you have a leak bad enough that dew or frost soaks the carpet then it should be very easy to find.

 

It doesn't rule out rain.....He could have a cowl drain plugged holding water ......slowly seeping in...........if it had no antifreeze in MI....he'd have frozen up by now.....true........... water can enter a long way from where it drips.....but it can't climb the trans tunnel

 

There's a panel bolted each side of the passenger compartment behind the kick panel/carpet that opens into the cowl drain, although you could just lay under the truck and see if the opening is clogged. Enough leaves and junk could pile up in there to act like a big sponge, I suppose.

 

It could be any of those things. I suggest the hose test and the car wash test, when the floor is dry of course. Peel back the carpet because you'll probably never see it with the carpet in place if it goes underneath it.

 

drew i dont know what year your bronco is but on all of my 79s i had the same problem there is a cowl rubber on the fire wall [engine side] that channels water away to the side if that is missing/broken water will seep down the fire wall,and travel inside on the wires if the grommets are missing/loose that drove me crazy for years till i finaly put the water hose on the hood and seen where the water was entering just a thought to try

 

I had the same problem on my 80, but that was because the floor/body was made of swiss cheese..lol........

As to your issue? I agree with the others.... sounds like a plugged/seeping cowl drain.

 

ive been having almost the same issue - the soggy floorboards. But mine only leaks when it rains. My Bronco's an 84, so 29 years old this year? I pulled off the kick panels on both sides off and the access panels and YUCK!!!! Pine neddles, leafs, tree seed pods had been in there sssooo long that I had soil in the cowel drain holes. There was so much crap that it was up to the bottom of the acess hole & after I cleaned it out I could fit my whole hand down in there.

Moral: clean those cowel drain holes. lol