Hello all, I have an issue whereas rain water seems to be leaking onto the driverside floor board of my 2004 ford e350 and then running down into the step and possibly into the lower rocker panels. Its currently raining here in NY so figured i should give it a look over. The rust in the rocker panels just started coming through over the past 2 months. From the looks of the floorboard, its been leaking for a while. I think i may have found the leak as shown in the video. Possibly something under the cowl is cracked (or split seal) and letting water in?? Also possibly im getting rain water through the fuel door.

 

Looks like three different problems. Bottom of the door might be plugged drain holes. Rusted floor is often caused by leak along windshield. For the rocker panel rust check just in front of the rear tire. There is a place where moisture collects then rusts out. This then channels water into the rocker panel. Don't be surprised if most of the lower part of the rocker panel is toast.
All of these are common problems with E vans.

 

I had the windshield replaced last summer. While i cant rule it out, i believe the water is probably coming in from under the windshield cowl. From under the hood, there's a good deal of water dripping under the brake booster. As for the rear, yes there is plenty of rust on the inside and even a hole in. Ill be doing some sheet metal work to close it off. I never had such issues with my 99. I think there's something about the 03-05s that are more vulnerable to rust. At least from what i can see.

 

Okay I'm actually in the auto/truck glass biz and with almost 100% confidence say this leak is NOT at the bottom of the windshield---water doesn't run up hill. Even while in motion a poorly installed windshield will tend to be very well fitted and adhered at the bottom. Add in the cowl trim being a bit of a shield as it sits between the glass and the hood PLUS a seal between the hood and the lower cowl itself bottom leaks are uber-rare in my biz.

IF your windshield is leaking its most likely coming from the upper corners where E-Series are known problem spots. These leaks can go undetected almost forever which is a problem naturally. Water that runs under the factory floor mats is absorbed into the underside padding, never drying or evaporating away. Any metal in constant contact like that will rust.

However this video when switched to the interior shows no signs of water leaking inside---no where. What you're seeing is the results as outlined above, the mat padding absorbing moisture. Along with my business experience there is also personal experience with this on my own 2003 E250. Same rust, same places; sad news is you probably have even more elsewhere on the body and frame not yet discovered.

It does seem the '03's especially are huge potential rust-prone. My 2000 with over 275K miles is pretty much rust free where my '03 and a friend who bought brand new in '03 have so many similar rusted areas there has to be something to that year being a problem. All three vehicles have lived forever in the same area so weather per se not a factor for the 2000 van.

I can post 50 or so photos to show this in detail but in the Paint & Bodywork sub-forum you'll find my thread about this topic--here 'tis: https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-por-15-a.html In case it's not mentioned that covers my 2003, work performed in July 2012.

HTH

 

I really doubted that it was coming from the upper corners of the windshield but suppose i need to be more open minded. My thought was that it was coming through the cowl and running through the floorboards. It seems to be coming through on the floor just under the hood release in the corner. Your absolutely correct about the carpet (it was my thoughts exactly). I was fairly confident with the windshield installation because it was done from a well known experienced installer. Possibly he was not aware of the corner issues with these vans. Ill have to investigate further. If it is the corners, should the windshield be pulled?

 

Your windshield isn't leaking---in your own video there are no signs water is entering the cabin from the outside.

IF you persist thinking this is an external leak remove the A-Pillar trim pieces along with the grab handles the run a continuous stream of water from the roof, watch for water seeping in between the body and windshield bonding material.

You can also remove the driver's and passenger's side kick panel trim pieces looking for signs of rust-colored streaks running down to the floor.

Before discussion what repairs or fixes are needed let's first determine what's really going on.

 

Actually the windshield is leaking. Driver-side top corner. If I reach up from the inside corner, there's water dripping in. Its leaking down the a pillar and down below the brake release on the floor. Its then running into the step which also leaks when im driving through the factory holes (from the front tires or puddles).

 

I don't know about any other model E-150 besides the 88 model I had.

On it, all the water from the cowl openings drained to the driver's side and came out just above the bottom door hinge. There were 20 years of leaves packed in there and whenever I opened the driver's door after a rain, water would drain from the bottom of the door, and from that hinge area.

I removed the cowl louvers (wiper arms and 6 screws) and cleaned out the piles of leaves. I had to blast the "downspout" area to get the drain unclogged. After that, the water drained as fast as it collected in the cowl.

And that's all I know about that. jim

 

Depending how much you want to spend or how much longer you'll keep this van it might be time to have the windshield removed to check for damage or rust on the pinch weld. Its very unlikely the glass can be removed intact, too often they will break during this process---factor in the cost of a new windshield.

Once the windshield any damage (rust) or break in the upper body seams can be seen--these should be treated before re-installing the glass. I'd use POR-15 if the rust is significant, a good grade of bare-metal primer such as used by auto glass installers; I use Essex BetaPrime 5504G.

All that's the best practice, assuming this van will be around for a few more years.

OR you can simply remove the leaking side's A-Pillar trim, lower the headliner a bit so a caulking gun fits closely against the glass/urethane/body joint and seal the leak from the inside. A good grade of silicone sealer/adhesive that can be found at Lowe's etc works good, make sure its for exterior use. Don't use anything with latex or that's meant for home caulking----they won't work for this.

Both versions are how I'd take care of leaks but I use a different material, the same adhesive used to install the windshield. I keep plenty of it around so no need for additional stuff. Its not nearly as easy for a DIY to use so best to stay with the silicone sealer.

HTH

 

You need to look at the rain / drip rail on the roof. Ford had a problem with the seam sealer they used. I'm sorry but I can't remember the years.

 

Its a rookie job but got it done. Grinded out the rust, rust converter on the rest, sheet metal for the floor, body filler, prime and paint.

 

I have water in the same spot. Just bought the van. Guy claims no water ever. I can’t trust the guy. I notice a little bit or damage to the top drivers side roof where it meets the windshield. Honest i threw a bunch of clean nail polish just to see if it was it. It just kept running into the lip created by the serious Xm antenna, but it’s just a small hole, I don’t see how that could be the problem. I was really leaning toward something with the cowl like you guys thought here. This is driving me crazy. Dropped a lot of money on this thing and I don’t want this water to ruin my investment.