How to locate a leak in my car?

harveybobbles

It could be the membrane behind the dor trim that has failed. They often do on cars. This is the first place we look.

Sit in it while someone runs a hose pipe on all the edges of doors, windows etc...

maninthestreet

HannahIOW wrote: »

Thanks will check both those places too. Was sat in it one time and had a drip on my shoulder but couldn't for the life of me find where it came from lol

Sunroof, perhaps???

HannahIOW

maninthestreet wrote: »

Sunroof, perhaps???

I don't think it was, the drip was on my right shoulder

maninthestreet

HannahIOW wrote: »

I don't think it was, the drip was on my right shoulder

Water follows the path of least resistance, and it can't flow uphill. Any drip from car roof area above the driver of front passenger must have come from the sunroof - where else could it have come from?

Chocolate80

Hi Hannah,

I'm totally with you here. I've got an X reg Mazda 323 which has leaked since the day I got it (about 4 years ago). I get water in the passenger side footwells, front and back. I have had my door seals replaced and that didn't help at all. The garage were saying how hard it is to actually locate where a leak is coming from but I might try the hose trick...only once it's dry from all the rain we've had recently!

Hope you manage to get your car sorted!

jazzy

what car is it? Some models are prone to particular leaks, this may help you to track down your problem.

tomstickland

As already said, run a hosepipe onto it and look for drips.

Various things can leak:
door seals
boot seal
sunroof
windscreen
bonnet into engine bay and then into footwell

HannahIOW

A citroen saxo, from what I hear VERY prone to leaks especially the aerial and also somewhere at the front, can't remember what they said now (on a saxo forum)

Rolandtheroadie

As you've said the water hit your right shoulder. As has been said, it must be getting in higher than your shoulder. Is the aerial on the roof? If it is, it's either that or the sunroof.
When my sunroof was leaking, it came through the light in the headlining whenever I braked.
It was the sunroof drains on that occasion.

Mark_Hewitt

Put a hosepipe inside the car and completely fill it up with water, then you can stand outside and see where the water is coming out.