2005 ST XLT water leak

[Jamie Rosenthal]

I've got a 2005 Sport Trac, and I'm wondering if anyone else has or had issues with water on the floorboards? I've only had it for a couple months, and just recently found water pooled under the floor passenger side, both front and back. I pulled floor plugs to drain it and tried to dry it out with fans, as the foam under the rubber was totally soaked. I also found the front drivers side to be damp underneath, along with quite a bit of surface rust, so it's been ongoing for a while. The passenger side really isn't rusty like its a more recent issue on that side of the vehicle. I had a glass shop check it and they did reseal the windshield as they found it to be leaking, and I hoped that would solve the issue. I put it all back together and after an evening of rain, it felt wet again the next morning under the flooring in the same areas, front and back passenger, and the front driver floor! I did the garden hose test with a buddy and there was no really obvious sign of water coming in, even with a good soaking. The only spot that I could see a few drips was around where the e-brake cable gives through the floor, there is a rubber grommet and it seemed tight, but a few drops looked to be coming from that area. I wouldn't think there'd be enough to soak the floor though, and that doesn't give an explanation for the passenger side. I've checked the sunroof drain lines, they are connected, I shot some air down the lines, there's no sign of wetness or staining up in the headliner, the doors seal tight at the top, the mouldings all seem good, so I'm just at a loss here. Any help would be appreciated!

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

If you have a factory moon roof than I would check the cavity under the glass for leaves and other debris as well as blow out the drain tubes, they tend to get clogged and cause what you're describing. Check the third high mount brake light housing for leaks too. All of these have been discussed numerous times over the years and many on here have the same problem.

 

[swshawaii]

Good tips Jerry. Also remove the hood cowl vents and check for debris. Remove carefully, very sharp clips and washer hoses are short with fragile plastic fittings.

 

[swshawaii]

Cowl Panel Grille Removal and Installation

 

[Jamie Rosenthal]

I had mentioned checking the sunroof drain lines, all seems good, the cavity is clean, no debris. It seems clean underneath the cowl vents as well. Is there a drain hole on either side under the cowl vents that I'm not seeing that I could try to blast with the air compressor?

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

You might want to remove the roof racks and put some silicone in the bolt holes and around that area under the racks. I had a leak form there and did this and haven't had any leaks since.

 

[Jamie Rosenthal]

Thanks Jerry, is there any kind of factory gasket or washer that fits underneath or do the racks just sit directly on the roof?

 

[Jerry Gerner 2]

They just sit directly on the roof if I remember correctly. I used black windshield gasket to seal mine up and I used 3M double sided tape to seal the third brake light.

 

[swshawaii]

May be a disconnected drain tube. Passenger side location "should" be similar. See posts #4 and up.

 

[Jamie Rosenthal]

I decided to pull the roof racks to check it out, and found 2 or 3 of the bolts and inserts looking pretty rusty! Whether or not they were leaking and contributing to the problem I'm not sure, but I wrapped all the bolts with pipe tape, siliconed underneath where the rack meets the bolt insert on the roof, and shot a bit of silicon down the holes too, I figured it can't hurt! I'm going to give it some time to set up and do the hose test again to see if I can find a definite leak, I'm bound and determined to sort this out!