Possible cowl leak

[mach1mustang351]

Team,

I have most of my interior out of my car.  I do have the dash and the seats, no carpets.  I was cruising around in the rain yesterday and I noticed a puddle on my passenger side floor pan.  I looked around the windshield (new) and the door but nothing was wet or dripping down and the headliner was dry as was the cardboard (replaced well plugs last season).  I started looking low and noticed the sound pad that attaches to the fire was wet.  But the pad directly under the A-pillar was dry.  I suspected heater core/coolant but upon using the old "taste test" it is definitely H20. 

Before I pull it all apart is it possible the cowl is not draining water properly and putting it back into the car??  Has this happened to anyone??  I am asking as I do not have  a lot of time and want to be pretty sure in my movements as I daily drive the car.

Thanks for the Help

Sam

[shaggimo]

I have the same issue with the SX/4, weird thing is, it doesn't do it all the time, I had originally thought it may have been the cowel seams under the fenders. I haven't had enough ambition (I really don't want to scratch the paint) to take the fenders back off the car just to have it prove me wrong, lol. My second thought, was the out side air vent, I noticed prior, that if I left it open, the water spot would be there, so I tried leaving it closed. It seemed to work, but yesterday, it had rained like mad, I had forgot to close the vent, but the car stayed dry  . So now I really don't know what it is that's leaking, I guess it's time for a hose test. My thoughts go back to the seams under the fenders.....

[JayRamb]

I know what it is!
Check your luggage rack bolt on the passenger side door. Pull up on the luggage rack and if it moves up and down. that is your leak! My 84 Eagle had a leak..I put some 3M black putty sealant on it and the leak stopped. The leaking/water/rain will run down the A pillar on the car onto the floor in the passengers side.

[vangremlin]

I had a pretty big leak onto my passenger side floor.  It turned out the water was following the antenna wire through that piece of the car and dripping down onto the floor.  The cowl drains out right above the antenna wire, and if the grommet for the wire is gone it will follow the wire into the passenger compartment.  Its easy to check, just run some water into the cowl, if you open the door slightly you'll be able to see the wire and see if water is following it inside. I picked up a grommet from Lowe's, and filled in the gap with silicone.  No more leaks!  Good luck

[shaggimo]

You know, I never thought of that  , Good tip!