Hi! I have LOTS of water coming in from the front floors somehow of my Mitsubishi Eagle Summit; the driver’s side first and then to the passenger’s side. The car does not flood when it’s been standing and then gets rained on; only when I drive along wet roads and especially through large puddles do I get as much as a foot of water coming in! I have replaced the windshield and air was forced through but no blockage seemed apparent. Flooding was not averted. The belly of the car is sound and rust free. So where is the water coming in? Will raising the carpets tell me?
It’s starting to rain here in British Columbia, Canada, please, bail me out!
Removing the carpet may give you a clue as to where the water’s coming from, and it may not, but you’re going to have to lift the carpet anyway, in order to dry the padding underneath. If you don’t dry the padding it will become moldy, and the only way to dry the padding is to get it out from under the carpet.
Are the splash shields (inner fender liners) under the front fenders still intact? If one or more is missing or damaged it could allow water to get where it shouldn’t. There are holes in the firewall, between the engine compartment and the interior, through which things such as the wiring harness, the heater hoses, and the AC plumbing, pass. If the gaskets that seal these openings are missing, damaged, or otherwise non-functional, water will enter the car.
The place where the water is coming in might be difficult to find, especially since the water doesn’t come in during a normal rain, only while driving. Good luck.