I own a 2 door Honda Civic Hatchback, 1997. It’s hail damaged but runs great. Recently I’ve noticed that there is water under the rear right seat and that it’s wet on the floor under both front seats. Sometimes it’s wet in the wheel well.
I’m nearly positive that this happens after a rain so I’m a bit suspicious of the door seals. If you think it’s the door seals, please tell me how I can check them.
207,000 miles and counting. Did something with the A/C recently, but my AC is usually on for defrosting and problem appears to be limited to rainy days. Of course I live in Oregon, so it’s hard to tell.
By wheel well I mean near my spare tire it’s wet sometimes, but I think it’s just condensation.
The doors may be a problem, but I suspect it may be coming from the trunk area. Look under the spare and see if there are any rust holes. Check the whole trunk bottom. Also check the tail lights. Make sure it is not coming in there.
Since there is water in the passenger compartment and the trunk area don’t forget to check around the back window. Sometimes the adhesive fails and water gets in. If that is the case the glass must be removed and new reveal mouldings installed.
I wonder if some window(s) were replaced due to hail damage and not correctly sealed. I would concentrate on the rear window first. The passenger windows are designed to leak into the door and exit to the outside at the bottom if they are properly put back together.
this may be redundant, but open the trunk. clean out any debris and gunk in the channel around the trunk. if there is debris, pine needles, leaves in there the water can dam up and flow over into the trunk.
by any chance do you have a CB radio, XM, or other extra antenna sticking out of the trunk. you know the kind that you had to run a wire out, over the rubber trunk gasket? these kinds of installations can make a constant drip into the trunk area too.
while you are in the trunk, lift up the spare and inspect the wheel well area for a drain hole. it is usually a rubber plug in the bottom. remove it, and let the water drain out.
you ask about the door seals. run a garden hose on the roof on top of each window. sit inside the car and look carefully with a flashlight for water. does this have a sun roof?
If you have water in the floor also check the belt mouldings on the doors. This is the rubber on the door at the bottom of the glass (it’s at belt level). If there is rot and/or chunks missing a lot of water can get in, fill up the bottom of the door and spill into the passenger compartment.