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Water ingress

Mark 944

New member
Hi,
I have just bought my first Porsche - a 1991 944 S2. I got the car for a good price considering the amount of work the previous owner had done. But, as with a lot of these old classics, there is still bits to get finished. The main point at the moment is that there is water getting in and i suspect it the sunroof is the entry point so i would like to know if it is an easy fix and what sort of cost will i be looking at. Also, are any other places known for the water getting in other that around the boot seal and boot locking pins.

Cheers
Mark.
 
Hi Mark, Your best bet is to do a search about the sunroof leaks and the leaking in the boot area as their is a huge amount of info on here. The sunroof leaks via the drain holes if they are not clear and can leak via the seals, Both seal can be brought from an OPC or from the various resellers on the net. You can get water ingress from the rear lights, locking mechanism if drain tubes arn't clear, from the boot seal and the petrol cap area. Best wishes Jason
 
Welcome Mark. Jason has covered the main points, as he says do some searches as there's been plenty of threads on the topic lately (Time for an FAQ on this or is there one?) Where in the UK are you? Welcome again to the forum, enjoy your stay and get some pics up of your new 944![:D] Cheers Andy
 
(Time for an FAQ on this or is there one?
I'd love someone to do a proper write-up on the areas to look for leaks in, with some half-decent pictures. I've got a really good hatch-pin article from Alpine waiting for me to get the time to upload the pictures as a faq ( I did get it all uploaded one time and then my computer melted down, I've not really got over the frustration of that!), but anything like this is very welcome. Mark, welcome. Aside from the hatch seal and locks, the rear lights are a suspect area if they've been taken out and not re-sealed. Rear quarter lights can leak (rarely), and things like corrosion in the floor, or blocked door drains, are other rare possibilities. The sunroof is the main culprit, check the four drains first by pouring water carefully down them. If it doesn't flow out under the car then you know it's blocked, just be careful as the tubes are pushed on "upwards", so you can easily dislodge them if you are too agressive from above. Strimmer cable is flexible, and can be used gently to clear the tubes. The one you've not mentioned is the drains in the bulkhead. These fill with leaves and crud, so check that the area under the windscreen is clear, and water drains away freely. If there are poorly-sealed holes through the bulkhead for aftermarket alarms etc., then this is a route for water to get in the cabin as well. I'd also repeat what I mentioned on the last "leaky car" thread; 944s aren't modern cars. If it lives outside, even the most leak-free 944 seems to suffer from some condensation and damp, just from the moisture in the air, and what is carried in on shoes and clothes. Our "modern" car de-mists in seconds with it's new air-con, and properly sealed doors, windows etc., so it's always a noticable wait whilst the 944 gets some heat in the en[&o]gine, and then starts to clear the screen.
 
I would second the leaking via the front bulkhead due to leaves or crud or blocked drains. If the water builds up behind the engine bulkhead (under the plastic shroud) it can get directly into the car via the heater motor unit, in fact when this unit is out of the car you can see directly into the front footwells. My 924S was bad for this as the gasket between the motor and bodywork was rotten so water came directly into the car behind the centre console.
 
Hi Mark Welcome to 944 ownership.Where is the water/damp in the car exactly , this will help us to point you in the right direction. Nick [:D]
 
Thanks for the replies chaps, plenty of things to consider. Ok, to start, the water is getting to the back seat and the boot area so i suspect there may be more than one point of entry to find. The front footwells seem to be dry - other than what comes in on shoes, meaning hopefully, the bulkhead may not be an issue. The car lives outside under a decent quality cover for the moment, i am in the process of getting a garage rented - when the council actually respond!! I live near to Stone in Staffordshire, if anyone is close enough to call in for a brew and give some advice then just say. Cheers Mark.
 
from what you have said the rear seats and boot carpet are wet so I would suggest : 1 - test sunroof rear drain holes are clear by pouring water into them and checking it comes out of tubes at rear of wheel arch underneath. 2 - do same for petrol filler area drain hole. 3 - rear hatch seal could be leaking , seal up with tape and hose pipe the car and see if water comes in or not. 4 - rear hatch glass could be delaminating away from frame which could let water in at top which is dropping onto wet areas. Are there any signs of water leaks on roof lining at rear ? Nick [:D]
 
Another quick tip. Make sure the two drain holes on the boot spoiler are clear, they tend to get choked up with debris. If they're not clear, water will sit and then seep through.
 
I managed to get a few hours on the 944 this afternoon (before having to take the missus out!) and found a few things causing problems. The drain hole on the spoiler were totally blocked but easily sorted once the compressor was fired up. I also found that the water was getting in through the boot latch holes and the drain hoses were missing from both of these. One of the latches was inoperative, so with a bit of time on it, they are both now working properly. The drain hose from the fuel filler was fitted but not poked out through the bodywork - also now rectified. just for good measure, i bought some G3 and some autoglym polish and will spend a few more hours making it look a bit shinier tomorrow. Thanks for the pointers so far. Mark.
 

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