Van leaking in behind dash?

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:07

1983 van

When it rains for a substantial period of time I get a tiny bit of water on my drivers side footstep mat. At first I put this down to water somehow working it's way through the drivers door and out of the bottom, or around the drivers door seal. Obviously it has been doing this for quite some time as the drivers side step is well on it's way to hell

Drivers step picture

Tonight after reading Simon's guide to buying a van I had a right good sniff around and noticed a small pool of water collecting behind the dash as shown in the next picture

Picture of pool location

It seems that when it rains water collects in the hole, the level reaches the top and then trickles down to the footwell

At first I thought it was the dreaded windscreen rot problem where the corners corrode but I looked under the seal and there were no crispy bits but the rubber seal under the exterior flap did look a bit loose (maybe just me not knowing what I'm looking for). When I peered under the dash there were no signs of corrossion around the winscreen (from what a could see)

Anyone shed any light on it? And maybe give me a ballpark figure for corrective cost including welding a new plate on the step?

Cheers

Post by **Cate** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:13

The classic place is the water collecting in the backward tilted lip at the corner of the windscreen, the rubber can get a bit dry and hard here, making a bad seal. Ideal would be to remove the screen, get the metal work repaired if nec and refit with a new rubber seal.

I got some windscreen sealant from the local carbody repair shop and splurged that all round under the rubber, having removed all the old sealant rubbish. It seems to have done the trick. But i do have another seal ready to go in soon.

New steps can be got from ah Schofields. www.ahschofields.co.uk

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:15

Any idea on the cost of removing and resealing the screen (minus any other remedial work)?

Post by **Cate** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:38

My local windscreen place quoted me 30 quids to remove and replace with sealant, plus theres the cost of a GOOD rubber, then repair work.

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:41

Cheers Cate

That's another to add to the autumn repair list (need the cash to enjoy the camping seaso)

Post by **excalibur** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:42

bit of washing up liquid and some string........dead easy job to do, and not worth £30 for a 5 minute job

Post by **Cate** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:44

If its going to wait till the autumn then clean out the muck, get some sealant and squidge it in, its a messy job and the stuff goes everywhere! but it works!

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:47

excalibur wrote:bit of washing up liquid and some string........dead easy job to do, and not worth £30 for a 5 minute job

5 minute job to remove a windscreen DIY without cracking it?

Personally I have neither the time nor the inclination to penny pinch for £30 and possibly (probably) make a right dogs gonads of it.

Cheers Cate I was already on that train of thought

Post by **excalibur** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:50

5 minute job to remove a windscreen DIY without cracking it?

never cracked one yet, and I hardly call £30 pennies, but each to their own. If you dont feel confident then pay someone I suppose, but realy its a case of removing the trim and giving a good kick with the flat of your boot (with a mate to catch)

Takes a minute or so, replacing by fitting the seal onto the screen, threading string around the outer groove of the seal and have a mate push it into the opening while you pull the string........easy peasy nowt to it

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 22:52

I'd probably put my size 10 right through it and kick the wife in the head in true Frank Spencer stylee

Post by **Simon Baxter** » 26 Feb 2006, 23:00

horace83 wrote:
excalibur wrote:bit of washing up liquid and some string........dead easy job to do, and not worth £30 for a 5 minute job
5 minute job to remove a windscreen DIY without cracking it?

Personally I have neither the time nor the inclination to penny pinch for £30 and possibly (probably) make a right dogs gonads of it.

I would pay someone!

Take me more than 5 minutes! and it's a 2 man job.

Just kicking a screen out is likely to break it, well it will break!

Seals are still available from VW.

Chances are that the corners of the windscreen frame are rotten.
Get a torch and have a peek up past the glovebox and you'll probably see rot.

Try not to use washing up liquid as it contains sodium apparently, which is salt, which you don't want to be trapping in! more rust!

If everything is in order, seal reasonably supple and no rot you won't need any sealer, sealer is there to do the job the window seal should be doing on it's own.
If it leaking either the seal is foobared or the frame is, using sealer is only a remedy not a cure.

Post by **Cate** » 26 Feb 2006, 23:12

using sealer is only a remedy not a cure.

good words, the work eventually needs to be done properly before the rust really gets hold! Bah evil stuff!

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 23:15

I had a peek under the dash and could not see any rot. I think the seal is most likely foobared. But I will look again just to make sure

Post by **excalibur** » 26 Feb 2006, 23:16

Just kicking a screen out is likely to break it, well it will break!

well I have either got the knack or have been very lucky over the past 30 years, because, and I have lost count of the number of times I have done this, I have never had a screen crack yet

This is the method I always use, especialy at scrappies

Post by **Cruz** » 26 Feb 2006, 23:17

PM me 6 numbers between 1 and 49 quick!!