Sill Filling With Water

[moorlander999]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscren which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

[anchorman]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscreen which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

I'm fairly sure that water can get all the way down the windscreen pillar, down the A post and into the sill but one of the 4.1 guys will elaborate hopefully. They have been known to leak from the screen so maybe it wasn't successful.

It might be an idea to drill a hole in the inside of the sill and let it out (not with an electric drill!!!). You can always plug and seal it after the leak is fixed.

[Bodgit-fixit-run]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscreen which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

I'm fairly sure that water can get all the way down the windscreen pillar, down the A post and into the sill but one of the 4.1 guys will elaborate hopefully. They have been known to leak from the screen so maybe it wasn't successful.

It might be an idea to drill a hole in the inside of the sill and let it out (not with an electric drill!!!). You can always plug and seal it after the leak is fixed.

OK silly question time Why not an electric drill. Strange how the answer comes as you ask an obvious question. DOH! :o

Did you mean not a mains powered drill. I can't imagine a small Battery one would be risky.

[anchorman]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscreen which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

I'm fairly sure that water can get all the way down the windscreen pillar, down the A post and into the sill but one of the 4.1 guys will elaborate hopefully. They have been known to leak from the screen so maybe it wasn't successful.

It might be an idea to drill a hole in the inside of the sill and let it out (not with an electric drill!!!). You can always plug and seal it after the leak is fixed.

OK silly question time Why not an electric drill. Strange how the answer comes as you ask an obvious question. DOH! :o

Did you mean not a mains powered drill. I can't imagine a small Battery one would be risky.

Terminology! I call cordless drills Battery drills!!!

I once saw a young lad drill upwards into a glass fibre door on a truck that had filled with water. We had to turn the power off at the mains to get him off the drill. Lucky it didn't kill him but none of us who were there will ever forget the sight of him clinging tighter and tighter in agony to that drill. The power/water just made his muscles tighten up.

Not sure if a Battery drill has any capacitors that might issue you with a kick but that is what I would use - carefully! At best it might not do the drill any good if it filled with water.

[bothwell_buyer]

Yawn - jist wakening up from the celebrations last night when Celtic scored 2 - 1, and I knew Terry Butcher at Inverness would've beaten Rangers but wish now that I'd put £10 on it! At 80:1 it would have paid for a few RAV bits :lol:

I had a lot of problems with the windscreen after it was replaced - the top edge never had enough gunge/sealant put on and it leaked for many months despite trying various sealants. My issue was that the water ran off the roof and down to the lip of the windscreen rubber where it found the gap...and then in to track along the frame and down the A pillar. From there it followed the contours eventually finding its way through the fuse box area and down to the passenger side footwell. Cos I couldn't see any dampness, I thought it was coming in lower down and into the footwell, checking the drain from the grille bit where the wipers sit down the inside of the wing to make sure this was running clear. To be honest, I never really got it sealed until the windscreen mysteriously cracked and then I had the screen replaced, whilst being supervised by the guys at The Garage.

So first of all, is to check the water isn't coming into the footwell as it will cause rust....smelly carpets and sodden underfelt. If this is dry, then it sounds as if the drain going down the inside of the wing is blocked.

I'd try running water over the passenger side to see where the water drains.....this will give you a clue as to what should be happening on the other side. I'm not sure how to describe the drain but know it can get blocked. The plastic grid bit at the wipers comes off quite easily. Check that any drains aren't blocked at the bottom by road muck.

A totally different thing, but if you're hosing the wheel arches is to wash the gunk out from the rear wheel nearside arch where the petrol filler pipes are as these get corroded by muck behind the plastic shroud.

[moorlander999]

Yawn - jist wakening up from the celebrations last night when Celtic scored 2 - 1, and I knew Terry Butcher at Inverness would've beaten Rangers but wish now that I'd put £10 on it! At 80:1 it would have paid for a few RAV bits :lol:

I had a lot of problems with the windscreen after it was replaced - the top edge never had enough gunge/sealant put on and it leaked for many months despite trying various sealants. My issue was that the water ran off the roof and down to the lip of the windscreen rubber where it found the gap...and then in to track along the frame and down the A pillar. From there it followed the contours eventually finding its way through the fuse box area and down to the passenger side footwell. Cos I couldn't see any dampness, I thought it was coming in lower down and into the footwell, checking the drain from the grille bit where the wipers sit down the inside of the wing to make sure this was running clear. To be honest, I never really got it sealed until the windscreen mysteriously cracked and then I had the screen replaced, whilst being supervised by the guys at The Garage.

So first of all, is to check the water isn't coming into the footwell as it will cause rust....smelly carpets and sodden underfelt. If this is dry, then it sounds as if the drain going down the inside of the wing is blocked.

I'd try running water over the passenger side to see where the water drains.....this will give you a clue as to what should be happening on the other side. I'm not sure how to describe the drain but know it can get blocked. The plastic grid bit at the wipers comes off quite easily. Check that any drains aren't blocked at the bottom by road muck.

A totally different thing, but if you're hosing the wheel arches is to wash the gunk out from the rear wheel nearside arch where the petrol filler pipes are as these get corroded by muck behind the plastic shroud.

I have run water over the screen and down through the grille below the wipers...the water runs out of the bottom drain in the sill .but it sounds like it is also running into the inside of the sill. There is no water under the carpet or in the footwell.

when i set of onthe level it runs out like a river....the passenger side is normal....

[Davrav]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscren which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

[Davrav]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscren which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

Can you clarify the arrangement of your drive and how you park - it seems as if you have a slope somewhere.

Do you park on the slope and if so, facing up or downhill?

Does the water appear to collect when parked, when driving or both?

[moorlander999]

1998 rav4 gx 5 dr...with tilt and slide sunroof...I had major problems last year with a leaking windscren which was eventually fixed ( autoglass bodge sorted out by local toyota independent who i think bodged it but anyway it doesnt leak!! ) In recent months I have noticed that a great deal of water comes out of the sill drain on the drivers side ( same side on the windscreen leak ) after the car has been stood on drive ( level ) when it has rained. The other day i free wheeled down the drive, engine off , and could hear water ''sloshing'' ....i pulled up onthe driveway slope and saw water ( a lot ) running out of the sill drain at the fromt just behind the wheel arch.

Any ideas on why this is happening ? Why is the sill filling up?? Is there a grommet at the end of the sill near to the wheen arch?? Is water running from through the grille under the wipers ( large channel ) which I thought just drained into the inner wing then out onto the road and not into the sill.

thanks in advance

ps - the passenger side doesnt have the problem.

simon.

if it is parked on a slope - bonnet facing down the slope - No problems.

if it is on the flat or bonnet facing uphill - lots of water etc

simon

Can you clarify the arrangement of your drive and how you park - it seems as if you have a slope somewhere.

Do you park on the slope and if so, facing up or downhill?

Does the water appear to collect when parked, when driving or both?

[moorlander999]

if it is parked on a slope - bonnet facing down the slope - No problems.

if it is on the flat or bonnet facing uphill - lots of water etc

simon

[bothwell_buyer]

guessing now but maybe getting in behind wheel arch protection -or a mudflap mounting hole - weird - shouldn't be doing that obviously. Can't remember if theres a drain hole at the rear of the sill. Will have a look if I can see anything,.

[moorlander999]

cheers for that....my thoughts are that they may be a grommet on the sill which may be allowing water from the drain ( inside wing liner ) into the sill -- ie - tracking down etc..

thanks again

simon

[moorlander999]

i think that the water is supposed to run behind the wheel arch liner, water drains away from the ''scuttle'' ( where the wiper mechanism is ) and inside the liner to the outside.....

[anchorman]

i think that the water is supposed to run behind the wheel arch liner, water drains away from the ''scuttle'' ( where the wiper mechanism is ) and inside the liner to the outside.....

That is where it should go. It might help to take the liner partly off and see if you can spot where it goes in. I've spent weeks looking for a pesky water leek before now. See if you take the kick panel off near the right side of the footwell and look inside for traces of water dropping down from the screen pillar. You can buy a little mirror on a stick from some car spares shop or some chemists stock them for dental hygene.

[moorlander999]

the last time i looked it was dry inside. There seems a hell of an amount of water running out of the sill for it to be drips. It can happen when i have washed it.

could there be a grommet of some sort in the sill at the point where it joins the wing>>havent had chance to get the wing liner off yet....seems strange that it happens onl when the car is on a level surface or facingv uphill??

[anchorman]

the last time i looked it was dry inside. There seems a hell of an amount of water running out of the sill for it to be drips. It can happen when i have washed it.

could there be a grommet of some sort in the sill at the point where it joins the wing>>havent had chance to get the wing liner off yet....seems strange that it happens onl when the car is on a level surface or facingv uphill??

The body is filled with holes and grommets that have been added to facilitate manufacturing and routing of wires. It only takes one to have been left out. Does it have a sunroof? If so can you pour water down the drains and listen carefully for it running down that side. I still don't think you can rule that windscreen out either. Just keep plodding on and looking.

[bothwell_buyer]

with the amount of water you mention, it points to a water track behind the liner, entering the channel at a grommet point or a point where a mud flap may have been fitted and later removed???

Other bits - wheres the aerial mounted? Could it be entering there or following the wire??

Door rubber seals - is the water running down the door seal and entering at a lower point near the sill?? I have a small leak where the rubber seal has deformed due to the plastic bit that seems to guide the window up on the drivers side. The water however enters and runs down the drivers window.

Snowing here today and really cold - am out tomorrow but hopefully have a look late tomorrow or saturday.

One thing - does the car have the sill protectors fitted? Not a side step but a black sill cover which I used to have before they rotted away. They could catch water

[bothwell_buyer]

It wouldn't be your door thats filling with water????

[moorlander999]

It wouldn't be your door thats filling with water????

no sill protectors, no side steps and definitely door not filling with water. Will check the door trim. It is fitted with toyota mudflaps from new. I have a feeling that there may be a grommet type whatsit on the sill and the water may be entering from there but cant be sure....

be careful in the snow....i went sideways in the ice this morning on the way to work ( at work now !! )

cheers for now

simon

[bothwell_buyer]

It wouldn't be your door thats filling with water????

no sill protectors, no side steps and definitely door not filling with water. Will check the door trim. It is fitted with toyota mudflaps from new. I have a feeling that there may be a grommet type whatsit on the sill and the water may be entering from there but cant be sure....

be careful in the snow....i went sideways in the ice this morning on the way to work ( at work now !! )

cheers for now

simon

cheers - the snow and ice was away before I went to scrape the windows.

I think the mudflaps will have been fitted by Toyota when it arrived in the UK so maybe sumps dropped out.

The way the door works is the rubber seal is on the door and not the frame....as I found today when it dropped water from the door on opening - snow melting probably did it.

[moorlander999]

i think that i will have to wait for some good dry weather..then remove the wing liners and get the torch out.....

[bothwell_buyer]

i think that i will have to wait for some good dry weather..then remove the wing liners and get the torch out.....

a job for next year then ? :lol:

[moorlander999]

i think that i will have to wait for some good dry weather..then remove the wing liners and get the torch out.....

a job for next year then ? :lol:

ha ha...sunny here at the moment.but freezing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[moorlander999]

i wonder if anyone else has had the same / similar problem with water ingress??