Water intrusion

[Ron F]

I had to access my battery 2 days ago to charge it after leaving the ignition on overnight (DUMB). When I pulled up the carpeting I discovered that there was about 4-5 inches of water in the battery well and the entire rubber backing on the floor mat on passenger side was soaked. I pulled the battery vent line out of the hole it goes through and all the water drained out. I am really puzzled on this one. Last week we had lots of rain in my area and I drove a fair amount in that rain. I figured the water had to either have gotten into the car from above or below the car so I first took a hose and sprayed the roof, windshield, and service flap thinking that the water might have entered through the drain holes at the bottom of the windshield and there was a clogged drain below the service area. After about 4-5 minutes of hosing down the front of the car there was not a drop of water inside. I can't imagine that so much water could have accumulated in the battery well if the water was coming from rain on the road. Dealer will check it tomorrow and we'll see what they find. Water intrusion is usually a tough problem to solve. I'm wondering if anyone else has experienced this much water in the car in this same area and, if so, what was found to be the problem.

[Gearhead]

If your AC condensate line has a leak -- the AC will drain condensate water into the batter well... The water will build up over time -- the water you see in there could have been building up from last summer. The AC condensate drain line has a "duck bill" end on it so water can drain without leaving the tube open to the outside air. Check the AC condensate line for leaks and check that the duck bill opens at the end of the tube.

[shark]

Heard of a few A/C drains not installed correctly causing the pass floor to fill with water. also heard of the water from this issue, if bad enough, getting into some electronics. Make sure they check for collateral damage.

[Ron F]

Originally Posted by Gearhead

If your AC condensate line has a leak -- the AC will drain condensate water into the batter well... The water will build up over time -- the water you see in there could have been building up from last summer. The AC condensate drain line has a "duck bill" end on it so water can drain without leaving the tube open to the outside air. Check the AC condensate line for leaks and check that the duck bill opens at the end of the tube.

Good call Gearhead. AC condensate drain line was clogged. Warranty item fixed at dealership today. Hope there are not others out there with same problem who don't know they have it. I am quite certain that the AC drain hose was messed up when they did the recall battery replacement and the 2.0 transmission work in mid summer. The water was obviously there since then. Fortunately no rust. I am amazed that the additional cruise control light that I installed in the dash still worked since the wires for it and the splice ran right across the passenger floor board which has had water in it since the problem began. It only takes a few minutes to pull up the passenger side carpeting and see if any of you have a similar problem. Chances are you don't but if you do that water will be there for a long time before anyone discovers it.