rangerovers.pub
The only place for a coil spring is up Zebedee's arse
Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

It's going to save me so much time in the mornings, I can shower on the way to work!

It's started pouring with rain again and have a another new leak. I have water dripping from my interior light, right on to the gear lever and surrounding area.

Time for a stupid question now: is there anywhere except the sunroof/blocked drains that this could be coming from?

The reason I ask is that the headlining is completely dry, even around the interior light, and when I opened the sunroof the channels around it appeared to be pretty much completely dry. There was some wetness to the rear of the sunroof where it disappears in to the roof but the interior light is forward of the sunroof opening.

Member
avatar
Joined:
Posts: 7846

That used to be a common problem on 1990's Peugeots and Citroens as they had the radio aerial directly above the interior light and the O ring on the base of that would perish. Caused all sorts of grief as the infra red receiver for the central locking lived inside the interior light and it didn't take kindly to being filled with water. However, unless someone has been at yours with a drill and fitted something non-standard, you don't have a hole in the roof at that point. I'd start by dropping the interior light (it just pulls out) and seeing if you can see where it's getting in. If it is getting in at the centre the only place I can think of is around the windscreen. Does it come in while parked or only when moving?

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

It was already leaking when I got in the car this morning so must have started while parked.

It seemed to slow the further in to my journey I got but it didn't stop completely.

Car is going over a pit at lunch, I'm hoping I can remove the one way valves at the exit ends of the drain tubes and shove an airline up them to clear any blockages. I can check behind the light at the same time and perhaps pour some water over the windscreen to check it.

Member
avatar
Joined:
Posts: 7846

Unless it's different on the later ones, there aren't any one way valves as such, just a conical bit of rubber with slits in it to allow water to drain out but not get back in. I know mine are clear, they stopped me as I was about to get on a ferry a couple of weeks ago to pint out I had a water leak.....

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

Ah, ok. That's good to know. I was looking at the guide on the other site and it said to note the one way valves. I assumed this meant there was actually a valve in there somewhere.

I can just jam an airline in and go at it then.

Member
avatar
Joined:
Posts: 1228

I'd be cautious of using an airline as the hoses coming down from the sunroof are only pushed into the rubber bits that pass through the body. The rear ones on mine are only in about 1cm and it isn't a particularly tight fit. If you do have a blockage, I imagine they will pop out quite quickly on the inside.

Member
Joined:
Posts: 2312

A Cat5 patch cable (with the plug cut off!) is a perfect size/ flexibility to feed through the drains and clear blockages.

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

Sloth wrote:

I'd be cautious of using an airline as the hoses coming down from the sunroof are only pushed into the rubber bits that pass through the body. The rear ones on mine are only in about 1cm and it isn't a particularly tight fit. If you do have a blockage, I imagine they will pop out quite quickly on the inside.

The airline tube is nice and narrow so I'll be able to hold on to the tube with some long nose pliers and hopefully stop it pushing in.

I think I have a spare reel of CAT5 up in the switch room. I'll have a look.

Member
Joined:
Posts: 2312

I think what Sloth meant was that the air pressure could blow the pipes apart at the join down in the body, not at the top. Holding the top pipe, or bottom pipe, won't stop that happening.
Cat5 reel cable might be a bit rigid- patch cables are floppier!

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

Ah, I thought Sloth was saying that the air pressure would dismount it from the hole in the body it exits through.

Doesn't matter now though, I couldn't locate the rear ones. I guess I need to take the arch liners out to find them. Same for the front although I was able to access the top end of the front ones.

Puffed some air down from the top then followed it with the cable. The cable came out the bottom no bother at all and the tubes appear to be clean as a whistle. I think I need to investigate the windscreen possibility next.

I pulled the interior light out and had a good look around with a torch but I couldn't even see any evidence of water having been in there at all - let alone the source of the actual leak!

Felt around with a finger but it was all bone dry. Odd.

I know one thing for certain though - I need at least one new air spring. O/S/F began deflating as soon as the wheel was off the ground. Pushing it around sealed the leak and it's not leaking with the weight of the car on it. I think I'll order a pair of fronts.

Member
Joined:
Posts: 1305

The rear ones are behind the arch liners, yes...

They can also be accessed from inside the loadspace if you take off the trim panel either side (that the loadspace cover hooks onto)... they are a PITA to get back on sometimes...

The sunroof drains are then in behind there at the base of the C pillar. You can pull the black NRV's out, but they are a pain to get back in from the top, unless you have small hands!

Member
Joined:
Posts: 426

I've just discovered mine has this very same feature too! :)

Member
avatar
Joined:
Posts: 7846

Not to be left out, I've got a foot bath in mine, a little puddle on the rubber mat on the passenger side. Mine should be simple though as it will be either the pollen filter housing or the self tapper directly above it.

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

It's actually a very good safety feature in the event of a flash flood.

There's no chance of the vehicle floating away and risking crushing some poor unfortunate soul as the inside will simply fill with water in a matter of minutes and stay exactly where it is! It also makes it very easy to find you car after such a flood.

How thoughtful of those Land Rover engineers!

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

Gilbertd wrote:

Not to be left out, I've got a foot bath in mine, a little puddle on the rubber mat on the passenger side. Mine should be simple though as it will be either the pollen filter housing or the self tapper directly above it.

My foot bath seems to be playing games with me.

It shows all the hall marks of it being the AC drain yet will only do it when/after it rains heavily.

A few weeks ago I stripped out and sealed all of the pollen filter gubbins on the N/S but the footwell still got wet.

I cleared out the AC drains and it stopped leaking. It was then completely fine for a few weeks, even through the crazy heat we had where I had the AC running round the clock. Until it rained at the end of last week and over the weekend - at which point I have wet footwells again!

It could just be coincidence. I poked the AC drains again yesterday and some dirt came out - no wet footwell on the way home last night or in to work today.

Member
avatar
Joined:
Posts: 7846

I've had a blocked AC drain in the past and the puddle on the rubber mat formed next to the centre console. This time it's down in the front corner so not that and it only appeared after the car had stood outside in the rain when the AC wasn't being used. Two advantages with having the genuine LR floor mats is that they have a lip around the edge so the water stays on the mat and doesn't get as far as the carpet to soak into that and being rubber you can also see exactly where the water started rather than just having soggy carpets.

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

My AC drain also allowed water to run down the front corner under the A-pillar. The water found it's way on to the kick panel and ran along that until it met the corner and ran down there too.

I must admit you've got me on the issue of it only happening while switched off though.

Smiler, I forgot to ask before - did you find any signs of where your roof shower is getting in from?

Member
Joined:
Posts: 995

New air springs just showed up :D

Found this in the box:

enter image description here

Lets just throw that away. Slightly concerned that the Dunlop springs I purchased have arrived with Britpart paperwork...

Member
Joined:
Posts: 803

That's because Britpart buys huge loads of air springs from Dunlop, so you don't have to. They just box them up and ship them out.