So kind of a wacky one. I bought my car used, and it's had a new windshield installed as well as aftermarket radar and security, AKA it's been fiddled with.

If you go through the carwash, there are drops of water coming down near the accelerator. Obviously there is a missing grommet or improperly positioned seal or something, but having never had this car apart, I was hoping for some input on where would be the best place to start looking. There is no under car spray required to cause the issue.


Should I start looking from under the dash? Under the hood digging down from the windshield? Under the car?

In my old car when I would want to get under the dash, I'd just pull the driver seat to make it more comfortable. Anything I need to know before pulling the seat?

Is there any other more common repair that involves digging down in the space on the frunk side of the firewall that maybe includes some teardown notes?

 

Get under your dash with a flashlight would be my first suggestion.

There are a couple wiring entry points behind the clutch pedal mechanism (up on the firewall so you may need to contort to get a good view. Some installers will cut/remove the grommet there to run wires and not properly re-seal.

However, since there was no high-pressure undercarriage wash, it would be difficult for water to leak from this spot. Your thought about the windshield makes sense, but if you are not noticing wind noise or other poor seal symptoms I would check under the dash first.

Most important, don't get high-pressure washes in the future. A hand wash with proper technique is much better.

 

Could be that the drain plugs around the battery are blocked, and water is rising up to the entry point for the wiring of the radar, which is likely through the rubber seal on the drivers side of the firewall.

 

If you are driving a 997.1 manual turbo, your car is defective so please message me so I can take this turd off your hands ... LOL

 

First thing we need to address, you drive your 911 Turbo thru automated carwashes?

Sorry, can't help you with the leak...

 

Check the drain plugs on either side of the battery. If those are clear proceed to the auto glass shop to have them re-seat the window. Can't think of any other issues if it is coming from the front.

 

Thanks for the tips. I'll check it out.

Just the touchless one where you park it and the arm just spins around the car spraying. Then I follow up with a chemical guys waterless car wash+wax. Fastest way I know to get the car presentable as an apartment dweller.

....My cold dead hands

 

Worth noting that the chemicals/cleaning products used in car washes are very very harsh, and they often recycle water. Even if it is brushless, it can destroy your paint.

 

Agreed, though I'm hoping the immediate cleaning after the wash and the wax in the chemical guys product is helping. I can't bring myself to use the waterless washes on a dirty car.


Open to suggestions for improvement for an apartment dweller in a public garage in NYC but the plan is to opti coat pro it to withstand what i put it through.

 

It can be a result of a poorly replaced windscreen, happened on my BMW's twice.