duff Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 So a few months back I had water in the car that almost certainly resulted from blocked drain holes under the hood which thanks to some very helpful people on this forum got resolved. However, I am now facing more water in the cabin, this time though it is only on the drivers side. This appears to be a fairly recent problem either around the time I had the water ingress that wiped our the rear control unit or since then as it hadn't happened in the 2 years prior. Unlike last time the footwell is sodden as well as the area under and behind the seats. I initially assumed I had miss fitted or broken something in addressing the previous issues as the roof got stuck in a odd position, but I can't see any evidence the water is coming from behind. The carpet up the firewall and in front of the seatbelt mechanism all appears dry. Given it is wet in the footwell my suspicion is that is coming in from the front, but I am yet to work out how or where. I have checked all the front drain holes and while a couple had some decomposing leaves in clearing them seems not to have solved the problem at all. I tipped water into all the drain holes front and back and can see it run out the bottom pretty much immediately. I have yet to measure that all the water that went in came but I haven't noticed any getting into the cabin when I try this and have tipped a litre or so in each time. I have also tried tipping water over the door and window to see if it is somehow coming through there but I can't see any evidence of that being the problem. It is bone dry and the seal between the glass and the door appears to be effective. Hence I am looking for suggestions as to where else to look. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 Check the bottom of the drivers door card. If that’s wet then it’s the door membrane / inner panel seal. Also check that there are no trim clips missing. They form part of the waterproofing. The seal at the stop of the door - where the glass sits isn’t waterproof. Water will get past that. There are drains in the bottom of the door but if the membrane is faulty (it’s actually a panel on the 987 - can be resealed with butyl tape if you don’t want /need a replacement one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted March 30 Author Report Share Posted March 30 Thanks for the pointers. The bottom of the door car is very much dry to the touch so I don't think that is the culprit. Looking down in the footwell the dampness appears to start around the accelerator pedal, or at least that appears to be the highest part that is still damp. It is much wetter behind the seat but I am currently assuming this is due to the fact it is the lowest point in the cabin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 How are the rear drains looking currently? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 19 minutes ago, duff said: Thanks for the pointers. The bottom of the door car is very much dry to the touch so I don't think that is the culprit. Looking down in the footwell the dampness appears to start around the accelerator pedal, or at least that appears to be the highest part that is still damp. It is much wetter behind the seat but I am currently assuming this is due to the fact it is the lowest point in the cabin. Taste test ? If it’s sweet it’s coolant = heater matrix. If it’s tasteless it’s rain or air con condensate. (That’s usually passenger side on a 987. Condensate pipe gets detached. ) check the pollen filter (although again that’s normally passenger side ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted March 30 Author Report Share Posted March 30 (edited) Ok, it is water and despite my initial suspicion it is coming in at the front it appears that is not the case, or at the least it is definitely coming in the rear. I pulled up the carpet so I could see better and repeated the exercise of tipping water into the drain hole under the hood on the drivers side again. The water drains away, albeit a little slowly, and while some does comes out below the car with the carpet removed I can see some is also coming into the cabin right in the corner. I assume this means when the drains were cleared I have either dislodged or perforated something under the drain hole. Is there any way of getting to whatever is below the drain hole? Edited March 30 by duff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 If you remove the rear wheel, you can take out the front part of the wheel liner and you’ll see the end of the drain tube under there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted March 30 Report Share Posted March 30 Managed to find a picture from when I checked mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted March 30 Author Report Share Posted March 30 Thanks for the pic - I'll get the wheel and liner off tomorrow and have a poke around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted March 31 Author Report Share Posted March 31 So I took the arch liner out and both drain tubes look good with water flowing out of them and no cracks or splits. I also tried taking the waterproof membrane out of the hood recess to get access to the drain tube from above, although I soon gave up on that when I realised you have to remove the bracket that the hood arms connect to as it runs all the way behind it. Hence I just lifted it as much as I could to see the cup at the top of the drain tube that the hole in the membrane guides water into and again it all looked good and I could see the two were aligned. Not having any more ideas I just took the hose and jammed into the cup and gave it a blast and I think this may have dislodged something. Now if I tip water onto the membrane under the hood it disappears almost instantly where as before it would slowly drain away. I can no longer see anything going into the car, but that said it was still jacked so it could just be that the water was just finding a new low point in the cabin to seep into. I'll let things dry some more and try again in the morning with the car back on level ground to see if things have improved or not. I am also going to get a pair of "Drain Strainer/Water Filter" (98756158700) that I now know exists and I seem to be missing. A quick question - How crucial are the "Guide Arm Covers" (9875614450001C & 9875614460001C)? Mine got pretty chewed up when I had the previous water ingress issue and had to pop the ball joints off and now just fall off every time the roof is raised of lowered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iborguk Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 1 minute ago, duff said: I'll let things dry some more and try again in the morning with the car back on level ground to see if things have improved or not. I am also going to get a pair of "Drain Strainer/Water Filter" (98756158700) that I now know exists and I seem to be missing. These were standard on the 987.2 (not the 987.1) One word of caution, they are great for stopping larger objects going down the drains but it's still important to check the drains regularly as they can , if you live in the right area get covered in silt/dust and block up. Ask me how I know. I'd still have them but just keep up with regular checks on the drains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 21 minutes ago, duff said: A quick question - How crucial are the "Guide Arm Covers" (9875614450001C & 9875614460001C)? Mine got pretty chewed up when I had the previous water ingress issue and had to pop the ball joints off and now just fall off every time the roof is raised of lowered. Think there has been some previous discussion on these - from memory @Gutley did some tests - bottom line was "yes - they are there for a reason and if missing water gets in" as far as I remember it . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted March 31 Author Report Share Posted March 31 35 minutes ago, iborguk said: These were standard on the 987.2 (not the 987.1) One word of caution, they are great for stopping larger objects going down the drains but it's still important to check the drains regularly as they can , if you live in the right area get covered in silt/dust and block up. Ask me how I know. I'd still have them but just keep up with regular checks on the drains. Ok, that would explain why my 987.1 does not have them. Warning noted though and after the 2 issues I have had I am definitely going be checking frequently from now on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted March 31 Author Report Share Posted March 31 24 minutes ago, Paul P said: Think there has been some previous discussion on these - from memory @Gutley did some tests - bottom line was "yes - they are there for a reason and if missing water gets in" as far as I remember it . Thanks - I'll search out the thread. I suspected they wouldn't be there if not required but they are quite pricey pieces of plastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boxstercol Posted March 31 Report Share Posted March 31 Make sure the foam drip tray under the clamshell isn’t perforated. This tends to happen if the plastic ball joints for the roof break, which allows the arm to puncture them drip tray - this could also be a source of the leak. I think some folk have managed to repair holes in the drip tray, they can be difficult to find. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted April 1 Author Report Share Posted April 1 There are no obvious holes in the foam drip tray so I think it is doings its job. In fact it now appears that any water tipped down below the hood is being funnelled straight into and out of the drain tubes and no longer into the car. Hence I think jamming the hose in successfully cleared a blockage. It is still quite wet inside so hard to say if the problems solved but it certainly seems better than before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted April 14 Author Report Share Posted April 14 Unfortunately this saga continues... As the weather was awful I ended clearing out the garage and squeezing the Boxster in (first time I have had a car in the garage for nearly 20 years!) with a dehumidifier running in the cabin. This removed lots of water, but even after running for a week the carpet foam is still fairly sodden and leaches water when squeezed. In fact, despite trying to squeeze as much out as I can and mooing it up it seems to reappear. I was planning to put a load of paper in the cabin and soaking various areas of the outside to see if I could trace the source of the water based on where the paper got wet, or ideally confirm that the leak is now fixed, but on getting it out of the garage I have discovered the roof no longer wants to open 😧 The roof worked when it went into the garage and when unclipped the windows drop as expected. On clicking the button the dash reports the roof is being opened, but nothing actually happens. I am pretty sure I can hear a relay clicking under the dash, but no other sound. Oddly when I discovered the drivers cabin was soaked I had initially tried to open the roof to check the drain holes and had similar symptoms, although I can't remember whether the dash reported the roof as opening on that occasion. That time I checked the fuse and while it seemed to be ok with no obviously failure as there was a spare in the fuse box I swapped it in and the roof started working again. I meant to test the fuse I took out to see if it was actually blown but forgot and must have thrown it away. This time I pulled the fuse and again it looked fine, but this time I did test it and it has continuity so that isn't the cause. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nelmo Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 Urgh, sorry to hear you're having so many issues - wish I could help but not had the car long enough or had any of these problems (touch wood). However, if I ever do, you will be the first person I will contact, as you've probably done more than anyone to try fix it...you're the forum pro on waste drains 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Menoporsche Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 Unit under the pax seat for the 987 is the "rear control unit", so if it gets wet, expect funny behaviour at the back of the car. I don't know if that includes the roof. I'm also thinking of the perforated liner just over your shoulder - we had a previous illustration, it was like a stanley blade had been through it, and the slit closes up really well to the naked eye, so look very carefully to check. Can often get perforated by a snapped plastic ball joint rotating into it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul P Posted April 15 Report Share Posted April 15 4 hours ago, Menoporsche said: expect funny behaviour at the back of the car. I don't know if that includes the roof. Yup - thats the unit that drives the roof mechanism Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted April 16 Author Report Share Posted April 16 12 hours ago, Menoporsche said: Unit under the pax seat for the 987 is the "rear control unit", so if it gets wet, expect funny behaviour at the back of the car. I don't know if that includes the roof. 8 hours ago, Paul P said: Yup - thats the unit that drives the roof mechanism So far the water appears to have been constrained to the drivers side of the cabin. The passenger side has felt slightly damp to touch but not had any pooled water under the seat and the foam under the carpet has seemed dry. I am hoping the dampness is just down to the volume of water on the drivers side and it condensing on other surfaces in the cabin. The rear control unit was only replaced before Xmas so I am hoping that is still good. When it failed last time it was doing all sorts of odd things as it died (roof trying to open, spoiler going up and down, rear brake lights lit up) whereas this time everything seems fine other than the roof is not operating. I’ll see if the manual spoiler deployment still works though as that stopped working last time and then take it out and crack it open to check inside. Having been in the garage with the dehumidifier on the car is pretty much dry now. Last time I checked there was just a very small amount still held in the foam under the drivers seat. It certainly feels a lot drier in the cabin that it has for a fair few months. I am hoping for a dry day or two this week to get the car out again to try see if and where water might still be getting in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted April 21 Author Report Share Posted April 21 (edited) So after getting the car out of the garage and covering it with water I think there is still some ingress. It is hard to be certain as I was surprised to find that the foam still hadn't fully dried out under the carpet despite it having had a dehumidified on for 2 weeks and the top of the carpets being bone dry. It certainly appears that the leak from the behind the driver has been stopped so the assumption is that it must be combing from the front. I spent some time this afternoon stripping more of the interior out. I plan to go the whole hog this time and get the carpet out so I can make sure it is fully dried out and hopefully with it gone identify if and where water is still coming in. Regarding the non functional roof. The issue definitely appears to be electronics related. It will open and close by sorting the connector pins on the Rear Control Unit to ground so it is fully functional. I assumed this meant the Rear Control Unit must have drowned again and that the water in the drivers side must have made it across the cabin to the space under the passengers seat but I can't see any evidence of it getting wet, nor do any of the other functions driven by the Rear Control Unit show any issues. Edited April 21 by duff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Caped Crusader Posted April 22 Report Share Posted April 22 To properly investigate the leak, I think it would be best to remove the B-pillar covering, rear bulkhead carpet. Then get into the car with a torch with the seats folded forward, if too tight, remove the seats. Then, get someone with a garden hose pour copious amounts of water over the top and sit and watch where the water is coming in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duff Posted April 22 Author Report Share Posted April 22 12 hours ago, The Caped Crusader said: To properly investigate the leak, I think it would be best to remove the B-pillar covering, rear bulkhead carpet. Then get into the car with a torch with the seats folded forward, if too tight, remove the seats. Then, get someone with a garden hose pour copious amounts of water over the top and sit and watch where the water is coming in. Yes, I am finding it really hard to tell what is new and what is existing water. I have almost pulled everything out - seats, centre console and various bits of trim are now in the garage. I think I also need to remove the handbrake before I can get the carpet fully out though. Unfortunately it has been wet this afternoon so not had a chance to make any further progress today after work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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