Passenger side dashboard leak
08-13-2017, 05:44 PM
#46
Registered Member
08-17-2017, 07:57 PM
#47
Registered Member
I haven't had any reoccurrences or done anything further. My drivers side had a grand total of maybe 20 drips on the dead pedal on one occasion but that was it. Never happened again. When/if it does, I'll be tearing into it and modifying the drain tube to firewall connector like I did to the passenger side. Hoping that's enough, and I basically just don't have anything else to go on. The passenger side does seem to be resolved. I'm reluctant to say with any certainty as it is just such an intermittent problem as it is...
Sorry I don't have a better update to share. Good luck with yours. The struggle is real
Sorry I don't have a better update to share. Good luck with yours. The struggle is real
09-06-2017, 11:53 AM
#48
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I just had the grommet leak issue. If you remove the glove box, you can actually follow that wiring harness and access the bottom of that grommet. it is the worst design for a grommet I've ever seen. It is a cylindrical plastic clip that holds the rubber down flush against the hole. You can pinch in the clips from the bottom and then it pops out or you might have to push it out because of the neck on the top that holds the wires.
I removed the grommet, cleaned the surface and the grommet thoroughly with alcohol. Then I applied a liberal bead of the Marine/Auto RTV sealant from Home Depot to the bottom of the rubber part then clipped it back in.
I followed that up with a bead around the grommet and smeared with my finger.
I just did that on Monday and it's been raining the last 2 days with no leaks. I'm about to go outside right now and see if it is still holding.
You can feel the wet insulation around hole too. The sunroof drain is dry.
Hope this helps.
You can actually feel the grommet without removing the glovebox, but it is really tight. Removing the glovebox is the best bet.
If your arms are long enough like mine, you can press up on the grommet from the inside of the car and feel the pressure with your other hand on the outside/engine bay side of the grommet.
If you're flexible enough you get your head underneath the glovebox and see up where both grommets are. You have to remove the bottom trim to tho.
I removed the grommet, cleaned the surface and the grommet thoroughly with alcohol. Then I applied a liberal bead of the Marine/Auto RTV sealant from Home Depot to the bottom of the rubber part then clipped it back in.
I followed that up with a bead around the grommet and smeared with my finger.
I just did that on Monday and it's been raining the last 2 days with no leaks. I'm about to go outside right now and see if it is still holding.
You can feel the wet insulation around hole too. The sunroof drain is dry.
Hope this helps.
You can actually feel the grommet without removing the glovebox, but it is really tight. Removing the glovebox is the best bet.
If your arms are long enough like mine, you can press up on the grommet from the inside of the car and feel the pressure with your other hand on the outside/engine bay side of the grommet.
If you're flexible enough you get your head underneath the glovebox and see up where both grommets are. You have to remove the bottom trim to tho.
02-14-2018, 03:52 PM
#49
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Brentwood, TN
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Update: still not leaking....
We've had some seriously wet weather on the west coast so I'm cautiously optimistic that the tube hack worked. I'm reserving final judgement but I'm thinking that might be the fix for those still looking. The tubing extension I used was some aquarium tubing I had in the garage from an old fish tank and regular silicone caulking around it to hold it in. Really wasn't too bad to get out either. I pretty much reached up from underneath (with all the glove box components removed) and pulled on the edge with a fingernail while pulling back on the drain tube (exposed by removing the a-pillar) with my other hand. It popped right out. After giving the silicone a full day to set up, I reinstalled pretty much the same way.
I had some funky/glitchy climate unit issues when I first got it back together. Was a little concerned it might've been water damage to the bcm but it only lasted a day and hasn't returned. It wouldn't blow out of the defrost. Only mid-level and floor. If I'd select defrost it would blow for a second then the display and airflow would switch on its own back down. Tried every combination of settings (ac/fan speed/recirc/etc) and it did whatever it wanted. Extremely frustrating. Again, it hasn't resurfaced so I'm hoping it was an isolated incident that resolved as the unit dried out.
I really do want to like this car, but it's hard while lacking confidence in it on the most basic level...
If it's still dry by April 1st, I'm ordering the oem spoiler and getting rid of that eyesore chrome piece.
We've had some seriously wet weather on the west coast so I'm cautiously optimistic that the tube hack worked. I'm reserving final judgement but I'm thinking that might be the fix for those still looking. The tubing extension I used was some aquarium tubing I had in the garage from an old fish tank and regular silicone caulking around it to hold it in. Really wasn't too bad to get out either. I pretty much reached up from underneath (with all the glove box components removed) and pulled on the edge with a fingernail while pulling back on the drain tube (exposed by removing the a-pillar) with my other hand. It popped right out. After giving the silicone a full day to set up, I reinstalled pretty much the same way.
I had some funky/glitchy climate unit issues when I first got it back together. Was a little concerned it might've been water damage to the bcm but it only lasted a day and hasn't returned. It wouldn't blow out of the defrost. Only mid-level and floor. If I'd select defrost it would blow for a second then the display and airflow would switch on its own back down. Tried every combination of settings (ac/fan speed/recirc/etc) and it did whatever it wanted. Extremely frustrating. Again, it hasn't resurfaced so I'm hoping it was an isolated incident that resolved as the unit dried out.
I really do want to like this car, but it's hard while lacking confidence in it on the most basic level...
If it's still dry by April 1st, I'm ordering the oem spoiler and getting rid of that eyesore chrome piece.
Last edited by ualdep; 02-14-2018 at 03:58 PM. Reason: add more info
02-14-2018, 06:34 PM
#50
Registered Member
It wasn't my video but it was the inspiration for doing the update.
I think that the water you're seeing under the "top seams of firewall" is where it is supposed to be going. I might be misunderstanding what you're describing though.
In my pictures from post #11 you can see where the sunroof drains into the engine bay. Roughly in the center of the second picture you can see where a flat piece of sheet metal has a horseshoe shaped indent on the bottom edge of it. It's welded to the firewall directly behind the wiring harness. There is a cavity/void between the firewall and that piece of metal where the sunroof drain tube dumps into. Any water then runs out of the opening where that indent is and down the wall of the engine bay to the ground. This is my understanding anyway.
FYI this picture is taken with the battery cover and plastic cowl shroud pieces removed if that isn't obvious.
I reused the green plastic grommet that plugs into the firewall. Just attached a short piece of plastic tubing from an aquarium air bubbler with silicone. If I'm remembering correctly, in order to remove it you'll have to pull at least the fabric a-pillar trim and the dash vent closest to the door. It helps to pull the glovebox too I think.
That grommet is the end of the line. Once water clears the firewall and is effectively outside of the car it is in the open (no more tubing). It then just runs out as I described in the first paragraph.
Harder to explain then I remembered. Hope that makes sense and you're able to get it resolved.
For what it's worth, I still haven't had any additional problems. After the car has sat in the rain for a couple days I do still glance down there with apprehension every time I get in to drive it though. Not the most rewarding car ownership experience if I'm being honest.
I think that the water you're seeing under the "top seams of firewall" is where it is supposed to be going. I might be misunderstanding what you're describing though.
In my pictures from post #11 you can see where the sunroof drains into the engine bay. Roughly in the center of the second picture you can see where a flat piece of sheet metal has a horseshoe shaped indent on the bottom edge of it. It's welded to the firewall directly behind the wiring harness. There is a cavity/void between the firewall and that piece of metal where the sunroof drain tube dumps into. Any water then runs out of the opening where that indent is and down the wall of the engine bay to the ground. This is my understanding anyway.
FYI this picture is taken with the battery cover and plastic cowl shroud pieces removed if that isn't obvious.
I reused the green plastic grommet that plugs into the firewall. Just attached a short piece of plastic tubing from an aquarium air bubbler with silicone. If I'm remembering correctly, in order to remove it you'll have to pull at least the fabric a-pillar trim and the dash vent closest to the door. It helps to pull the glovebox too I think.
That grommet is the end of the line. Once water clears the firewall and is effectively outside of the car it is in the open (no more tubing). It then just runs out as I described in the first paragraph.
Harder to explain then I remembered. Hope that makes sense and you're able to get it resolved.
For what it's worth, I still haven't had any additional problems. After the car has sat in the rain for a couple days I do still glance down there with apprehension every time I get in to drive it though. Not the most rewarding car ownership experience if I'm being honest.
05-27-2018, 03:29 PM
#51
I just had the grommet leak issue. If you remove the glove box, you can actually follow that wiring harness and access the bottom of that grommet. it is the worst design for a grommet I've ever seen. It is a cylindrical plastic clip that holds the rubber down flush against the hole. You can pinch in the clips from the bottom and then it pops out or you might have to push it out because of the neck on the top that holds the wires.<br /><br />I removed the grommet, cleaned the surface and the grommet thoroughly with alcohol. Then I applied a liberal bead of the Marine/Auto RTV sealant from Home Depot to the bottom of the rubber part then clipped it back in.<br /><br />I followed that up with a bead around the grommet and smeared with my finger.<br /><br />I just did that on Monday and it's been raining the last 2 days with no leaks. I'm about to go outside right now and see if it is still holding.<br /><br />You can feel the wet insulation around hole too. The sunroof drain is dry.<br /><br />Hope this helps.<br /><br />You can actually feel the grommet without removing the glovebox, but it is really tight. Removing the glovebox is the best bet.<br /><br /><br />If your arms are long enough like mine, you can press up on the grommet from the inside of the car and feel the pressure with your other hand on the outside/engine bay side of the grommet.<br /><br /><br />If you're flexible enough you get your head underneath the glovebox and see up where both grommets are. You have to remove the bottom trim to tho.
07-02-2018, 05:17 AM
#53
Registered Member
I had the dreaded water leak and paid dealership almost $1,000 to fix only to have it come back less than a year later. There are many threads, opinions, theory's and beliefs of where the water sources from. Here is the total truth..... If your car has a sunroof and water leak in the front interior (passenger or drivers side) it's from the sunroof drain firewall grommet. Its a horrible design and will always fail. Think about it, you have a plastic grommet, rubber seal mounted to the steel firewall which is exposed to extreme heat/cool. Differing materials expanding and contracting differently allow the rubber seal to leak. Huge amounts of water (yes, its hard to believe that the sunroof glass seal could allow that much water through) come in around the sunroof and drain, leaking at the firewall, down behind the carpet pad, puddling in the deep floor boards and accumulating. If you have the dreaded cat smell in your car, pull back the carpet in the front and see if you have standing water around the styrofoam floor components. My bet is yes.
And given the poor engineered design of the sunroof grommet, the above photographs are the only fool proof way to stop the water from entering the car. Re routing the water to below the floor board is the only way to stop this. I did this repair to mine after the return of the leak post dealer repair. Car is bone dry with no smell. On the drivers side, there aren't many places to route the drain line, so I drilled a hole through the floor to route the hose out. On the passenger side, there AC drain exits through with the photographs above. Great job RPKG37 on the drain routing and photographs.
Just because you can't see it leak from the grommets doesnt mean that they aren't leaking. It's more of a dribble or oozing of water down the firewall. Once under the carpet, its absorbed into the pad and is difficult to dry.
And given the poor engineered design of the sunroof grommet, the above photographs are the only fool proof way to stop the water from entering the car. Re routing the water to below the floor board is the only way to stop this. I did this repair to mine after the return of the leak post dealer repair. Car is bone dry with no smell. On the drivers side, there aren't many places to route the drain line, so I drilled a hole through the floor to route the hose out. On the passenger side, there AC drain exits through with the photographs above. Great job RPKG37 on the drain routing and photographs.
Just because you can't see it leak from the grommets doesnt mean that they aren't leaking. It's more of a dribble or oozing of water down the firewall. Once under the carpet, its absorbed into the pad and is difficult to dry.
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Texas Boy (01-18-2021)
07-25-2018, 08:40 AM
#54
Registered User
Ok so this is a really awesome thread, Thank you! PLEASE HELP BEFORE I SPEND WAY TOO MUCH AT THE DEALERSHIP! To save you from a long story my 2011 sport has been sitting parked outside in the torrential FL rains for a long time & driven maybe once a week. The drivers side floor has been soaking wet, floor behind drivers seat wet (but not quite as bad as front), and just a little damp on the passenger side.
I'm a female by the way, but not afraid to tinker with cars, so please bear with me! I try to youtube DIY everything and fix myself lol...anyways....Ok Fast foward >>>>> After taking things apart, pulling carpet back, shop vacc'ing all the water (even under styrofoam) unclogged my sunroof drain holes (had debris from sitting under trees), ran weed eater line and was careful blowing lines with compressed air. Water now flows good. NO dripping from driver side pillar EXCEPT when I accidentally overwhelm the sunroof hole with too much water too quickly, then it goes over the lip edge and down the pillar (oops). I can see my drain plug and I can clearly see the water leaking at the bottom of the grommet and down the firewall. I am struggling to pull that plug out in the limited space and I definitely need slightly longer pliers.
NOW the BIG QUESTION...Do you see that vent in the 2nd pic above that rpkg37xs posted? Can it be removed? If it could, it would give a clean shot to the plug right from above! I noticed my vent was held in place with a panel clip, thats a clue to me it needs to be held in place or can slip out of place or maybe just to prevent rattle. The pillar itself actually holds it down. I took out the clip and it feels as if that vent can pull right out, but without knowing for sure I hate to pull it, and worse I'm afraid I won't get it back in proper place! So can it be removed? Has anyone even tried? I don't want to attempt removing the dash and my husband won't let me LOL.
I've called 4 dealers to fix....My local Nissan won't touch it. Says they can't replace plugs on models above 2008. Seriously?? Atlantic Infiniti in Jacksonville wants $149.99 just to "unclog" or $2000-$3000 to replace plugs (claims its 12 HRS LABOR!!) Are they crooks & out of their minds or just ignorant?? Orange Park Infiniti wants $700 (both sides) and Daytona wants $400 (but thats just labor). All of them had different knowledge on the problem. So frustrating!! I'm trying so hard to avoid the dealer but my husband is pushing me to take it there Friday morning. PLEASE HELP so I can fix this before then!!
I'm a female by the way, but not afraid to tinker with cars, so please bear with me! I try to youtube DIY everything and fix myself lol...anyways....Ok Fast foward >>>>> After taking things apart, pulling carpet back, shop vacc'ing all the water (even under styrofoam) unclogged my sunroof drain holes (had debris from sitting under trees), ran weed eater line and was careful blowing lines with compressed air. Water now flows good. NO dripping from driver side pillar EXCEPT when I accidentally overwhelm the sunroof hole with too much water too quickly, then it goes over the lip edge and down the pillar (oops). I can see my drain plug and I can clearly see the water leaking at the bottom of the grommet and down the firewall. I am struggling to pull that plug out in the limited space and I definitely need slightly longer pliers.
NOW the BIG QUESTION...Do you see that vent in the 2nd pic above that rpkg37xs posted? Can it be removed? If it could, it would give a clean shot to the plug right from above! I noticed my vent was held in place with a panel clip, thats a clue to me it needs to be held in place or can slip out of place or maybe just to prevent rattle. The pillar itself actually holds it down. I took out the clip and it feels as if that vent can pull right out, but without knowing for sure I hate to pull it, and worse I'm afraid I won't get it back in proper place! So can it be removed? Has anyone even tried? I don't want to attempt removing the dash and my husband won't let me LOL.
I've called 4 dealers to fix....My local Nissan won't touch it. Says they can't replace plugs on models above 2008. Seriously?? Atlantic Infiniti in Jacksonville wants $149.99 just to "unclog" or $2000-$3000 to replace plugs (claims its 12 HRS LABOR!!) Are they crooks & out of their minds or just ignorant?? Orange Park Infiniti wants $700 (both sides) and Daytona wants $400 (but thats just labor). All of them had different knowledge on the problem. So frustrating!! I'm trying so hard to avoid the dealer but my husband is pushing me to take it there Friday morning. PLEASE HELP so I can fix this before then!!
07-26-2018, 07:36 AM
#57
The vent tube is held by a little plastic clip but the tube can’t be removed with the dashboard being removed first if I remember after looking at it. I purchased the a new drain part To replace it but it was way to hard to get it back in. I have ran this same setup on my drivers side going threw the grommet as parking brake and down the inner wheel well spalsh shied I purchased almost everything at Lowe’s for around 40 dollars and did take a few hours to do the drivers is harder because you have to remove the inner splash shield
07-26-2018, 01:14 PM
#58
Registered User
I would love to try rerouting the tube, but I can't even get the plug out. I have struggled trying to grasp it with 16 inch pliers and just can't maneuver to get a good grasp of it. It kills me to be sooooo close. The dash all around where the AC vent box was taken out, is cracking and chipping up and I really don't want to keep tearing that up either. Trying to maneuver with the pliers and my hand is just tearing it up worse.
And truth is I posted this in the wrong thread. It's the drivers side I'm fighting with to get the plug out. I found that the leaking on the passenger side is due to the AC line where it connects into the floor grommet. Its backing up with water so now I need to tackle that uuugggggg. Thank you for your help and suggestions
And truth is I posted this in the wrong thread. It's the drivers side I'm fighting with to get the plug out. I found that the leaking on the passenger side is due to the AC line where it connects into the floor grommet. Its backing up with water so now I need to tackle that uuugggggg. Thank you for your help and suggestions
07-26-2018, 01:19 PM
#59
Registered Member
iTrader: (13)
Funny I found this thread today, I have noticed a few time I after it rains I have water/condensation drops in the center of my windshield about 4 inches wide and few inches tall, just above the dash? No clue were this is coming from and I cannot replicate it with washing the car ;/
