99 explorer wet headliner and carpet

[Lee's Automotive]

somewhere your roof is leaking! Rain will not usually come in through door seals with rain coming from direct over head

So I noticed this seal peeling back from the body on the driver side door

 

[Lee's Automotive]

I have dumped tons of water on the roof and the seals and i cannot recreate the leak but if it rains the headliner leaks i am so confused at this point idk what else to do

 

[Turdle]

Roof rack bases have thru holes. You should remove headliner now to save it, and, find leak.

If headliner is wet, the leak is above it. So, you need to see up in there from inside. On a dark night, place a Brite light on roof, sit inside looking up at bare roof for pinhole light leaks.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Roof rack bases have thru holes. You should remove headliner now to save it, and, find leak.

Would it only be wet in the driver side corner by windshield and by the drivers side door?

 

[Lee's Automotive]

So I noticed this seal peeling back from the body on the driver side door

View attachment 448776

View attachment 448777

@Turdle would this seal pulling away from the body cause the leak too?

 

[Turdle]

Water can travel before it drips. Could be running a long roofline inside, then dripping down. Water will follow a previous path.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Water can travel before it drips. Could be running a long roofline inside, then dripping down. Water will follow a previous path.

Got it where do I find these pieces?

 

[Lee's Automotive]

This hole is wet where the push pin for the headline goes windshield seal is dry as a whistle

 

[410Fortune]

Remove that seal and clean behind it
Any deals with tears should be replaced

That door seal I doubt is your issue because your leaks are above the doors apparently

 

[410Fortune]

Did some searching on google some interesting things come up

“A common "leak" when it comes to the headliners getting wet isn't a leak at all. Pull up your inner door seals. If your headliner fabric is folded over the top of the lip that the door seals attach to (and drapes down the other side towards the water channels), this can cause the material to wick up water.”

This link basically covers all we have discussed already

How to Trace Interior Water Leaks in Your Car - Haynes Manuals

Keep your vehicle in top shape with tips and tutorials on the Haynes blog. Read our post 'How to Trace Interior Water Leaks in Your Car' today.

haynes.com

And finally the info I was looking for, using a smoke machine to identify interior air and water leaks

Smoke out cabin leaks

Utilizing a smoke machine and a pressurized cabin, technicians can pinpoint the location of a leak at the seam of the windshield.

www.fleetmaintenance.com

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Remove that seal and clean behind it
Any deals with tears should be replaced

That door seal I doubt is your issue because your leaks are above the doors apparently

Well I haven't been able to locate the leak I'm almost certain it's the door seal because when I pulled it off there was water inside it also I took it to an automatic car wash and I didn't notice any water inside but that seal was very wet when I pulled it down so I'm going to replace it and go from there and hope this is the issue as I cannot afford to have the windshield removed at this time also that door seal is very loose like if i push it up it comes back down the interior trim piece is what holds it up

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Did some searching on google some interesting things come up

“A common "leak" when it comes to the headliners getting wet isn't a leak at all. Pull up your inner door seals. If your headliner fabric is folded over the top of the lip that the door seals attach to (and drapes down the other side towards the water channels), this can cause the material to wick up water.”

Thanks man that makes sense

 

[410Fortune]

Pull those door seals and see if the metal behind them is ok, if the metal has rusted out and has holes in it then the water can easily wick into the headliner

My bronco ii I had some rust on the drip rails and seal edges so I knocked out all the loose rust, treated the remaining metal with permatex rust converter and fixed the spots with fiberglass / bondo paint

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Pull those door seals and see if the metal behind them is ok, if the metal has rusted out and has holes in it then the water can easily wick into the headliner

My bronco ii I had some rust on the drip rails and seal edges so I knocked out all the loose rust, treated the remaining metal with permatex rust converter and fixed the spots with fiberglass / bondo paint

Nope no rust at all the factory paint is still on it the seal just don't want to stay put unless the trim is on it

 

[410Fortune]

The seal can be pinched with plyers ti make it tight again? Most of them have metal inside that causes the rubber to pinch the metal trim, they simply loosen up over time. Usually you can tighten them back up by re pinching the metal clamping force

Silicon also works wonders for holding
Loose trim

Keep at it!

 

[Lee's Automotive]

The seal can be pinched with plyers ti make it tight again? Most of them have metal inside that causes the rubber to pinch the metal trim, they simply loosen up over time. Usually you can tighten them back up by re pinching the metal clamping force

Silicon also works wonders for holding
Loose trim

Keep at it!

Will do man i literally pulled the front of the headliner down and the only wet spot was the hole for the push pin and the water seemed to follow the door seal

 

[dvdswan]

The roof is 2 sheets of metal. So, it can leak in the back and travel to the front.

Do yourself a favor and pull the headliner. Dry all the condensation off and test every seam, every seal, every through bolt, even the 3rd brake light if it's attached at the roof line. As I said in my thread, I found 5 leaks in my Ranger.

 

[Lee's Automotive]

The roof is 2 sheets of metal. So, it can leak in the back and travel to the front.

Do yourself a favor and pull the headliner. Dry all the condensation off and test every seam, every seal, every through bolt, even the 3rd brake light if it's attached at the roof line. As I said in my thread, I found 5 leaks in my Ranger.

Ok but wouldn't I have water leaking all over the headliner instead of in one spot? also i have no where to store the headliner i live in an apartment so that's not an option

 

[410Fortune]

Storing the headliners is fun!! They are large
I store them in the explorer when possible it will sit nicely on the seat headrests if you lay the fronts back

You have to put them in a place where mice won’t ge them and cats won’t scratch them up
Finding the source of the leak with headliner in place maybe fruitless

 

[Lee's Automotive]

Storing the headliners is fun!! They are large
I store them in the explorer when possible it will sit nicely on the seat headrests if you lay the fronts back

You have to put them in a place where mice won’t ge them and cats won’t scratch them up
Finding the source of the leak with headliner in place maybe fruitless

Sadly I found the leak it is coming from the top front corner of the windshield, the question is what's a temporary solution to this as I cannot afford to replace it, it's a slow drip