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Pontiac Bonneville Water Leaks

146 messages,  Last post on Feb 29, 2012 at 10:48 AM

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What is this discussion about? Pontiac Bonneville, Sedan

Messages Page 15 of 15

#140 of 146 Re: Electrical frustration [pontiache] by imidazol97

Feb 03, 2011 (10:34 am)

Replying to: pontiache (Nov 26, 2010 2:55 pm)
Look for the corroded connector where the tan or brown wires are connected under the driver's seat rear area. This is the communication to the other three doors for windows.
 
This shows it. It is not my picture. It where the red connector binds all four wires in a connector that corrodes.

#141 of 146 Re: 2004 boneville waterleaks [destiny5] by imidazol97

Feb 03, 2011 (10:36 am)

Replying to: destiny5 (Feb 03, 2011 10:22 am)
I've read where people have a hole in the wheel housing due to corrosion. The spinning tire pushed water into the trunk. I've read about leaks with the air dam on the trunk. I've also read about leaks around taillight housings.

#142 of 146 Re: 2004 boneville waterleaks [imidazol97] by rickster52

Feb 03, 2011 (12:31 pm)

Replying to: imidazol97 (Feb 03, 2011 10:36 am)
I believe that the water leaks came from the sun roof. I replaced the front two with clear tubing that fit inside the existing corrugated tube very well. The two rear tubes were solid but clogged. The flexible plastic grass cutting line worked well until there was a clog that was stuck. Some compressed air in a can did the trick there. All seems well now.

#143 of 146 Re: 2004 boneville waterleaks [destiny5] by 2004bonne

Feb 05, 2011 (4:16 pm)

Replying to: destiny5 (Feb 03, 2011 10:22 am)
You've got to find where the water is getting into the car's cabin. I had it coming in at two places -- just behind the parking brake pedal on the firewall and through the driver's door. Put a water hose on the roof of the car and the driver side door and sit inside. I took out the carpet and the driver's seat so I could find the leak. It's not hard to take out the seat but the center console is a bit difficult. Be patient and take your time. Don't force things or you'll break them.
 
If you've got the firewall problem, that's easy. I put some silicone sealant in the hole and it stopped.
 
If there is a leak coming into the cabin through the door (you'll usually see it coming in between the door panel and door frame, you've got to pop off the door panel. Use some plastic tools from Harbor Freight (cheap) and pop off the door panel - take it slow and easy and don't break the clips that hold it in place.
 
Inside the door is a plastic shield that is supposed to keep the rain water from leaking into the car and directs it down to the drain holes at the bottom of the door frame. What happened to me is the SEAL that keeps the plastic shield tight agains the door frame fails. The plastic shield needs to be removed and resealed. The sealant is the stuff you put on your replacement windshield. You can get it at the auto parts store. It comes in a box and is a long string/bead of sealant. Remove the old sealant on the plastic shield and put the new stuff on. It's real sticky and adheres beautifully to the metal door frame.
 
Reinstall the shield, put the door panel back on and let it cure for a day. Try the water on the door again and see if it leaks before you put the carpet back in.
 
You might try your other doors for leaks too. Three of mine leaked.
 
Good luck.
 
Jim

#144 of 146 2000 bonneville sle sunroof leaks by mikewelch12

Feb 29, 2012 (9:44 am)

i pretty much have all the problems people have been having on this forum. i need that email with help...any help will do, i have water everywhere. All drain tubes are clogged and wont blow out. Im thinking about putting new tubes in. welchartgalleriagmail.com is my email

#145 of 146 Areas where your Bonneville will be leaking by kts0347

Feb 29, 2012 (10:46 am)

I had an 02 Bonneville that had almost all the leaks. Here is the most likely culprits:
 
1) Sunroof Drain Tubes: There are four drain tubes running down the four corners of the cabin. They block up and then water overflows the drip pan under the sunroof and flows down the pillars to the floor. DON'T Attempt to blow them out with an air hose. They consist of several sections friction fitted together and the air pressure will just cause the sections to separate and then it's a big problem, requiring a whole lot of trim to be removed to join them back together again. The source of the blockage appears to be small molded nipples at the very ends of the tubes. These nipples are like lips that are designed to be normally shut to prevent insects from creeping up the tubes. They are supposed to open with water pressure buildup. But like all things rubber, after several years, they become either brittle or sticky and then they don't open anymore. The solution I applied was to simply trim them with a scissors. Sounds easy right? Not so, they are in very awkward positions. To access the two front lips, remove the plastic inner fender by pulling out three plastic pins. Remove the inner fender briefly and you will see a black rubber fitting on the rear side of the fender, exiting out of the firewall/cockpit sheet metal. You can trim the lips from under the fender. Water might even rush out as you are trimming. The rear drains are accessed from the trunk, by removing the side inner trunk liners. You will see a tube coming down over the rear fender wells, and terminating in a large black plug right behind and at the bottom of the fender wells. Pull the plug towards you into the trunk, and on the exterior side you will find the offending lips. Trim them off, replace the plug and you are in business. The sun roof leak should be fixed, unless you have disconnected the tubes somehow during your tweeking. If you still have problems, you will have to drop the headliner and pillar trims to inspect for separation problems.
 
2) Door Trim Leaks: Water flowing down the window channel will actually flow into the passenger compartment instead of through openings at the bottom of the door, due to the slope of the door. To prevent this, Pontiac sticks a plastic sheet over the door inner to trap the water inside the door and force it to exit out the openings. Over years, the mastic sticking the plastic sheet to the door inner metal releases, and water flows freely into the cabin. Remove the door trim panel, and apply fresh sealant to the plastic sheet to cause it to adhere to the metal. Don't use epoxy, the sheet may have to be removed in future. Use mastic, and perhaps some gasket sealant.
 
3) Backed up condensate tube from the AC: Just like the sunroof drains, the air conditioner has a tube that vents condensate water just in front of the firewall. It also has lips that seal and they can get blocked, which causes the condensate to back up and flow into the passenger compartment. This can usually be cleared from the underside when the car is on a hoist.
 
Be sure to clear up your leaks. Beyond being annoying, there is a lot of electrical stuff under the floor mats, and when it gets wet and rusts, you start to experience a host of electrical problems like windows not working, seats not adjusting, etc.
 
Hope this helps. There are great tutorial videos on this site and on a related site www.PontiacBonnevilleClub.com that can help you with details and photos of the process for removing door trim, etc.
 
Updated to correct the URL for Pontiac Bonneville Club.

#146 of 146 Helpful websites by kts0347

Feb 29, 2012 (10:48 am)

Check out these two websites for help:
 
Forum on water leaks:
 
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=1688
 
How to remove a door panel:
 
http://www.pontiacbonnevilleclub.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=253&p=1301&hilit- =how+to+remove+door+trim#p1301

Messages Page 15 of 15

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