SteveMongr

I have never had an issue with the gap you mention.

Sunroof is highly suspect. Drain tubes get clogged and leak out. Roof panel can become distorted and leak around sunroof seal. Leak would not necessarily get headliner wet, there is a channel that funnels water into drain tubes.

SteveMongr

Under carpet there are a few rubber plugs above frame-rails, no need to drill. Those holes are also convenient for spraying rust prevention on inside rails with fog wand.

nujeepguy

[QUOTEoh, how does water get into engine bay, in volume? does it leak thru the fan foam seal?oh, how does water get into engine bay, in volume? does it leak thru the fan foam seal?][/QUOTE]

the seal at the heater fan to firewall??

sunroof tubing, can it leak inside the cabin?

how does water get into engine bay?

SteveMongr

Engine bay water intrusion in volumes does not really happen. Water entering side gaps of hood should run down channel under hood in engine bay. Rear corners of hood may let some water in. Rear edge of hood should seal on gasket of cowl.
I am not sure where sunroof drain tubes terminate on the XJ. But on the WJ it is also an issue and water will settle under the carpet.

nujeepguy

ok thanks, im checking those areas.

[Q?the seal at the heater fan to firewall??[/QUOTE]
does it leak thru the foam rubber seal?

Ron& Lisa

Sounds like maybe windshield gasket shrunk up? If it did it's going to rust in corners, get's the windshield sealer loose over time.. ?
I've replaced both ours and would be looking closely at those areas also.

nujeepguy

ran water on roof and windshield,hood.
pass side seems dry now. driver get faint trickle from high up, on firewall. cant tell where? not much, but too much!
i can watch water dissappear at corners of sunroof,quickly. when i open doors it runs behind the rubber strip that goes from the front of lamb half way down almost like it is made that way. it runs right on the hinges and door wire seal definetly inside the door. like the drain tubes dump there? i dont see how it gets out?
headliner is bone dry.

next step is to super caulk the sunroof. it doesnt open and i think it may have dead motor. the tiny 2 sw panel does nothing.
would a factory sunroof have a small panel, about one by two inches?

DFlintstone

Pic's here, took me a while to find. Howllw point 20 gosh good hole. >
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/90-...estion-156014/

I put a length of vinyl tubing on the caulking gun tip to extend it about a foot, with brown latex, seemed to work

nujeepguy

thanks much . i caulked that fender opening too.
tempted to cut the top hole in cowl as mine has short vent with ?foam gasket.
did you seal the fan foam seal? i can touch it and feel the foam but how does it get water. i hosed heavy with hood closed, then in a minute i opened it and there was no sigh of water on the firewall.
i caulked the seam between the fender and cowl by the antenna, both sides.
im sealing my sunroof tomorrow. it never opened b4, never again!

DFlintstone

Yes. I didn't remove the blower though, I just smeared calking around the edge. Not pretty, but I don't care with that. That and another mess along the seam took care of it. We just had about three feet of rain and the floor is dry. There are pics in that link in my last post.

nujeepguy

i appreciate your help. ive done what you did and more! those holes by the hinges?? filled them too. did the sunroof with black silicone.
still cant figure why the driver firewall inside gets a trace? from??

still tempted to do the hole in cowl and seal cool air vent. i did the dam but dont trust it fully.

ill get a bucket and do more testing tonite... thanks again.

DFlintstone

Hey! So you did the darn dam....I thought that was a cool solution...

In your shoes I might shred a terry towel and fit around the air vent. (maybe with the help of small arms, or a stick.), then just let it go for a bit. If that gets wet and you sealed everything else maybe your dam isn't holding.

OK, I thought of something a bit hard to describe. There is a small "flashing/gutter), underneath the two cowling screws on the right, (passenger side), above the "maw" of the air duct. By mostly shear luck, when I cut my cowling I cut right where it meets. In this photo (in the non clickable link in post #10 of above link), I happens to cut so when I folded the flap up, that bent down as I liftded the flap. Here in the pic my index finger is on it.
Anyone could go ahead and seal those two screws. Or if you cut for access be aware that that is there. >photo below>

DFlintstone

nujeepguy

thanks for good pix..

i cant quite figure out what that bent down piece is,,what it does,,cause trouble?
i originally cut a 4x4 hole beside the hinge on the firewall so i can see in to the dam to see if it works. that hole didnt help much,i can bend it shut and seal, ,cant get hand around the back of vent to goop it with sealer which i still want to do. can i safely cut like you did?

with the dam, water must go to driver side to drain. how am i getting a faint leak to the firewall above my left foot!? cant figgure how it leaks.
i also dont know how the left/right sides drain normally thru the fender? tubing? a metel duct/passage?
i really want to kill this leak stuff so i can normalize my floor,,,not b4!!
AND FORGET IT!!
i also am aware that a lot of differences exist in this area, mine is a 2000,could be different. ill try to see/feel thru the hole i made.

nujeepguy

this is an extension of the above .
first i opened the 4x4 hole and i can see the "duct" that you mentioned. it catches water that drains thru the grid near thoose 2 screws, designed to get rid of water that would jay on the grid 1/4 in deep!. it keeps it out of the air intake,its right over it as you pictured. when i carefully poured water just on the grid it trickled downn that duct,into the area i wanted dammed up!, and a faint trace showed on the pass floor. cant win, if i seal the drain ,water will lay there all day. and , something new; i had put tape on the windshield rubber and on to the grid edge to see if it would help. when i removed the tape and added water just on windshield it ran thru ,AND came out inside the door on the hinges. there is a channel under that rubber to let it drain. if i tape it to solve one problem it will trap any moisture that gets in and start a slow new rust...

i dont see a reasonable solution. its a series of bad designs.
im back to pulling the carpet??? that water from my sunroof was draining in the door on the hinges, that i stopped but this new drain does the same thing. they seem to love to dump water in the door frame area... easy to see why jeeps are big on rust!!!