I have a 2009 2LT HHR with about 110,000 miles that has a water leak on the front passenger side when it rains. I have read a lot of the water leak threads here and most talk about the butyl patch which I don't have and a plugged drain from the sunroof which I also don't have. I don't have a place to work on it except in my driveway. Over the next few days the rain should stop and it is supposed to get warmer so I hope to fix this but I need some suggestions.

I attempted to take off the cowl cover but didn't have any luck on my first attempt. The cabin filter is dry. I pulled up the carpeting on that side and pulled up the firewall insulation as much as I can. I sat in the car one day when it was raining and saw water leak from the very bottom of the dashboard right next to the door. There was also a couple spots of water at the seam of the A pillar trim where it meets the trim near the dash. The next day I tried to pour water on the top edge of the windshield and down the side to the cowl but I couldn't duplicate that water drip. I have tried to cover that side of the car with a tarp when it rains but sometimes it still gets wet.

The car had about 76,000 miles on it when I bought it 3 years ago. The carfax said it had been in one accident. I know the front bumper was replaced because the paint is peeling but other than that I'm not sure what other damage there was. The glovebox door may have been replaced because it doesn't have the sticker with the list of options on the back.

When I cover the car, the cowl is pretty much covered unless there is a hole in the tarp so I don't think the water is coming in there. I was thinking that possibly the windshield seal leaks or maybe the door seal is bad. Any suggestions on how to attack this would be appreciated!

 

If you open the door, you'll see an accordion rubber boot, that the wires to the door run through. That is probably where your leak is, the boot is not sealing properly. Oldblue made a simple diverter for his years ago, when he couldn't get the boot to seal completely. He should be along shortly.

 

I duct taped that boot and still have a leak. I will recheck though to be sure it is still sealed. Thanks

 

Do you run the defroster when it rains? If you do the AC is running and the drip tray drain may be clogged.

 

No I don't run the defroster when it rains usually. It gets wet just sitting in the driveway whenever it rains. When I cover it I haven't quite figured out which position of the tarp works.

 

You can't see openings in the tarp, duck tape any that are higher than any opening in the car.? My suspect would be the door gasket; it should give resistance when you put a dollar bill close the door on it.

 

The rain diverters worked in conjunction with ensuring the boots were seated correctly, duct tape won’t stop that water

pictures in here, mine was the blue one

https://www.chevyhhr.net/forums/prob...de-lake-55823/

 

I had seen that diverter earlier and dismissed it for 2 reasons. First of all the boot is seated well and the duct tape is tight and holding well. The second reason and more important is that during the rainstorm I saw water at the junction of the A pillar trim and the dashboard which is quite a bit higher than that boot. If the water was coming in at the boot I could very well have seen water dripping out from under the dashboard like I saw but not water at that trim junction. It would also seem that the water could also run down the inside of the fender. In the footwell there is a large plug and I have felt through there and that area is always dry..

It rained off and on most of the day yesterday. I didn't cover it with the tarp. I just went out and tried the dollar bill test but it was a wash. All doors seemed to have the same resistance. When I opened the front passenger door water dripped from the drain hole at the front of the door. There was also some water in the door seal at the bottom of the door opening. I couldn't compare it to the driver's side because that same area has broken down on the driver's side. I remembered also when I sat in the car during the rainstorm I saw water running along the bottom of that door seal on the passenger side. I didn't see it drip over into the car though..

I think if I could explain how the water got to the A pillar trim junction I would have my answer. If it is the door seal or the seal along the roof line I'm not sure I see a path for the water to get to the inside of the A pillar so it would seem to be the windshield seal. Any other suggestions or tests I should try? I'm thinking about trying the garden hose to get a little pressure behind the water rather than pouring water in the areas like was done before.

 

If the water is coming in that high, it can only be either the windshield seal, or one of the door seals.

You could remove the A-pillar trim, get a better look.

 

I was going to remove the A pillar trim but was hesitant because I have no idea who the airbag is installed there.

Maybe I should get out the caulk gun on the windshield seal