'02 QX4 - Puddling Water on Driver's Side Interior Causing Electrical Issues

[SMF621]

My stereo has been intermittently cutting out for a while now; the driver's seat doesn't slide forward/backward but tilts and everything else. I picked my car up from the body shop today, it had been raining all day, on the drive home my stereo just wouldn't work at all this time. I had assumed it was a loose ground wire to the stereo and wasn't even worried about the seat issue as it's set where I need it. I started tracing what I assumed was the ground wire for the stereo, I traced it down under the carpeting on the driver's side along the base of the door frame; when I lifted up the carpet I found about an inch of water sitting in the trench that the main wiring harness is lying in. The ground that is bolted in this area (base of the door frame LH side) is completed rusted and gnarly looking. Is this ground for the stereo or something else? I assume it's probably for multiple things. Unfortunately by the time I got to there it had gotten dark out and I decided to deal with these issues tomorrow. Just looking for some guidance on where I can go from here. I couldn't get the carpet pulled up enough to look at the connectors or whatever is going on underneath of the seat. I don't really know what any of the wires are although I could probably work that out if I peeled the electrical tape off the bundle some more.

What's causing the water? Clogged drain behind the fender? Clogged sunroof drains? I didn't even know I had a water issue until I pulled up the carpet this evening. I don't think it's A/C condensation because I haven't used the A/C in a week. It's definitely not coolant/heater core related.

Where is the ground location for the stereo?

Any ideas on the seat issue?

I'm pretty damn certain all of these are related. As far as I know everything else in the vehicle still works. The "brake" indicator on the dash is permanently lit up but I think that's due to the oil leak, power steering leak, and possibly an alternator issue.

I also have a slow crank sometimes but it always starts on the first attempt. Perhaps that's ground related as well.

Thanks!

[04pathse]

The "brake" indicator on the dash is permanently lit up but I think that's due to the oil leak, power steering leak, and possibly an alternator issue.

The brake warning light only illuminates when the brake master cylinder is low on brake fluid, might want to check that.

[fatcat]

I had that problem and it turned out to be a clogged drain hole on drivers side of sunroof

[Buzzman]

I remember reading and contributing to a thread on this subject a few years ago.
Water on the passenger side carpet seemed to be more common than first thought.
There was never a conclusive outcome on the problem, if memory serves me correctly.
You might try searching this forum for water leaks and see what comes up.
In my particular case, the problem went away when I had my windshield replaced (not for water leaks. It was cracked).
Having it resealed, and then no further water leaks, was a pleasant secondary outcome to a new windshield install.

[VStar650CL]

If it has a sunroof, clogged drains are by far the most likely culprit. Open the roof on level ground and use a bottle of clean water to pour a few ounces into the drain rail on each side. If the drain is working, you'll see water coming out under the car in the vicinity of the back side of the wheel well. If you get nothing, the front drain on that side is clogged. Unless you routinely park on an uphill, your rears are probably open, but to test them, jack the front of the vehicle about 8 inches or park on a hill and repeat the test. Rears vary, some come out behind the rear wheel and some in front, but you should see water emerging in one place or the other. If it's just the fronts that are clogged, they can usually be blown clear from the top with compressed air.

As for the carpet, if you find visible mold underneath then it's too late, replace it. If you don't, a good dousing with Lysol-with-Bleach (purple bottle) is the right cleaning agent. The seats have to be pulled on the wet side and the carpet lifted and dried. Bleach it while wet so the Lysol sinks in. Don't mess with mold. Stachybotris can grow in a vehicle and not just a house, and it can do things to you that are literally worse than death, like permanent brain damage. Google it. So if you're saving the carpet, wear an N95 and make sure anything under there is dead-dead-dead.

[doode]

Sorry if I am brining up a post from the dead.

My 99 had water soaking both the driver side and passenger footwells.

The passenger side was caused by a clogged sunroof drain....I blasted it with an air compressor but nothing would come out, so I crawled under the car and jammed a zap strap into the drain hole and a 1/2 cup of water came dumping out.

The driver side leak was caused by water leaking at the top of the windshield, along the headliner and down the A-pillar. The top of the windshield frame had rusted and that was the source of the leak. Ground it down with an angle grinder and squeezed a tube of Permatex windshield flowable sealant and I have been ok since.