2014 Pathfinder Soaked Carpets

[rojoloco]

About a year ago, I resolved a major mold issue after replacing the sunroof gasket. Now, I'm experiencing soaked carpets on the driver and passenger side. There's standing water under the foam pieces and the carpet itself is soaked. I also noticed the carpets under the seats are pretty soaked with a slight dampness in the middle row. The headliner has no water stains and the sunroof seal is still good.

I plan to look at several things tomorrow:

- sunroof drain
- A/C drain line
- door gaskets
- windshield seal

Anybody have some other items I should look for while it's all ripped apart?

[VStar650CL]

It's almost certainly a plugged drain. The gasket on top just keeps wind out, it has little to no role in keeping out water. There are drain channels underneath it on all 4 sides that carry the water away, directing it to the drain tubes at the corners. There's plenty of advice in here for methods to clean the tubes without compressed air (my personal favorite is a roll of grass-trimmer line), but see this post about a proper cleanup:

topic628490.html

[rojoloco]

I just did and more troubleshooting.

- Sunroof drains are clear. I put water into them and they poured out the bottom of the Pathfinder designed.

- The evaporator drain hose is clear. I removed the hose and can see daylight through the hole in the bottom which means the exit hole is clear as well.

- I sprayed a water hose at the door seams and no water got through on either side. The weatherstripping held up perfectly.

There was standing water on both the drive and passenger side under the foam. I got all that up and am drying out the underside of the carpet now. I noticed there's no wetness on the carpet piece on top of the center hump under the dash. There's also no wetness on the carpet that goes up the front under the dash on either side. The only part of that that's why is the lower portion that would've been touching the low point of the floor. I imagine the windshield wouldn't be the culprit otherwise it would be higher up and more consistently wet.

[rojoloco]

I FOUND SOMETHING!!!

In the lower corner, where the seams are for the metal floorboard section, the seal has a tear in it. I'm going to seal it. Still not sure why the driver side is wet.

[VStar650CL]

On Pathies we've occasionally seen a body seam crack at a front corner of the passenger compartment, but I think that's unlikely given that you have water on both sides. I'd pull off the A-pillar trims and see if there's any evidence of water inside, it's possible a drain hose has pulled loose from the nipple and is draining both inside and outside the car. The same would apply to a cracked sunroof frame, very rare but it can happen.

[VStar650CL]

I FOUND SOMETHING!!!

In the lower corner, where the seams are for the metal floorboard section, the seal has a tear in it. I'm going to seal it. Still not sure why the driver side is wet.

Lol, wrote the above before I saw your second post. Gray Death is the best stuff for patching cracks in the sealer, it won't work loose like regular RTV but stays pliable to stretch with the frame. You're right, it's very odd for the other side to be wet as well, so I'd inspect the same seam on the other floorboard. It's possible they dry-brushed that seam all the way across the vehicle.

[rojoloco]

The passenger side seem is definitely cracked. Water is coming straight from it. That explains that side. I just have no idea about the driver side. I poured loads of water through the sunroof drains (with carpet pulled up) and not a drop went inside the Pathfinder. I pulled the A-pillar trim and you can see it running through prior to fully draining out.

I can say the water only enters through the crack on the passenger seam when I spray at the base of the windshield. I'm assuming the windshield seam is fine since water isn't coming from anywhere except that seam crack.

Off to continue spraying the driver side for now.

[rojoloco]

I FOUND SOMETHING!!!

In the lower corner, where the seams are for the metal floorboard section, the seal has a tear in it. I'm going to seal it. Still not sure why the driver side is wet.

Lol, wrote the above before I saw your second post. Gray Death is the best stuff for patching cracks in the sealer, it won't work loose like regular RTV but stays pliable to stretch with the frame. You're right, it's very odd for the other side to be wet as well, so I'd inspect the same seam on the other floorboard. It's possible they dry-brushed that seam all the way across the vehicle.

I replied before seeing your second reply. The driver side seam sppears to be okay. I don't see anything there. Do you think FlexSeal would work on the seam?

[VStar650CL]

Yep, Flex Seal is good stuff for that. You can't work it into the crack like you do with a paste, so give the area a good scrub with alcohol to assure good adhesion.

[rojoloco]

I've sprayed every crevice and drain hole I could think of. Still nothing coming from the driver side. It's bone dry so far as new water is concerned. However, there was loads of standing water under the styrofoam and the carriers are drenched. I truly have no idea for that side.

[VStar650CL]

Dunno, that's a puzzler. Is it possible it's been hiding under there since your original water issue?

[rojoloco]

It is a possibility. I figured it likely would've evaporated over the last year though.

[VStar650CL]

No, Nissan carpets all have an impermeable plastic layer in or under the fabric. With the doorsills in place, evaporation on most models is practically nil. I've actually found white pond-scum growing in floorpans years after a leak was supposedly repaired without the carpets being lifted.