[Efilnikufesin]

Hi Everyone

I own a 1989 Sierra soft top SJ70, and I am getting water pouring into the cabin via the air intake at the bottom of the windscreen every time it rains . It pours all over my feet when I am driving, not to mention the damage it might be doing to my wiring and causing potential rust behind the dash . I am at a complete loss as to how to fix it and was wondering if anybody has experienced this problem and found a solution? I am in the middle of a rolling restoration and have already put thousands of dollars into the car , only to discover this major issue . I am desperate here folks so any help would be gratefully appreciated. Thanks very much .

[shep]

Are you sure it’s not just the rubber drain tube things popping off their mounts?

[shep]

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3956&hilit=Wet+foot+stopper

[HarryHoudini]

There is a Thread on this Forum(can't find it) about this issue,the fix was a hole cut into the side of the heater to unclog somehing.
If anyone finds it can you post a link as my Coily is leaking bad into the cabin....TIA....


https://www.suzuki-forums.com/threads/w ... oot.40501/

[Gwagensteve]

HarryHoudini wrote:

There is a Thread on this Forum(can't find it) about this issue,the fix was a hole cut into the side of the heater to unclog somehing.
If anyone finds it can you post a link as my Coily is leaking bad into the cabin....TIA....


https://www.suzuki-forums.com/threads/w ... oot.40501/

Cutting a hole in the side of the heater box A) has nothing to do with this problem and B) is a a lazy, ineffective "fix" for a plugged heater core.


Efilnikufesin, most likely, the issue is that the inlet plenum drain tubes are blocked or have come off the inlet plenum up behind the dash. They come through the firewall on both sides of the car. This photo is of my early 1.0 litre, I think they are in a slightly different spot on later cars, but the function and look is the same. This is a common problem.



These draw rain water out of the inlet plenum and stop it getting into the heater box. They are just a press fit onto the plastic plenum.

If you want to eliminate this ever being an issue again, you can fit flywire (I recommend brass which is more rigid and durable than common coated nylon) between the inlet plenum and the cowl vent. I have done this on my car, it's extremely effective, but it does require the removal of the dashboard, heater box and inlet plenum to fit, but you're restoring the car the dash will come out at some point in any case.

[HarryHoudini]

Hole cutting is a severe fix but apparently the only way to clear crap off the heater core.

The Thread on this Forum about the hole cutting also went into the fixes for the water leaking,i can't find it,the link was on my old computer.

[Gwagensteve]

No, hole cutting is a lazy and only partially effective fix.

By the time the hater box is full enough of leaves that you need to cut a hole, the core will also be jammed full of bits of leaf, twig, seeds etc. you can't remove that with a small hole in the side of the box as it's jammed into the fins of the core. The box needs to come out, be stripped down and properly cleaned - blowing the core out with compressed air.

Also, by that point, the foam on the blend doors has normally become brittle and failed so the doors don't seal, so that can be replaced too.

Here's what the heater box looked like on my type 3 when I bought it.



The heater box needs to come out to mesh the cowl vent anyway to prevent the problem ever occurring again, so it's a job you ever have to do once.

[Efilnikufesin]

Thanks everyone who contributed to this post . My car is now waterproof!!!!! . The foam rubber seal under the fold down windscreen was the main culprit , also the elbows for the intake drains were both off their pipes .