Suburban water ingress.

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Pinger

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The tool compartment on my 'Burb is letting in water. Rear part seems dry as does the bottom but the front at the top is wet. I had a pair of coveralls stashed there and they are soaking.
Hosing it down raining outside so haven't dug too deeply as yet but I think I saw signs of water running down from above - which points to leaking past the window seal. Known problem? Known fix? Or is there another source? Truck has been sitting out there covered in melting snow and pissing rain more than being driven.
 

SUBURBAN5

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I check 2 places 1 glass seal 2 roof rails if you have em. Touch your headliner and feel around the plastic pillar
 

HotWheelsBurban

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The tool compartment on my 'Burb is letting in water. Rear part seems dry as does the bottom but the front at the top is wet. I had a pair of coveralls stashed there and they are soaking.
Hosing it down raining outside so haven't dug too deeply as yet but I think I saw signs of water running down from above - which points to leaking past the window seal. Known problem? Known fix? Or is there another source? Truck has been sitting out there covered in melting snow and pissing rain more than being driven.
Could be the door weather strips. Mine was doing that on the right front door. Gotta properly glue them back in place, but right now it's held in place with duct tape. Can't fix it when it's raining, or too cold for the silicone to set.
 

SUBURBAN5

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Last just confirming from your user pic. You dont have fender flares right? Also just making sure I'm thinking of the right area. Your referring to the jack storage right? Not the rear right side that normally has ac?
 

Pinger

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Yep, tool compartment drivers side.
Crossed my mind roof pillars and checked roof lining. Cold and clammy but only from moisture in the cabin I think - no drips, stains, sagging. Water in the tool compartment explains why the inside of the windscreen has been getting saturated when it sits idle.

It's only the front top part and toward the outside that's wet. I have a spare serp belt at the rear of the compartment and its cardboard packaging is bone dry as is the sound proofing felt. A small cardboard box at the front is sodden. Pretty sure its from above confined to that corner so not door and it's been happening parked (we're locked down again so not much driving).

Going to have to remove the plastic mouldings to reveal the glass to see what gives. Too damned cold for that though. When I took the soaking coveralls into the house couldn't figure for a moment why they wouldn't unfold. Frozen was the reason.
 

df2x4

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Before you go too crazy suspecting the window seal, check the screws in the luggage rack on the roof. I had a similar issue once and it was due to a body shop (a terrible one) forgetting to tighten one of those screws after reinstalling the rack.
 

SUBURBAN5

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Yep, tool compartment drivers side.
Crossed my mind roof pillars and checked roof lining. Cold and clammy but only from moisture in the cabin I think - no drips, stains, sagging. Water in the tool compartment explains why the inside of the windscreen has been getting saturated when it sits idle.

It's only the front top part and toward the outside that's wet. I have a spare serp belt at the rear of the compartment and its cardboard packaging is bone dry as is the sound proofing felt. A small cardboard box at the front is sodden. Pretty sure its from above confined to that corner so not door and it's been happening parked (we're locked down again so not much driving).

Going to have to remove the plastic mouldings to reveal the glass to see what gives. Too damned cold for that though. When I took the soaking coveralls into the house couldn't figure for a moment why they wouldn't unfold. Frozen was the reason.


When the time comes clear out everything from the jack storage and you should be able to touch the metal under the glass. Reach around and move to the suspected places. Run water from the glass. All angles you should hopefully feel a drop or touch water.... if it was your roof. Somewhere your headliner should be wet. When it dries you may have a stain. Good luck.
 

Pinger

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Before you go too crazy suspecting the window seal, check the screws in the luggage rack on the roof. I had a similar issue once and it was due to a body shop (a terrible one) forgetting to tighten one of those screws after reinstalling the rack.

Similar crossed my mind. As in, if where the rail mounts there's a transverse channel that could guide water down the pillar without it meeting the roof lining. I'll try and have a look today but looks like snow is on for the day. Wet claggy snow that is probably the cause of this.
 

Pinger

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Just had a better look. The roof rails seem pretty snug (no thing loose or rattling) but that's not say they aren't the cause. But, possibly water coming in there and down the inside of the pillar would be guided to lower down. I can't find/feel an open end of the pillar - it seems to be continuous to toward the floor. Roof lining is dry.

I can see a slight accumulation at the inside of the lower forward edge of the glass. Below, there's a sound deadening pad the forward edge of which aligns with the front of the third row seat. Right there there is a dribble.
I stuffed the coveralls back in there to act as a sponge for now and I'll keep an eye on how quickly they get wet. The last soaking could have been over several months. Remedying it will have to wait. It's 1 degree above freezing and even that's too cold for bare hands. That, and how brittle plastics are when cold. It'll wait - I'm not going to drown in there! Meantimes, I'll make an effort to clear snow off it rather than leaving it to melt and find it's way in.

I only found this because I had to go and retrieve the cheapo MM stashed there for a small domestic job when the battery of my Fluke was dead as some buffoon (me) left it switched since last used. Illl wind and all that....
 

SUBURBAN5

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I more thing to check out theres a seam on the roof edge of the pillar with the ls/lt badge. Over time it will crack. I doubt it's your cause. But seal it if its cracked before it gets worse. You cant miss it. Just go to the top if the pillar and you feel a small seam
 
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