Waterproofing your vehicle

Water leaks can have you running around in circles trying to find the source of the problem and also trying to fix it. We’ve had our fair share of such leaks on several of CM’s project cars, including a Mk1 Golf GTI where the fusebox turned green and a Mk1 Focus where the front passenger footwell became a foot spa and the windows steamed-up. And there are numerous common water leaks on many other vehicles, so we’ve outlined many of them over the following pages, along with a general guide to help find a water leak and fix it.

SIGNS OF A LEAK

It’s not always that obvious that water is getting inside a car, especially if it cannot be seen, such as inside a sill or chassis leg, underneath a carpet or within the spare wheel well inside the boot. For example, if there’s excessive condensation inside the vehicle whereby the windows are regularly steaming-up, then this could be a sign that water is leaking inside. Park the vehicle on a hill to see whether any liquid leaks out from underneath it. This often happens with sills and chassis legs that are partly blocked.