Water leaking into drivers side when it rains

[Sheila]

I have just spent a month or two trying to figure out why my 1999 Ford Festiva keeps flooding after it rains. Finally I got an answer from a body shop where they spent several days trying to hose the car to find the leak. I was hoping they could remove the windscreen wipers and take of the air flow grid to shine a torch but the air flow grid is molded on permanently.
The mechanic finally hosed the passenger side of the car and told me the leak is coming from the under the dashboard on the passenger side where the air conditioner is located. The water was running through a tunnel to the drivers side. He says he has blocked the tunnel and drilled
holes in the passenger side to allow the water to drain and to just keep a towel handy to dry up when the carpet on the passenger side is drenched.
The other alternative is to remove the dashboard, the air conditioner and heater and seal the air conditioner panel and re gas the air conditioner and put it back together again at a cost of $1,500.00.
Since I am a a non mechanical female driver who really loves her car just wanted some opinions and suggestions if anyone has had similar problem.

[bravekozak]

I had a similar problem. It was from rust caused by winter salt. It ate a hole at the bottom corner of the plenum on the drivers side. It was just above the wiring harness.
The only way to weld it up was to remove the wiring harness and the dash.
Most people would sell the car at that point.

[ryanprins13]

What i believe the problem with mine was: you always get leaves and dirt and junk down in the cowl. That eventually starts plugging up the cowl drains. When it rains hard enough that it cant drain fast enough the water level in the cowl rises above the cabin air intake and drips/pours in there. Solution is to clean out those drains. I never did on my car, i think you just have to remove the fenders to get at them? Not sure though.

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[ryanprins13]

One way to test that a bit yourself (garden hose doesnt have enough volume) is to fill up 3x 5gallon pails. Dump them all in a row on the windshield quickly but not so fast that it goes off the car, should all end up down the cowl. Have someone with a flashlight watch the level to see if it drains fast enough or rises above that cabin air intake

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[w4rkry]

May be worth noting that she is in AU with a 99, which means it is an Aspire. I'm not sure how different the Aspire cowl and vent setup is vs. a DA Festiva.

[Sheila]

Yes this is what another mechanic I saw suggested was the problem but since my cowl can not be screwed off and yes he would unscrew the fender to remove any leaves and since I am in Australia would be gum nuts since I parked under eucalyptus trees flowering. He would want to charge me approximately $200 so waiting until heavy rain again and give it a try before giving up on my car altogether. But thank you so much because a cracked air conditioner seal is not sitting right in my mind either.

[Sheila]

I am thinking since no winter salt probably not an issue for me but more important to remove dash board they want $1,500 here in Australia

[Sheila]

That is a good idea when I go back to the mechanic I am going to try this before going ahead and paying to remove the fender. Cheers!

[bravekozak]

Sheila, I went to the local Home Depot and bought some flexible tubing + a clamp and made an adapter for my vacuum cleaner. I removed the screws to the windshield wiper motor plate, shoved in the tubing and vacuumed everything out from both ends. I loosened everything up with a long, small diameter rod. Total cost, about $3. The car was parked outside under some pine trees for many years.

[Sheila]

That sounds like a good idea to me. I will definitely post if it works for me too. Thank you!

[bravekozak]

Here's my Shop Vac adapter hose that I used for cleaning out the plenum from behind the access plates at both ends.