Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2686
I'm hoping I've finally fixed this today.
We've had several bouts of rain recently and the car has been dry inside, but this morning after rain last night it was really bad again, the headlining was wet all across the front and water was all over the dash.
Luckily I've taken to putting a Flora pot in front of the Sat Nav screen when parked up recently just in case, and this had about 1/2in of water in it.
I hate doing it, but until I'm totally convinced it's fixed I'll put it there.
I managed to arrange the afternoon off work and stripped the inside of the car out expecting to see a drip from a sunroof drain when Mrs Nasher hosed the car down.
With the headlining down I was surprised that it was only wet right at the front, there was no dampness evident further back towards the sunroof.
Mrs Nasher hosed the car down and immediately there was literally a dribble of water coming in at the top of the windscreen on the passenger side, but NOT between the windscreen and the body, it was coming from between two spotwelds where one piece of the inner strengthening was welded to another,
See Image below.
Click image to enlarge
I spent a while on the inside trying to figure out where it could be coming from but ended up with Mrs Nasher in the car watching whilst I used a very small houseplant watering can outside the car to direct an accurate stream of water.
It appeared to pour in when I directed water at the roof trim strip so I pulled it back and homed in on the right area.
Referring to the image below, I discovered that if I poured water at point 1, or above it, water streamed into the car at the point shown in the previous image, but pouring it at point 2 or 3, anywhere in between them or lower down, didn't make the water come in the car.
To prove a point I rubbed a small wipe of grease over the seam shown at point 1 which immediately stopped water coming in the car.
I can only think that the black line shown at the seam is actually a gap that's opened up somehow.
I cleaned the area down with carb cleaner, dried it with a rag, then gently with a hair drier, and covered it in outdoor extreme condition sealant that is even supposed to stick to damp surfaces.
Fingers crossed it stops it.
Nasher.Heaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
21st Dec 2016 5:32 pm
defector
Member Since: 23 Feb 2009
Location: Greater Manchester
Posts: 1422
Well done. Sounds like you may have solved the problem. I doff my cap to your dogged efforts.
21st Dec 2016 8:11 pm
Nasher
Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2686
Thanks Defector.
It rained a bit last night, but not much, and it was dry inside this morning, so I'm hoping for the best.
Nasher.Heaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
22nd Dec 2016 10:26 am
Nasher
Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2686
Has nobody else seen this specific leak entry point on their D3?
I’ve not had any issues with the passenger side leak since I sealed it as per the post above, but the other morning we woke up to a very heavy dew, and even though we’d not had rain for a while I had drips on the steering wheel and a wet headliner above it.
My first reaction was to again check the sunroof drains, which were free, so I pulled the trim strip off on the driver’s side roof and found exactly the same leak entry point as I found on the passenger side.
I should of course have been more proactive and done it just in case when I found the passenger side, but it seems strange that both sides of my car should exhibit the same unusual fault.
Unless of course the manufacturing process of adding the sealer is carried out in tandem on both sides of the car at the same time and there was a problem.
NasherHeaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
8th Nov 2017 9:32 am
Nasher
Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2686
Just my D3 then
NasherHeaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
10th Nov 2017 8:28 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26705
Maybe just you Nasher, but having re-read the thread, I bet your glad you found it. It's a great thread for future reference.
10th Nov 2017 8:41 am
Nasher
Member Since: 07 Mar 2009
Location: Clanfield, North of Pompey - UK
Posts: 2686
Thanks Gareth
I've just looked at the timing of the other side opening up, and am wondering if the lower temperatures have anything to do with the sealant failing after 12yrs.
Perhaps others will start to see the same thing.
Nasher.Heaven doesn't want me, and hell is afraid I'll take over.
10th Nov 2017 9:12 am
Ipken
Member Since: 07 Mar 2018
Location: Mansfield Woodhouse
Posts: 38
Basher
I have a water leak down the front a frame.
I have looked at the roof trim which has a rubber cap on the middle.
I presume that needs to come out to lift the trim but I don't want to give it a good pull just in case it comes out in two pieces or that I don't need to remove it
13th Jun 2018 7:37 pm
Ipken
Member Since: 07 Mar 2018
Location: Mansfield Woodhouse
Posts: 38
Nasher,
Auto correct kicked in
13th Jun 2018 7:38 pm
indy4x
Member Since: 24 Nov 2017
Location: Pontypool
Posts: 193
Looks like I am about to embark on a similar journey, mines an SE so no dungeons and have a similar problem, top of the A post trim and headlining what it meets the A post trim is getting wet, also she carpet on drivers side. Wet patch is too high to be the A pillar trim clips plus I've already changed them so a look underneath the roof trim strip is in order, even if it doesn't look like a suspect the seam is going to get sealed anyway
20th Nov 2018 1:17 am
indy4x
Member Since: 24 Nov 2017
Location: Pontypool
Posts: 193
So tonight I removed the roof rail trim and cleaned out the channel, sealant looks ok but have added a little more just in case, hoping this is the end of the water leak or at least this water leak.
The drivers carpet is very wet so vacummed this as much as I could but I seem to be getting lots of water on and under the drivers door mat just by the A pillar as well as wet headlining where it joins the driver A pillar trim
Last edited by indy4x on 27th Nov 2018 11:12 pm. Edited 1 time in total
25th Nov 2018 11:21 pm
Danny4383
Member Since: 07 Oct 2018
Location: Harrogate
Posts: 222
I cleaned my front sunroof gutters out at both ends at the weekend hoping it would solve the leak.....torrential rain today has shown me that the leak is still there! 😩
Think I’ll have a look at the sealant as per this thread and see if that’s the problem, fingers crossed!
I’ve only owned my D3 for a few weeks now and I already love and hate it in equal measures!
27th Nov 2018 10:58 pm
JackNorris
Member Since: 06 Jul 2012
Location: Beds/Bucks Border
Posts: 1877
Bit of a thread resurrection, My dads D3 is leaking, we’ve ruled out the sunroof and it appears to be the same place as Nashers pic.
However, we have the below when exposed. Is this normal? Again Nashers doesn’t have it?
Thanks
EDIT; It has rotated the image on upload. Just had a though of course that this could need to be trim and it’s come off?MY2023 Discovery 5 R-Dynamic 3.0
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12th Feb 2020 10:13 pm
discovery3ski
Member Since: 25 Dec 2012
Location: leicester
Posts: 734
My D3 suffers from the same bloody annoying leak. Like you,I cleaned the sun roof drains out. Couldn’t for the life of me figure out why it got wet inside the car sometimes and not others. Had my sat nag and stereo out drying etc and thought it had kaput my stereo unit until around three months of random suggestions fixed/ reset that ending hours of dismantling various bits of car.
My wife eventually suggested that the car only leaked when we park it facing nose down the slope on our drive. When I drive the car in and the nose points uphill no leaks. This would be completely in keeping with the spot you found your leak. For the last four months I have simply parked the car on the flat or nose up and problem solved. Now you have honed in on a spot I guess a liberal dose of silicone will be a cheap fix attempt with no real downside.
My car passed it MOT this week with no advisories so I guess it deserves some pampering.
I have spent two grand rectifying the bong on the dash which was a hollowed high pressure diesel pump ,fuel rail tank with rodent hole in it and low pressure pump worn all the result we think of getting into the system via the rodent hole......it does run nice now though. Just the suspension bongs and lights to fix now and the whole travelling disco should be good....Discovery 3 tdv6 HSE 2007
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13th Feb 2020 3:18 pm
robpenrose
Member Since: 12 Jan 2016
Location: Surrey / SW London
Posts: 2136
Thread resurrection:
I’ve got an annoying leak I can’t seem to find!
I’ve checked the sunroof drains, and they ran clear. I thought it was a leaking windscreen, but I’ve had that resealed and there wasn’t any evidence it was really leaking.
I’m currently in torrential rain and the a pillar is wet, with a slow drip:
If I want to have a look at this seam, how do you remove the plastic strip?
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getting into the system via the rodent hole......it does run nice now though. Just the suspension bongs and lights to fix now and the whole travelling disco should be good....
