I have a 94 Taurus that seems to have A LOT of moisture in it every morning. The windows are wet on both the inside and the outside.
Any ideas on what I need to look for? Is there just a seal around the windows that isn’t sealed anymore? Do I take this to a mechanic? An autobody shop? How can they find where the moisture might be coming in?
Thanks for any and all advice. As always…
Do you have puddles in the floorboards? My son had a similar problem with a 93 Cavalier. We took it to a body shop, they said they generally charge about an hour’s labor to diagnose. Turned out it had multiple leaks, but they did blow some leaves out of an interior drain. That seemed to work really well and fixed 95% of the problem. Best thing is, they didn’t even charge me for it. I’d talk to a body shop, chances are there is a clogged drain somewhere.
Check your trunk for leaks, I had a Taurus and the spare tire well would fill with water.
I’ve got a '91 Tempo with a trunk that could double for a slop sink. Try as I have I can not spot a leak in the rubber seal around the lip of the trunk. Is there another place to look?
What is it with these leaky '90s Fords?
Well, I have a 1983 Renault :rolleyes:
No, really, I do, and I get exactly the same problem. It is compounded by the fact that the rear-window demister doesn’t work.
I can’t figure out where the water comes from, but I guess it must be the rubber seal around the back. So if anyone else has a solution, I’m all ears…
Oh, and “buy a new car” doesn’t count.
It all has to do with your car’s plumbing.
You think I’m kidding, don’t you? I’m not. Water get’s into doors, trunks, anywhere it can get into. But the designers have the knowledge that water follows the basic rules of physics and follows gravity, so at low points they have created drains. Nothing fancy mind you, usually just a little hole in the metal with a rubber grommit, or a short section of hose. Just with any plumbing, these drains get clogged. Sadly, as with any clog, the first suspect should always be my wife’s hair. She sheds like a sheepdog. Sorry about that. I try to keep her indoors.
If you haven’t already, a Haynes manual is must have. It’s an auto repair manual that lays out repair in pictures and step by step instructions. Their chapter on the auto body is worth your reading pleasure. You’ll have to do some sluething, but I suspect you have standing water somewhere in your car. It’s evaporating and fogging up the windows. Your job will be to find the water, and using the Haynes manual (actually, using a paper clip, the manual is too large to clear the clogs) find the drain and clear it.
Now, there are other possibilities. If it’s an oily fog and smells of anti-freeze, your troubles are far bigger than standing water. Another possibility is that your carpet at one point has become drenched, and it’s never had a chance to fully dry out. If that’s the case, find covered parking for a week somewhere that you can leave your windows open. Preferably somewhere arid. I’ve heard they have covered parking in Tempe. Or, you could just stop parking in the swimming pool.
Good luck.
I have a '98 Camry that was leaking through a crack in the rear turn signal. A little bit of silicone cleared it right up!
My old '89 Taurus SHO had a VERY leaky trunk and the moisture would go from the trunk through the vents on the back seat shelf into the car and cause drops of water to form on not only the window but the chrome inside the car too (during the Spring and Fall mostly). I ended up getting in the trunk and had a friend shut the trunk on me so I could see where the leak was… it turned out that it was all around me, like a ring of light. I put foam tape on the trunk lid where the rubber gasket should have made contact and that took care of the problem for the most part. I would also leave the trunk and windows open for a few hours on warm dry days to help keep it dry.
I thought about keeping the little dri-lock packages found in shipping boxes under the seat, but I never got around to doing it.
I often valet cars which literally slosh because of clogged drains.
Sticking the knife of my key-ring multi-tool into the drain underneath the driverside door released a half gallon of backed-up water…
…and scored myself a ten buck tip.
Anyway, to release moisture in the rugs, run both the heater and air conditioner simultaneously, if your climate control permits.