Cars are designed to be watertight which is why you have tight seals in places like the doors, windows and various parts of the engine. Maintaining these seals is important for vehicles of all types and failure to do so can lead to damp patches inside the cabin as well as rust developing.
Older cars and those that are poorly maintained often suffer from a problem of water ingress.
When it’s an area like the window, this is easy to notice – during wet weather, you may notice patches of damp or see visible dripping, for example, from the driver’s window. But many times, problems with water ingress remain hidden and nothing is noticed until there are problems with the car’s infrastructure.
Essentially, this is where water gets into any part of your car where it shouldn’t. The most common of is water dripping through because of broken and brittle seams or gaskets in the roof, windscreen and windows. Areas like blocked AC drains and heater core links can also be issues, especially for older cars.
For example, your roof is usually attached with a rubber gasket and this can be the victim of wear and tear over the years. Water may seep in through a small break and start causing rust of the surrounding metal. Water can also get trapped and expand when it freezes in winter causing more damage.
Some vehicles such as VWs and Audis are more prone to water ingress than others as they age but any car, van or motorbike can have this kind of problem. Obviously, it’s more likely to happen with older and classic cars where there has been significant wear and tear and vigilance in checking for leaks is important here.
In most cases, water ingress is down to damaged seals and gaskets and the main solution is to replace these as quickly as possible. If there are no visible signs, it can be difficult to find out if there is a problem with water ingress which is why you may need the help of a professional mechanic. In general, it’s a good idea to give your vehicle regular checks, especially if it’s an older model.
If the inside of your car smells a little sweet, it could be a leak from the coolant, for example. The heater core is like a mini radiator and located on the driver’s side and if this corrodes it can leak into the cabin. This is more difficult than a door seal which is relatively easy to replace. The heater core can be hard to access and may need a qualified mechanic to locate, remove and replace it.
At White’s Bodyworks we know everything there is about car seals and the potential damage that water ingress can cause. This is especially important if you have a classic car and want to protect its value. Replacing seals and gaskets not only maintains the integrity of your vehicle but ensures you don’t have much to worry about this problem in the future.
If you are concerned that your car may be affected by water ingress, our specialist team of mechanics will be able to check everything out for you and initiate repairs. Contact the team at White’s Bodyworks today.
