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Watch Out For This Water Leak

Ahhnuld

Charter Member
Full Member
Joined
Jan 16, 2002
Messages
360
Location
Lake Dallas, Texas
I have a problem that I suspect may be more than just my truck.
There is a TSB out about water leaking into the cab from the wheel wells. The symptoms are water entering the rear of the cab in the bottom corners just above where the seatbelts bolt into the body. There is a flat area about 2-3 inches above the bolt where it curves up and the water pools there, then comes down over the bolt down under the kickplate and will run foward towards the mid pillars. It will also stream down towards the rear seat saturating the carpet only in the corner where it rounds from the back to the kick plate. To check if you have this problem, go to a carwash, using a pressure wand, spray the rear wheel wells as you would to remove dirt, mud, etc. for about 30 seconds. Then open the rear door, pull the plastic cover off that is over the rear seat belt bolt. You can also pop off the kick plate. If you see water, you have the same problem. This is with both sides. I did not know about this earlier because all I did was eyeball the mid-gate area for water, since I assumed that would be the only entry point.

To add insult to injury, I have been to 2 different dealers for this issue, and I specifically asked if they duplicated the problem. Both said no. Of course when I picked it up yesterday after they performed the TSB for the second time, I was able to make both sides leak immediately. This tells me that they did not even bother to try. Either that or they aren't intelligent enough to work a water hose.

I would like everyone who reads this to check and reply with feedback. I would be interested to see if mine was the only one not sealed correctly at the plant.

Thanks! :mad:
 
I had all those panels off yesterday and did not see any signs of water intrusion. We haven't had much rain here in So Cal but with washing I have not had this problem. Yet...
 
Took her to the car wash last night...and checked after reading your post....but no signs of water anywhere....

Hey mid...you need to take a ride up North a bit....recycled water.. :p
 
So far no leaks,,, I did find the moisture under the rubber bed mat today and dried/cleaned the bed. I understand this is normal.
 
Funny this should come up now. I just washed the bed of my AV out for the first time today. I was curious to see how the midgate was going to hold up to water pressure. I have had it to the high pressure wash before but the cargo covers have always been on.

I can say that in either case (cargo covers on or off) that I do not have any leaks. Again this was checked with the cargo covers off and I was spraying the base of the midgate with a steady stream of water. Completely waashed out the bed and no water made it inside. Whew!!! :)
 
Triple, it's a good thing you posted because I was a little afraid of taking a hose to the back of the bed for leakage reasons, but you said no leaks so I think I will give it a shot.....
 
:eek: Well you know where i drive ahhnuld and i have been going to the car wash at least twice a week, late at night when i get in to rinse off bugs and any salt mist i get along coast while parked at docks and on the rigs. I have been steady checking around back area after and feeling carpet along doors and along base of seats. I will pop off covers next time i do it just to be sure, but have not felt anything yet. Thanks for the warning
zeeya
 
?
?I had not washed my Av with the hard covers off until recently,and I had noticed no leaks at the midgate.
Washed it & removed the 3 hard covers to find I had leakage on both sides of midgate into cabin ??? ??? ???

? I'm due my 7,500 service in a couple of months,so I'll get it checked out by the dealer then.It's a small dealer,so I hope they know what to do to fix it!
 
Sorry to hear thet Frule :(

Where exactly in the cab do you notice the water?

 
I'm sorry to hear about your problem too. I live in the Pacific NW, and it rains here ALL of the time, and I have washed it numerous times, and have had NO leaks into the cab area.

Good luck with the dealership. I know I am going to have to go to a larger one to get body work done (bumeper cover).
 
TripleB,you asked: "Sorry to hear thet Frule.Where exactly in the cab do you notice the water?"

?The leaks are on the vertical midgate seals.The water runs down both sides to the floor.If enough comes in the carpet gets soaked.

??? ???? ? Fred
 
Just had the same repair done to my midgate and so far is leak free. They had it for 3 days to completely disassembly the entire midgate, remove the carpet to clean and dry, and reassmble. I ran plenty of water over it that night and the box and inside cab was dry. The only thing I noticed was the rubber mat had been cut on both sides and under so water can goto the drains located in the front part of the bed. That was my main idea to fix part of the problem. Hell one of the drain holes still had a piece of platic blocking the opening. Just finished knocking it out. Also so had a heavy rain and the cab is still dry. Even the bed is dryer now with less condensation. But with the way it is made there will always be some condensation in it.

Hope this helps.
 
Is anybody worried about the drains getting clogged up? I recently hauled 4 loads of branches and had twigs and leaves in the drains when I cleaned it up. Over time it seems like these may clog up??? Is there an easy way to clean them out?
 
Hey I have the same water leak that you have .
I did not think it was my midgate. I will check with the dealer in my town I will let you know what i find out.
please keep me infrom . ??? ??? :( ;) ;) ;) :cry:
 
Hey I have the same water leak that you have .
I did not think it was my midgate. I will check with the dealer in my town I will let you know what i find out.
please keep me infrom . ??? ??? :( ;) ;) ;) :cry:
 
???OK, here is the update as of today.
After the third attempt at sealing the seams in the rear wheel wells, the passenger side still leaks into the cab. Now I have a terrible water leak coming in through the midgate on the passenger side where the bar the rear windows sits in, as well as under the gate gasket on that side. I never had any water come in through the midgate until after the dealer had it.

The dealer scuffed my front bumper when the had it, and someone helped themselves to my lighter and smoked in my truck while working on it.

When they installed the new real panel which had broken clips, they just shoved it in without slipping it behind the midgate gasket. So I had to pull the rubber back out where it belongs.

I called the GM service line to escalate, since one more try and the lemon law can be applied. Besides the fact that I am tired of driving a tuna can that I have to pay the tax on for rental and having to be late to work several times just to drop the damn thing off.

I have asked them to pull apart the wheel well to identify the entry point of the water, but they will not do it. All they are willing to do is follow the TSB and whatever the TAN tells them to do. This is basic common sense and I am stuck in a system filled with a worse bureaucracy that the US government. I cannot understand how some of you guys can deal with owning an american made vehicle sometimes. I have never had anything remotely close to some of the problems I have seen here with My Toyotas, Nissans, or Hondas. I know I am venting, and I did realize the gamble I took when I bought the Av. I love the ride and the concept, but I am beginning to doubt the truck is going to make it to the end of the lease. I guess your perception can change when you gotta drive a S-10 all week while you make your payments on a Av. :rolleyes:
 
Ahhnuld said:
I know I am venting...
Hey, vent away dude... that's why we're here.

Ever thought about taping the event on a camcorder? Maybe line the carpet with paper towels and demonstrate that they are dry, then blast the wheel-well with a hose and finally pull out the wet paper towels in front of the camera.
 
I hear ya, but when they told me the first 2 times that they could not recreate the leak after I told them how, then took it myself to the carwash to check the work and could do it in less than 30 seconds, they lost all credibility.
I don't think they would listen even if I showed up with stone tablets from Mount Sinai with detailed instructions etched with God's own finger. :rolleyes:
 
since I am now in the "leaker" camp (source undetermined) I have looked around, it seems the leaks fall into two general camps being (1) migate/rear glass leaks and (2) rear wheel well seams (and maybe even bolts?). Both have been the subject of TSBs:

*************************************
Make: CHEVROLET TRUCK Model: AVALANCHE Year: 2002

Service Bulletin Number: 010101 Bulletin Sequence Number: 623 Date of Bulletin: 01/01

NHTSA Item Number: SB623473
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:WHEEL WELL
Summary:
SOME VEHICLES MAY HAVE BEEN SHIPPED FROM THE ASSEMBLY PLANT WITH A SEAM THAT IS NOT COMPLETELY SEALED IN THE REAR WHEELHOUSE AREA, VEHICLES BUILT PRIOR TO 13-JUN-2001 COULD BE AFFECTED. *SLC
********************************************
Make: CHEVROLET TRUCK Model: AVALANCHE Year: 2002

Service Bulletin Number: 010857001 Bulletin Sequence Number: 620 Date of Bulletin: 07/01

NHTSA Item Number: SB620829
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY
Summary:
SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A WET CARPET IN THE FRONT OR REAR FOOTWELL. *TT
**********************************************

Make: CHEVROLET TRUCK Model: AVALANCHE Year: All years

Service Bulletin Number: 010101 Bulletin Sequence Number: 623 Date of Bulletin: 01/01

NHTSA Item Number: SB623405
Component: MANUFACTURERS INFORMATION TO DEALERS
Summary:
INFORMATION ON WATER MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. *SLC

*****************************************

and the multitude of TSBs on craced rear window trim ec. which may in some cases involve a leak issue.

I am not sure what is causing my wet carpet, I just noticed it this week and plan on investigating it this weekend. Note that I have a early build date - 06/01 - so it might even be a seam issue.
 
Hey Jackalanche,
Check out my post that began this thread, it will tell you how to ascertain of you are leaking from the wheel wells.
 
??? :-[ :cry:ahhnuld, you know the weather we had today, and i have been waiting for it to check mine. got home this after noon and found a few drops on drivers side back door area. Pulled up small ?16" panel for door along bottom and there were a few drops that i could see. Checked carpet along back wall and along door and was not wet, but does have small leak, will have to get checked out.
where are you getting your av serviced at????????Musson in New iberia is the only people that touch mine as far as mechanical, this is getting into body shop people and i do not know how they are over there. Heard you mention they were smoking in yours and scratched front end, when is your new bumper cover coming in???????????????/
zeeya
 
Hey Zeeya,
Currently I have the Av at Huffhines Chevrolet after calling GM service and speaking with the area rep. They seem to be genuinly concerned and more than willing to fix it right this time. It is definitely the seam in the wheel well and I will post results after they return my truck with explanation of what they did. As far as the scuff on the front bumper, its fine. You can tell if you get up close and look for it, but I figure rocks and road grime will do its part throughout time. They were kind enough to provide a Suberban while thet have mine, so I am very pleased thus far. Hopefully I won't go through this again.
 
I posted this reply on another leak thread:

Alrighty then!
Got my truck back today, and here is what they found.

Wheel well leaks: If you look up under the well, you will see the drain tube that travels from the drain system up top. There is a grommet that is supposed to seal that tube against the well, and it is placed there without any sealant. They traced the water from that point which ran into the corners of the cab and then took 2 paths. The first one runs over the seatbelt bolts and under the kickplates, and the other runs under the back of the midgate drainage system and the water pools there. It won't wet the carpet along the back, but you can hear the water sloshing around as you take corners. That being said, if you don't have problems at the moment, you may in the future as the grommets may work their way out up under the well. The dealer disassembled and removed the midgate, dryed up all the water, sealed the drain tubes at the top of the well along with the seams that run horizontally above the plastic panel in the fron of the well. He also put additional undercoating in the well. Looks good, but I have not tested yet. The dealer said they tested numerous times before and after to ensure they got the leak.

Midgate leak:
Dealer found that the T-bar was not fully seated, and they also followed a TSB that inserts rubber tubing inside the midgate gasket down to the the lower corners.

I had them correct a chassis squeak as well and will reply to the thread I started on that issue.

Hey Zeeya, check to see they sealed the top of the drain tubes in the well. The first 3 times, 2 dealers just ran sealant along the lower seams, which did nothing to stop the water.
 
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