I have a 99 XJ classic and would appreciate any advice on tracking down water leaks and the best way to repair or upgrade since I have my entire interior out. This is a dd that I don't off road and am trying to drive for many years to come.

Water was pooling badly in the back corners of the cargo area but that was 90% stopped using seam sealer on all seams, roof rack, behind tail lights, and around hatch grommets. Luckily no rust so maybe I just need to check those areas again.

Front passengers side has had water pooling in front of the cross member in front seat floor pan and at drain plug in back seat. I ran AC for 30 minutes today but saw no dripping. Also saw no drips after running a little water into cowl.

After rust is fixed, I am considering bedliner to prevent future rust but I do plan on putting carpet back in.

Any advices on these issues is greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

Sorry, meant to include that there are small amounts of rust in those passengers side areas where water pools

 

And water comes in behind carpet not on top

 

I went through leak diagnosis. There are many good videos on youtube with advice. One trick I came up with was to buy a few spray bottles and fill them with water and different color food coloring drops. Then I put white paper towels at the point where the water was likely to end up. Then I sprayed or poured the colored water at various places I suspected could be source. Keep in mind, use common sense here if you are testing any area where you do no want colored water staining (like a headliner area). In my case, it ended up being something very obscure, so it won't help to share my solution. But if you are getting a ton in the rear quarters (sometimes called the fishbowls), the most overlooked source is the rear quarter windows. Mine has the rubber seal around the perimeter of the glass, but water can easily follow the seal until it finds a route and then go right down to the fishbowls behind the trim. Leaving no evidence of its path.

The passenger pan leak is infamous. You will find a lot of posts and videos about that one. Most of them will go towards the "ac drain blockage" direction. Even when that has been ruled out (like it gets wet when sitting out in the rain over night). When the AC is ruled out, it usually goes the route of leaks around components that traverse the firewall, such as the blower motor and heater core hose grommets.

A lot of attention gets paid to the fresh air intake inside the hood cowl (right in front of the windshield, where the wiper motors are). In that it is not well sealed where the intake pipe sticks up into the inner cowl (which is not very accessible from the outside, and a real bear to get to from the inside unless you have everything pulled apart). Also the cowl is designed to drain to one side or the other, so I've always thought it to be strange that would be a major leak source.

A bad or old and failed windshield job is a very obvious and common source for leaks. And their are videos on how to test for that. If one can reproduce the leak with a garden hose, I would think that taping off the windshield border/seal would be a great way to at least rule it out as the cause).

Good luck, please update the forum on your progress. I'd like to know how it ends up (it will be a journey).

 

Thanks for the detailed post Jordan!

 

Here's the update on my leaks:

Water was coming in through the doors at the weather seals. I didn't suspect that cause the seals looked fine. Apparently years of slamming doors bends them in slightly. Weather seal was removed and metal fin was tapped out with a wood block and hammer.

Body shop guy who did the work also put seam sealer around the AC drain hose at the firewall and also around the firewall grommet close to the blower motor.

Put bedliner in front and back and the smell made a things not drivable

 

Bedliner smell made it not drivable for a week but is fading so it now just smells like a new paint job.