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Rain leak in driver footwell - 93 ford fiesta?

I have found that when it rains the driver side footwell of my 1993 ford fiesta is filling with water, so much so that the mat becomes flooded. ive sat in it during the rain and i think it is coming through down the panel to the left of the door. but i dont know how its getting in? and if there anything that can be done?
Anna, July 2005
Rain can come in round the edge of the windscreen if the rubber gasket is leaking. The drip may be some way away from the actual leak. Gently lift away the rubber around the windscreen with something (ideally plastic so you don't scratch the paint) and see if the seal between the rubber and the car body has gone. It's stuck with a special mastic when the screen's put in but it can dry out and let water in. A windscreen repair place can reseal just that little section for you. you can buy 'stuff' from Halfords, etc to do it yourself, but it rarely works. Also rain can leak around the rubber seal around the door frame. Check to see if it's distorted or possibly it's pulled away from the frame. It just pushes back on if that's the case. Is the door shutting properly? Sometimes, the catch needs adjusting if it's habitually slammed hard. Are the higes adjustable on the door? I'm not sure if they are on your Fiesta. If so, the top one may need pulling to make the door shut tighter. It may be leaving a gap between it and the rubber seal. Is the rubber seal OK around the glass in the door? If that's dodgy, water can run down the inside of the door and come out through the panel onto the floor. Check to see if there's any water running down around the back of the pedals. Sometimes, joints open up on older cars around the fascia and dash and water seeps in. It's sometimes very difficult to track a leak down. I've puffed talcum powder around the floor well before now to try and trace where water's been leaking in. There's a few ideas for you. Happy hunting!!

Denis Langley, July 2005
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