Fire risk from water ingress near lights switch module
 

Today, I noticed water was getting onto the bonnet release lever, (and a small panel below it on which I have a tiny L.E.D and a switch, the visible part of, I think, one of Arctics mods which shows the pulses of the FBH fuel pump).

I removed the side panelling and the lower fascia panelling from around the steering column and found water on the inner part of the bonnet release lever and other adjacent parts.

I have dried these with a towel as best as I can reach and it all seems dry now. I also removed the door trim and eased the carpet away from the door frame and it felt just damp, so it could have been starting to act as a big sponge.

I have also reset together again the two ends of the door opening seal. This could have been allowing drips of water to pass over the seal and get to the problem area

I have removed all the plastic covers from below the windscreen, cleaned all the accumulated dirt and filled the white oval locking recesses for the underside of the plastic cover frame, with grease, to seal them.

I have cleaned out the muck and leaves from the corner 'above' the bonnet hinge.

I also freed the lighting switch module, but that was dry.

I seem to recall a number of our marque being set on fire in earlier years, through I believe, water ingress in the same area. Have any other forum members had a similar problem? If so what did they find the cause to be and how was the water ingress stopped?

I have looked on the forum's "How To's", but I couldn't find any similar problems there.

Any ideas anyone may have will be appreciated.

GeoffWW

One of my mods actually !

The potential fire hazard of water getting into the LSM is pretty well known with several threads about it. The basic cause seems to be the windscreen trim clips which eventually leak through the mounting holes. There are certainly some discussions about these clips and the ways people have sealed them. Removal of the screen surround rubber with the chrome strip will reveal the clips. New ones are available, because they often snap during the job. Silicone sealant is favourite I believe.


TC

what holes? I've just looked at my mk 2 and there are no holes for the chrome trim. The plastic fittings all mount onto "pegs" The only holes I can see are under the plenum cover/ scuttle panel
https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-DWE100002PMA

macafee2

Sorry, I should have talked about the scuttle trim panel not the glass trim. The seven popper clips that hold down the scuttle panel are retained in plastic 'sockets' with a foam gasket. These retainers go through holes in the bodywork across the lower edge of the screen. It's those gaskets that eventually deteriorate and let water through.

See Rimmer drawing and parts here: https://rimmerbros.com/Item--i-GRID001775

Item 7 is the culprit.


The rear screen has trim clips that penetrate the body shell. I thought the windscreen was the same.


TC

Sorry for the error, Harry, and thanks for the other replies.

The No 7 white oval recesses could be the point of entry. The top 'seal' meeting the bottom of the windscreen has shrunk and I have also sealed the missing ends with some electrical sealing tape rolled over to make plugs of suitable length and thickness to meet the contour of the main strip.

problem with the ones on the rear is that some if not all cannot be removed with the screen in place. The screen overlaps the peg that holds these clips in place. Good news is that the screen can be taken out without being broken, bad news, not all the clips are available

macafee2

Hi T-Cut I was under the impression that it was item 8 that is the culprit, NOT item 7.?:shrug:

Pretty sure my LSM was getting wet via the dodgy sunroof drains. I just scraped the rust off the circuit board and covered the vents in the module casing with electrical tape.

Thanks for all the above ideas. I was surprised how we get to the back window, from beside the driver's door hinges.

On Grivas's comment on it being the part number 8, the white recesses across the scuttle, against T-Cut's part number 7 it's a combination of the two - I get the impression from another comment above that there is a seal of some sort in the white part number 8. That is why I have used grease, both in the hole of number 8 and all around the underside of number 7.

Once we get some rain I will see if the leak occurs with the car stationary. If not then, - on the move. Hopefully this will end the matter. If not, looks like the whole dash will have to come out to search for water trails, and then trace these back to the actual cause.

Does anyone know where the earlier references are? The search facility does not show them.

Thanks again for all your entries.

Geoff.