Leak between Foam Liner/tray and Drain hose

[gunman168]

Hello,

I have a 97 Boxster 986. I have troubles finding the leak that floods my module found under driver's seat. I had the car thoroughly repainted and I am not sure if everything was in place during re-installation by painter.

There was no leak from the front drains. I suspect that the leak comes from the backside drain specifically on the drainhole of the foam liner tray undearneath clamshell. There is no leak on the foam liner itself since every suspected hole was sealed and tested but I think the problem lies specifically in between the liner/tray drainhole and the drain hose underneath it which runs underneath the wheel well. The drain hose does not have a leak but perhaps water seeps right from the drainhole of liner/tray just before it goes to the drain hose underneath it since I noticed a partial gap in between them (liner drain hole vs drain hose).

Pic taken from web to show what part I am talking about. (Credits go to original image poster. Thank you.)

Can anybody give me an image of what exactly is underneath the foam liner in the drainhole part? I think its missing something or maybe needing adhesion to the drain hose to avoid the gap that is suspected to run water in between them which is seeping to the cabin. A picture of the part in between drainhole to drain hose will help me conclude on what is wrong. I cant dissasemble the foam liner tray as I do not have proper tools. I wanted to first know whats wrong so I may plan how to fix it.

Well this is only my hypothesis on the dilema. Though maybe somebody has a better answer? I am just guessing and any input is greatly appreciated.

Thank you everyone!

[gjung1]

I have a 97 986. After a big rain, the car smelled moldy. The passenger carpet was completely soaked. It was fall and my first suspicion was fallen leaves had clogged a drain. After a cursory check of the drain tray, which looked fine, I started inspecting the drain lines front and back.

It turned out that the culprit was the drain tray. It seals the cabin from water. I discovered it when driving right after a rain. I heard water sloshing behind the rear bulkhead. It seeps into the cabin slowly over the course of a day or two, so it isn’t an instant event in case you want to test it.

A month or so earlier, the plastic cups on the pushrods popped off the top ball socket and likely pierced the foam tray.

I can't say this for certain but after inspecting the positions of the front drains, I don't believe they will spill into the cabin if clogged. The rear drains, if clogged, will back up onto the foam tray. You should have sitting water there after rain. If it isn't, your problem has to be the foam drain which is no longer sealed. The fact that your car was recently painted suggests they may have been removed and replaced.

On my car the foam doesn’t come out. If yours lifts out that might be sign. To repair mine, I filled the perforations with RTV and used a plastic tape to seal it. Be sure to check both sides.

Good luck. By the way, the alarm sensor module under the driver seat can be irreparably damaged if soaked. A word of caution should you inspect the drains, I accidentally punched out the tubing on the front driver side drain while using a screw driver to see if it was clogged. It was a nightmare to put back together. The plastic tubing fits into a grommet and if you use too much force it comes apart. There is no way to get into that space from above. I had to disconnect the steering rack from below.

[1schoir]

There is a small white plastic cup shaped like a small funnel directly under the drain hole and the foam liner.

Sometimes that cup/funnel gets separated from the drain tube, and sometimes the cup/funnel develops a hairline crack due to age and vibration.

In either case, it will cause a leak into the cabin.

In order to properly seal it, you have to remove the foam drain tray liner.

You can remove the foam liner only after removing the top frame assembly. If you look at the other parts of the DIY from where you got the photo that you posted, you will find instructions on how to remove the complete top and frame assembly. It's not overly complicated as it basically involves removing three 13mm bolts from each side of the frame base.

Also, if there is no crack or tear in the foam drain tray, and there is a good seal between the foam drain tray and the drain tube (at the little "funnel"), the water can stay in there almost indefinitely as the drain tray material is waterproof.

Regards, Maurice.

[gunman168]

There is a small white plastic cup shaped like a small funnel directly under the drain hole and the foam liner.

Sometimes that cup/funnel gets separated from the drain tube, and sometimes the cup/funnel develops a hairline crack due to age and vibration.

In either case, it will cause a leak into the cabin.

In order to properly seal it, you have to remove the foam drain tray liner.

You can remove the foam liner only after removing the top frame assembly. If you look at the other parts of the DIY from where you got the photo that you posted, you will find instructions on how to remove the complete top and frame assembly. It's not overly complicated as it basically involves removing three 13mm bolts from each side of the frame base.

Also, if there is no crack or tear in the foam drain tray, and there is a good seal between the foam drain tray and the drain tube (at the little "funnel"), the water can stay in there almost indefinitely as the drain tray material is waterproof.

Regards, Maurice.

I think thats the culprit! I think I dont have that "small white plastic cup shaped like a small funnel" which you were referring to. I inserted by pinky in the foam liner hole and I do not feel any plastic underneath except the actual drain hose mounted in the wheel well.

Do you have a part number for it? So I may order it online and put it back in.