996 Cabriolet Water Ingress

[Witterings]

I've a 2001 - 996 that over the years has suffered water ingress. A few years back I found out about the water drains and how they get blocked, the car was regularly parked under a Silevr Birch tree that at various times of the year had the worst size parts that could probably block small drains so every 2 years started blowing them out with compressed air which helped massively and the tree died and has since been cut down.

 

This year we had some absolutley torrential rain for quite a few days and the inside became absolutely soaked and damaged some of the electrics.

 

I've heard some stories that the rear drains exit in the wheel arch and there's a cover over them, it sometimes gets to the stage the cover needs to be removed and the drains cleared from the bottom end.

 

I've taken it in somewhere and they haven't looked at that but say there is quite a history that the seals all go, especially as it's parked outside year round and has suggested replacing them all but it's expensive and if it's just a case of removing the covers on the wheel arch and clearing them don't want to spend the extra £2000 for seals if it doesn't need them.

 

My dilema, I pay for the new electrics which will also reqire recoding 2 keys which is expensive, if I just make sure the drains are completely cleared both ends, I run the risk that it was actually the seals and having paid out for the electrics / keys it fills with water next time we get torrential rain and I'm back to square one and have potentially damaged a 2nd set of electrics.

 

Trying to find out how common this issue is and is there any way to test it without incurring a similar cost of just replacing the seals.

 

A more general question about the same issue, does the hard top - if it's on - make any difference in terms of reducing the amout of water the drains have to deal with or does it still take the same route.

 

I do wonder to a degree if the rain was so bad that the drains just couldn't cope with it but would have thought Porsche's engineers would have calculated how much they may have to deal with in more extreme climates.

 

Any help from anyone greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

[JFP in PA]

Porsche actually released a set of contour formed screens which do an excellent job of keeping the drains from getting clogged, but these still need to be cleaned periodically as they can get covered as well, but at least the drains remain clear:

 

 

You could probably also make something similar yourself.

[Witterings]

14 hours ago, JFP in PA said:

Porsche actually released a set of contour formed screens which do an excellent job of keeping the drains from getting clogged, but these still need to be cleaned periodically as they can get covered as well, but at least the drains remain clear:

 

 

You could probably also make something similar yourself.

 

Thank you for that, I'll take a look for prevention in the future.

[PBradz]

Got a Part number on those screens? Or link to Suncoast part page?

 

Suffered from water intrusion last year shortly after acquiring my ‘03 C2…luckily not enough to damage my immobilizer. Front liner of rear wheel wells can be removed quite easily to access the drain outlets on either side. There’s a plastic pipe that connects the upper area to the drain pan(that theses screens would fit), they age and can crack or become disconnected. Mine were replaced with rubber hoses cut to length. 

[JFP in PA]

6 hours ago, PBradz said:

Got a Part number on those screens? Or link to Suncoast part page?

 

Suffered from water intrusion last year shortly after acquiring my ‘03 C2…luckily not enough to damage my immobilizer. Front liner of rear wheel wells can be removed quite easily to access the drain outlets on either side. There’s a plastic pipe that connects the upper area to the drain pan(that theses screens would fit), they age and can crack or become disconnected. Mine were replaced with rubber hoses cut to length. 

Off the top of my head, no, but any decent Porsche parts department should be able to help.