Water Leak - Above Drivers Side Visor

[GotSol93]

I dunno what its problem is, but when it rains alot, rain some how gets into the car... It usually leaks above the area of the Drivers side Visor. Someone said I might need to get the seals all redone, and that usually costs like a grand. I dunno. Have any of you ever had a problem with water in your car? Kinda pisses me off when I get in and half the seat is soaken wet.
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[Geo VP]

Try lubing the seals first and check for any tears/cracks etc. when doing it (using Silcone grease, also called di-electric grease) By the way I've never heard of it leaking at/in the visor area, at the corner where the two seals meet yes, but not there. As for $1k for just the front seal or for that matter for all the roof seals, no way. Front seal is $120 or so from Majestic Honda, sides are $50+ each plus shipping. About $250-300 total max for all four seals, that's the front, back and the two sides ones. I paid $220 for all four seals but that was a while back after the dealer first quoted $400 then $600 for the seals plus labor to install them ($800-1K). And get this, half the time the dealer screws the job up (they leak as bad or worse then before) so I did it myself and no leaks now for four years.

And by the way they only sell the new style seals so if you change the side ones or the front one you have to at the same time change all three of them as the front one fits differently then the old style as do the side ones. The back one does not have to be changed out unless it's in really bad shape.

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington



<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 20, 2004 11:34 PM: Message edited by: Geo VP ]</font>

[GotSol93]

Well heres a some pics of one of the seals... if you can see to the left where the strip comes out... and looks like its cut? I think that may be the problem, but I've never looked at someone elses sol so I dunno... heres a few pics..







I guess it could be the little stip of rubber that goes there is messed up I have no clue... maybe you can tell from the pics what may be wrong?

[Geo VP]

You have the older seals, '93 & '94 style not the newer '95 + ones (they have a bump looking thing on them right by the roof rail fillers on the front seal, also the lip part on the sides of the front seal is much longer to catch the water). Like I said before try lubing them with silicone grease (sometimes called di-electric grease) and see if that helps some, also you may have to adjust the top some so it fits better, I had the older seals on mine and they didn't leak, only once in a while would I get water on the seat and it was the passenger side mostly. I got real good at centering the top when I put it on (yes it can be off-center a bit when you put it on so it can leak on one side or the other). But lubing them helps a lot, it should be done at least every six months. The top can also be tightened by putting shims under the lock catcher bolts, Honda recommends .05 inch shim thickness max (1.2mm), can be picked up from the dealers part department, three used per latch, otherwise say using a flat washer (much thicker then the .05 inch recommented) would pull the top down to far, flattening them to much and let water in and eventually destroy the seals.

Geo
President
Team Sol of Washington