Leaking S1 Soft Top

[christurbo]

Ive just had a really good inspection of where water gets in on my car.

 

Water gets in by the A pillar top corner, not because the window is not all the way up, as it is!!!

 

Its because the window is not laying tight flat to the rubber side seals on the A piller. If the rubber seals were thicker and met flush with the window then there would be no water getting in at all.

 

I need to cut some black foam and stick it on the rubber seal so that it is thick enough to meet flush with the window

 

Seal not touching window

 

Seal

[Mr_Belowski]

Mine's similar but wasn't going all the way up in that corner - sorted that part today, so it looks similar to yours now, but the window's a little further up so it might leak less. I'll wait till the next rain storm to find out.

 

I was going to extend the rubber seal on the cant rail using a little wedge of rubber glued to the side at the front. After extensive head scratching I decided on one of those black synthetic cork wine stoppers. Not because it's necessarily the right material, but because I can cut and shape it easily and it's fairly hard. And of course, getting hold of enough to experiment with is simply a case of drinking sh!t loads of wine

 

I was also considering avoiding the glue altogether and making little chunks with a slot in the bottom that fit over the top edge of the window at the front. Not very pretty, but it might do the job when the car's parked up and shouldn't be too noticable

[christurbo]

Good idea,

 

Although i want a perm fix.

 

I need to mod the liner seal on the A piller so that it is pushed flush with the window.

 

2 options:-

 

1] pull seal off A piller, apply thick foam to the A piller, glue seal to new foam, thus pushing seal to window.

 

2] glue foam to seal, so that the foam is pressed against window.

 

Thinking about doing 1], but do not want to make a pigs ear of it!

 

What should i use to bond???

[Mr_Belowski]

Looking at mine, I'd say the seal has been flattened at the top by years of use. So 1 might be the most appropriate fix to push it back out to where it used to be

 

As for glue, I've no idea at all. The Seloc folks might have some pearls of wisdom in that area

[Mark H]

It may just be that you need your window adjusted, a lot of the problems with water getting in at that area are just a simple window readjustment.

 

Dont ask me how though as I've never done it, have heard of a lot of people having this done at dealers though. Someone on here may know.

[Steve J]

You can adjust using the bolts on the inside part of the door (one at hinge end, the other at lock end). They move the track guides in and out therefore pulling the window in or pushing it out at the top. The window height when fully wound up is adjusted via a small oval widget, but you have to take the door trim off to get to it.

 

[christurbo]

Steve,

 

Its nothin to do with how high the window is [already quite high]

 

Its to do with the window not being pushed flat against the rubber seal running along the A piller

 

There is a gap running down the side of the window, where it should be pushed flush!

[Mark H]

Common problem on Elises, loads of people have needed to adjust their windows.

 

http://www.elise-faq.info/content/windows/index.php

 

Pretty sure its in the service manual though if you have that.

[christurbo]

Yep..... But its not the height that is the problem.

 

Its because its not pushed flat against the A piller.

 

 

 

Its not pushed against the rubber seal you can see above

[Mark H]

Yes but thats what we are trying to say, you can adjust the window in many ways.

 

Read Steves post again

[Paul_C]

mine's started to do this

 

but its only on the passenger side so i stay dry

 

i'll have a go at adjusting the window though now i know how

[christurbo]

My mission this weekend as ive chosen to accept is to waterproof the Liz [dep on weather]

 

Im going to buy some autoglym hood protector, and im going to pull the seals off the A piller and pad it out with some foam so that it meets the window!!!

 

Wish me luck!

 

[Mr_Belowski]

Ahh, good man. Post the gory details so we all learn from your mistakes

[christurbo]

Will do. Hope I dont bodge it up, as new seals are a few £££ i bet

[pizzaboy]

I used the Autoglym product. Leak from the front A pillar is completely gone. And beleive me my car leaked like hell before the application of the Autoglym stuff. Do it...itll deffo solve it.