General Waterleak Diagnosis Guide

This bulletin contains information on various waterleak conditions. Refer to the following table for a quick reference to the various conditions and the corresponding illustrations.

Some customers may comment on a mildew odor or that the front floor is wet.

The water deflector may not be seated properly to the door sheet metal.

Seat the water deflector to the door surface at the primary locations. Refer to the arrows in the illustration. If the adhesive surface is dirty and the water deflector needs to be replaced, follow the procedure listed below.

Service Procedure

1. The adhesive surface must be clean, dry and free of dirt or contaminants. Clean the door surface (around the perimeter of the water deflector) with one of the cleaners listed below, or an equivalent.
2. Install the water deflector to the inner panel.
3. Pull the harness connectors through their respective holes or slits.
4. Position the outer perimeter of the deflector to the door inner panel by working from the bottom center outboard. Make sure the butyl adhesive is below the drain holes.
5. Using a 50 mm (2 in) wallpaper roller, roll out the butyl adhesive. Start at the bottom center and work outboard, up the right and left sides. A 50 mm (2 in) roller can be purchased at a hardware or wallpaper store.

Some customers may comment on a mildew odor or that the front floor is wet.

There may be a void in the seam sealer at the front of dash.

1. Run water over the strut tower. Refer to the arrow in the illustration.



2. Inspect the seam on the inside of the vehicle. Refer to the highlighted line in the illustration.
3. Clean the area with one of the cleaners listed below.
4. Seal the voids with seam sealer. Refer to the list below.

Some customers may comment on a mildew odor or that the front floor is wet.

The wire harness, cables or the HVAC drain that passes through the front of dash may not be sealed properly. Refer to the arrows in the above illustration.

Locate the leak by running water down the front of the dash under the hood. Clean the area with one of the cleaners listed below. Seal the area with a seam sealer listed below.

Some customers may comment on water dripping from the top of the windshield.

Important: A large amount water may be able to enter the vehicle through small holes in the body seam sealer.

1. The affected surface must be clean, dry and free of dirt or contaminants. Clean the surface with one of the cleaners listed below, or an equivalent.
2. Fill the pin hole(s) with a clean seam sealer.

Some customers may comment on a mildew odor or that the front floor/mid-floor is wet.

There may be a void in the butyl tape/sealer on the hem flange under the auxiliary seal. Refer to the highlighted line in the illustration above.

1. Clean the flange and weatherstrip with one of the cleaners listed below.
2. Apply some weatherstrip adhesive in the weatherstrip retaining cavity and reinstall the weatherstrip to the hem flange.

Some customers may comment on a mildew odor or the that the mid-floor is wet.

The "C" pillar may have a sealer void. Refer to the shaded area in the illustration above.

Clean the area with one of the cleaners listed below and seal with a seam sealer listed below.

Some customers may comment on water pooling up in the corner of the weatherstrip or that the mid-floor is wet.

The weatherstrip may allow water to wick in and pool up in the corner. Refer to the arrow in the illustration above.

Drill a small 3 mm (1/8 in) hole in the interior surface of the weatherstrip. This will allow the water to drain inside the weatherstrip and exit out the existing holes in the outside of the weatherstrip

Some customers may comment on clean water in the jack compartment.

The power sliding side door cable pass-through grommets may not be seated properly. Refer to the locations shown in the illustration above.

Make sure the power sliding side door grommets are seated properly. Seal the perimeter with weatherstrip adhesive as necessary.

Some customers may comment on dirty water in the jack compartment.

There may be a poor seal in the wheelhouse inner to outer sheet metal. Water is thrown off the wheels and forced up through the unsealed joint. Refer to the illustration above.

Important: Wear safety glasses and use compressed air to dry the area.

1. Clean the surface area with one of the cleaners listed below.
2. Seal the hole with one of the sealers listed below.

Some customers may comment on dirty water in the jack compartment.

There may be a void in the sealer between the inner and outer wheel house liner. Refer to the highlight in the illustration above.

Important: Wear safety glasses and use compressed air to dry the area.

Clean the surface area with one of the cleaners listed below and then seal the hole with one of the sealers listed below.

Some customers may comment on wet carpet at the rear of the vehicle.

The weatherstrip may be turned in on the sides causing poor contact to the liftgate surface. Refer to the arrow in illustration above

1. Remove the weatherstrip from the hem flange.
2. Bend the hem flange outboard to ensure a better seal contact.

Some customers may comment on wet carpet at the rear of the vehicle.

The weatherstrip may be turned down at the top causing poor contact to the liftgate surface. Refer to the illustration above

Bend the hem flange upright to ensure a better seal.

Some customers may comment on wet carpet at the rear of the vehicle.

The taillight grommet may not be sealed. Refer to the illustration above.

Make sure the butyl tape is in place over the taillight grommet.

Some customers may comment that the headliner is wet at the rear of the vehicle.

The wire harness grommet may not be fully seated. Refer to the illustration above.

1. Fully seat the rubber grommet.
2. Seal the grommet, if necessary, with weatherstrip adhesive listed below.

GM Weatherstrip Adhesive Gel (Black), P/N 12345097 (in Canada, use P/N 10953479)

Parts are currently available from GMSPO.