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Author Topic: Removing front fender and re-sealing A pillar?  (Read 4123 times)

August 26, 2017, 12:19:03 pm

Spokerider

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Removing front fender and re-sealing A pillar?
« on: August 26, 2017, 12:19:03 pm »
Guys,
 My 1995 Golf has a water leak coming in on the pass side A pillar. It seeps in, goes under the carpets and makes a lake.......
 Now, I've done some sleuthing to figure out where / how it's coming in........

 It's not the cabin air intake vent seal leaking.....I've cleaned out that area, removed the vent and resealed it, even though it looked great and didn't need to be done in the end.....

 The car was hit on the pass side sometime in it's life, and the auto body shop that did the repairs did a real ***ty job. I'm thinking that the water is coming down off the windshield, going between the fender and the plastic wheel well liner, running down the A pillar [ on the outside ] and seeping in where the fender / A pillar junction is supposed to be sealed with some type of sealant. I suspect when the shop removed the fender, they did not seal the joint well at all allowing the water ingress into the cabin.
When I pull back the carpet and remove the sill plate on that side, I can see the drip, drip, coming in through the A pillar and the plastic door-wire-harness connector.

  Now, that water is coming from down, inside the A pillar and hitting the harness connector, then seeping into the cabin there. I have tried sealing it all around the harness connector from inside the cabin, but it's really tough to access and I didn't seal it up well at all......as I see it still dripping when I pour a jug of water over the windshield at the fender / A pillar area.

   Somehow, the water is getting inside the A pillar. I need to either remove the plastic wheel well liner and clean / reseal the A pillar to fender joint, or, remove the front fender and seal it up properly.

  Finally, my questions........

 Anyone done this?
 Which sealant should I use?
 Tips? Advice?


 Thank you !

Oh yeah........here is a link showing the door wiring harness connector I have mentioned;
http://faculty.ccp.edu/faculty/dreed/Campingart/jettatech/door/index.htm



Reply #1August 27, 2017, 09:20:43 am

TylerDurden

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Re: Removing front fender and re-sealing A pillar?
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2017, 09:20:43 am »
I'd pull the plastic wheel-house (inner liner) and look around. It's common for the area between the plastic and the body to fill up with debris. Water should drain out a gap between the bottom of the liner and the body. When that gap gets blocked by leaves and crap, the stuff builds up like a beaver dam.