I have a 98 Tacoma and have rain leaking in and soaking the floor under the steering wheel

Has anyone else ever had this problem? I even had the windshield replaced, thinking it might be coming through an old gasket, but so far, I cannot figure out where it's coming in. I remove the floor mat and put a towel down with a brick on top to soak up the water, and then I let it dry with the floor mats removed. Thanks for any advice.

 

Does it happen only while driving or when sitting overnight in rain for example?

 

bad door seals near hood area?

 

Dark night

Two people, one outside, one inside

Bright floodlight

Where you see light, water can enter

 

It happens when it's parked. It may happen when driving, but I don't know. I'll check the door seals near the hood, and I'll do the flashlight routine. So, if it's around the doors, would I want to get new door gaskets?

 

Coming in through the wiper transmission tunnel because of rust or cracks.

Poor job installing the windshield ?? Try the garden hose with a friend watching for incoming water .

Is the water closer to the door or more up under the dash most times water will leave a trail as it runs to the floor.

Is it leaking in Hurricane type rain with lots of wind or any type of rain even a mild soft rain like a 1/4" in 8 hours ??

 

There are a couple of seams under the black plastic piece under the wipers that the sealer may have failed. I hit this area hard with silicone caulk.

 

Welcome to TacomaWorld
Check the black rubber grommets on the fire

 

Hey that's a big issue. I would highly recommend calling Weather Channel to assist you.

 

Did you see the truck when the windshield was out? Mine had rust along where the gasket is and I had to have that dealt with before having the windshield reinstalled.

I'd also look along the gasket for kinks and gaps. I've seen some pretty rough windshield installations.

 

Do you have a sunroof? I'm not sure if Tacomas had sunroof's then but if the sunroof drain is clogged this will happen. It happens on my Land Cruiser that's why I'm asking. Also check the steering shaft seal at the firewall. Just throwing ideas out there. The flood light idea is a good one.

 

Thanks, everyone, for all the ideas. I will investigate all these options. I didn't see the windshield repair so have no idea what that looked like. Sounds like there are many possible causes. No sunroof. Only happens on on driver's side so door seal seems like the most likely possibility.

 

Sounding more and more like my prom night...

 

If you have a hose, i’d spray down your windshield for a few minutes from all angles, especially on the drivers side. If it turns out to be a crap install that leaks, get someone to do it right, cause thats not safe, and there might be rust.

If that doesn’t work, check the door and door weatherstripping. Open your door as if you were getting in the truck, and look on the bottom of the door. On the side that faces in, there should be a few rectangular holes meant to allow water to drain out. If they’re plugged with dirt etc the door can send water into your cabin.

Also, the rubber weather seal where the door meets the cab could be torn. Check that too.

good luck and keep us posted!

 

Thanks! First bluebird day, I'll give all these suggestions a go!

 

Hi guys, Sorry for the late response. I finally figured out where the water was coming in! There is a wire cluster that goes from the engine into the engine block and the gap was big enough to allow rain and other water to leak in. I actually went to an auto glass replacement business. They check the glass and it was fine. So then we went under the hood and found the hole. Sealed up now and have had no leak now for 1.5 months! It's fixed.