Wet passenger floorboard

I'm pretty sure I've read similar stories before but can't find anything in the search (I spent over 2 minutes looking). We had a strong rain and next morning my passenger floorboard was soaking wet. No window/etc was open, I presume it was a seal somewhere was blocked or leaked due to rain coming from that direction. It appears to have dried up pretty quickly (fingers crossed).

My previous truck (Honda Ridgeline) would collect water in some doors if the seals were dirty. That was a weird situation but pretty easy to figure out and fix. I presume this was a combination of rain direction and intensity with something like a dirty door seal. Does that make sense, or is there anything else to check out.

I did not find any other wet areas--no trails of water on the door, dashboard, headliner, or anything to suggest the leak came from above. I suppose it could have all dumped into the air filter and come through... maybe should check that as well.

Any thoughts or similar experience?

 

I had the same experience in a Forester. Noticed the wet passenger side floor after a heavy rain. Could not identify any sources of a leak. Then I discovered it had nothing to do with the rain. The AC condensate drain tube was clogged, and it backed up into a condensate collection pan beneath the glovebox, overflowing it. I used compressed air to clear the drain tube and the problem never recurred.

Alas, I do not know where the 4Runner's AC condensate tube etc is located.

 

I know that's an issue as well, had not considered it may be the culprit given the circumstances, but will check that out as well. Thanks.

 

Please let us know how it goes. Would be good to document this issue, and the fix, on the forum.

 

Ah, that requires a lot more investigation than I was hoping to do...

 

Back on this, I'm pretty sure I have a leak in the A pillar. I had my AC drain cleared out in the past 12 months and had the wet floorboard again this morning. Always after a good rain. There were a few drops of water on my floor mat, but the carpet was soaked below and the plastic panel below the glove box was wet like it was dripping water (will post some pictures later). Got a towel to get up the water and when I was ready to go, backed up then turned forward down my driveway and heard a gurgling sound on the driver side above my head. When I got out, water was pouring out underneath the door/on the frame in the same location as the passenger side (A pillar) except this does not leak in the cabin. If I have to guess, water is leaking inside/running down the A pillar in the gap between the windshield and the rubber liner on the roof. No idea why it's collecting and not simply running off.

Edit: I drive a 16 LE with moonroof, but I don't think the water is coming in from the moonroof.

 

Back with some awesome graphics. Here is what I see under my floor mat when I remove it. Sometimes the floor mat has a pool of water as well, but this time it only had a few drops of water.



Here is one place the water appears to be coming from, inside the door frame underneath the A pillar:



I've never experienced this on the driver side before, but today after I started moving i heard a gurgling sound on the driver side. When I got out the water was pouring out of this location. I only got pictures of it dripping. It looks like this rocker panel is catching the water dripping off the frame above it.



A better shot of the location, but you can't see the actually pooling/dripping. These two shots (above, below) are driver side where I heard the gurgling sound; again, have never seen water inside on the floor mat on the driver side; have never heard the gurgling sound on the pax side. Both seem to be the same issue.



If I'm a guessing man, I think the water is coming in these gaps. It looks like the water should be sheeting down, but for some reason when we get heavy rain and I'm not moving, it moves down frame instead of along the windshield. (Awesome arrows included for graphic effect.)

Driver side


Passenger side

 

Same thing happened to me with a Tacoma

 

I had a similar problem with my last 4runner. Thought it was the sun roof so i temporarily taped it but that didn't help. Ended up taking it to a windshield place and they found that it had a few spots that didn't have sealant under it. They removed, cleaned it up and replaced. No more issues

 

Was your windshield original or had you replaced it?

 

Not really sure. I had never had it replaced but I bought it used with not a lot of records. It was also an older model (2005) but just wanted to throw it out there as a possible. I had gone thru everything I could find on the forums and nothing else worked so that was my last option

 

This seems resolved. Got some positive feedback at the local Toyota dealer (although from showroom people) on the windshield leak so I took it to a glass place locally. They looked at it 30s and basically guaranteed it was the moonroof drains. I got them to clean it out and the issue has not recurred, although I've only had a few hard rains since, but seems promising. So in the end, looks like it was the moonroof, just not leaking from the moonroof itself but a clogged drain line coming down the A pillar from the moonroof.

 

Yeah. The windshield rubber looks like crap but is within spec.

 

For anyone else, this guy on the other 4Runner forum did a great write-up on cleaning all (4) sunroof drains. Definitely something to add to your preventative maintenance list if you live in an environment where this could potentially happen!

 

Main reason i avoided 4Runner Limited and any vehicles with Moon/Sunroofs.

My Mercury Mountaineer Moonroof leaked throughout years of ownership. They couldn't find/trace the leak

 

I'm not sure if all toyota sunroofs are designed the same or not. I had the same issue in my Avalon. The drain tubes from the sunroof were clogged from pollen and debris causing it to drain in my floorboards.

Allen

 

Pretty much any vehicle with a sun roof or moon roof has this same design no matter what manufacturer. They have a gutter for any rain that gets around the seals and it goes down the pillar and typically behind the passenger wheel. Very common issue because dirt and dust collects in these tubes and plugs them up then leak. Every time a car comes in the shop with this type of leak on the pass floorboard that is the first place we look.