1998 Trans Sport Roof Leak

[BMcGrath]

Recently, I got my first car, a 1998 Pontiac Trans Sport with 115,000 Miles (I know it's not the coolest Pontiac ever made). We just had a big rainstorm pass through, and the rain seems to have leaked through the windshield, into the housing for the interior lighting, and onto the floor. I fear this may effect the electrics at some point. We think that the rain is coming in through the part of the windshield that the antenna passes through, but we are not certain. What would be the best repair? We are considering caulking the upper edge of the windshield, and then inside the light housing, but if someone else has had this issue, and found a way to solve it, I'd love to hear it.

Thanks in advance for any help or tips you guys can offer!

[Ringo64]

How's the weather stripping condition?

[markpetersonii]

^ was going to say the same thing.

I suppose if all else fails, you could get a glass repair shop to remove the windshield and re-seal it.

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[Professur]

The windshield is glued in with a continuous bead of sealant. If water made it through that seal somehow, your windshield isn't safe. Bathtub caulking isn't highway certified. The most common reason for a failure like this is if the windshield has been replaced by an amateur. One fingerprint is enough. But ... if you've water getting in, odds are it's eating metal. You likely will have a minor rust repair to do while the windshield is out. Most pro windshield shops can do this repair for peanuts. Be warned, the windshield for that van is not cheap.

 

Personally, I'd be out with a screwdriver pulling the ceiling console and perimeter plastics off to get a good look at the problem .. and to inspect those wires .. before I went running for a professional. And I think it's an excellent vehicle with plenty of cool. Best turning radius of any minivan, best fuel mileage, plenty of giddyup. Pull the back seats, throw in an air mattress and you never need to pay for motel room again. One BIG problem with it is the intake manifold. It's a POS of legendary status.It WILL fail. And fixing it is beyond chrome plated bitch status. Haunt your local used tool sellers for the tool to pull the engine forward to get at the rear bolts and spark plugs. Mine looked like a large eye bolt with a bracket on it, or there's this one http://www.amazon.com/Thexton-419X-Engine-Moving-Tool/dp/B000IHNZPC.

Make a point of checking your oil and coolant levels weekly. If you see any significant drop in coolant, get that intake gasket changed pronto. And make a point of actually looking at your oil during changes to check for water (turns dark oil into chocolate milk).

 

I wish you well with it .. I miss mine.

[BMcGrath]

6 hours ago, Professur said:

The windshield is glued in with a continuous bead of sealant. If water made it through that seal somehow, your windshield isn't safe. Bathtub caulking isn't highway certified. The most common reason for a failure like this is if the windshield has been replaced by an amateur. One fingerprint is enough. But ... if you've water getting in, odds are it's eating metal. You likely will have a minor rust repair to do while the windshield is out. Most pro windshield shops can do this repair for peanuts. Be warned, the windshield for that van is not cheap.

 

Personally, I'd be out with a screwdriver pulling the ceiling console and perimeter plastics off to get a good look at the problem .. and to inspect those wires .. before I went running for a professional. And I think it's an excellent vehicle with plenty of cool. Best turning radius of any minivan, best fuel mileage, plenty of giddyup. Pull the back seats, throw in an air mattress and you never need to pay for motel room again. One BIG problem with it is the intake manifold. It's a POS of legendary status.It WILL fail. And fixing it is beyond chrome plated bitch status. Haunt your local used tool sellers for the tool to pull the engine forward to get at the rear bolts and spark plugs. Mine looked like a large eye bolt with a bracket on it, or there's this one http://www.amazon.com/Thexton-419X-Engine-Moving-Tool/dp/B000IHNZPC.

Make a point of checking your oil and coolant levels weekly. If you see any significant drop in coolant, get that intake gasket changed pronto. And make a point of actually looking at your oil during changes to check for water (turns dark oil into chocolate milk).

 

I wish you well with it .. I miss mine.

Thanks for the general advice for the car. Is the weatherstripping really that easy to damage? The stripping itself seemed solid when I inspected it, but there was a suprisingly washed-out spot above where the leak has been. As for pulling the light housing out, does it just pop out/in? I can't see any screws from the inside, but I'm afraid to just yank on it.

As for the intake manifold and the engine pull information, thank you for the general advice. I'll have to write this down somewhere.

[Professur]

Original windshield adhesive is pretty indestructible. A cheap replacement's adhesive .. who knows. As for how to remove the overhead console ... which one do you have? There were half a dozen different ones depending on the options you have. Check e-bay to see if you spot yours ... odds are good they'll have a pic of the back side showing how it's attached.

[BMcGrath]

UPDATE:

We went out this weekend, due to the great weather, and took a closer look at the windhsield. We think we've pinpointed where the rain was entering: Where the upper weatherstrip curved down to the side of the windshield. We caulked some voids at the corner, and cleaned out the drainage channels. We took down the overhead console (It does just snap out, it seems) and made sure the electrics are okay. I'll be keeping a close eye on the problem, and if this doesn't solve it, it seems we need to get it looked at professionally.