HELP! water trapped, blockage in water drain hole somewhere

[RyanJJones]

** SUBJECT CHANGED - SO FIRST RESPONSES MAY NOT BE ACCURATE **

Ok
2005 SWB 280 transit.
It has a virtually constant wet patch just behind the OSF wheel. The end of the sill is wet and thus water dripping off here.
Its been doing this for 6 months +

But....

Van hasn't been driven far in a month
Van hasn't been driven in the wet for months.
It hasn't ever driven through a flood
It hasn't rained for a fair few days
It isn't washer fluid, engine coolant, diesel or any other type.
At 3pm today - hot and humid - still wet and dripping off. Must be at least a cupfull a day to keep the patch wet.

The sill drain hole isn't blocked. Poking something in it comes out covered in grease/rust preventer type stuff - not water

There is a bit of water sitting on the lip between mudflap and sill - so cleaned this - but I don't think that could hold enough water to have a constant drip.

I do not think its coming down from the engine bay.

*ANY* ideas welcome!

[niloc1200]

have you air con fitted?

[RyanJJones]

Yep.
Seldom used and not used in last month - so its not likely to be condensation/ice etc....
Unless you are thinking something else?

[niloc1200]

just thought that it was the drain from there thats all , as mine does but use my air con lots

[Altransit]

Maybe a wild idea, but is it the front door trying to drain through a partially blocked drain hole?

[RyanJJones]

No - door is dry. Nice try

During light rain earlier, water was dripping off the mudguard (inside wheel arch) - but for the life of me I could not find where the water was coming from!

Any other drain holes inside the wheel arch liner? Or similar?

Going mad!!!

[ake]

Is the water gathering below the winscreen in the scuttle

[RyanJJones]

Water seems to be going down the windscreen and (in the main it appears to be) routed via the plastic tray (is this the scuttle?) down a pipe to the bottom of the engine. I guess this bit covers 80% of the width of the windscreen. Need to check the edges again later to see where that goes.

The top of the mudguards are so constantly wet there is moss growing on them!

[RyanJJones]

After more investigating, all I can put my drip down to is trapped water escaping slowly via the OSF sill drain hole - the one just behind the mudguard.

I can stick up a coat hanger a fair way so any blockage isn't towards the bottom.

As such, I reckon I've got some muck stuck in the top-->middle of the drain run.

I assume it starts under the bottom of the windscreen - but can't find any easy place to poke.

Any ideas please/

[RyanJJones]

Please oh please! /beg over

Has no one got any other ideas!

I've been out there with jugs of water and water seems to be correctly routed through the drain holes through the pipe under the engine on to the floor. I can't see anywhere where water is getting that could be getting trapped. It must be at least a litre to keep a constant wet patch on the ground days after rain.

I'll have access to compressed air on Friday when I'll try and blast it up the drain hole to see if anything explodes from the top, though I'd have thought there would be enough holes for this to have no effect at all.

Also water is dripping out from same place even if van is on slope nose up or nose down suggesting water is coming from OSF wing area rather than any more central point. So perhaps water getting in from bonnet and there is a blockage in the bonnet-->wing-->drain run - which I can't seem to see where it starts in the engine area.

If anyone has any other suggestions - please shout - or I guess I'll have to wait for the water to rust away a new exit hole

[johnteddy]

Any help with this problem would be much appreciated. im having the same problem? i have no clue how to sort this out. Still dripping today having been no rain for 3 days? Do i just ignore this ? Help much appreciated. cheers john

[RyanJJones]

Don't ignore, it will rust.
You need to find and clear the blockage, even if you need to drill and remedy afterwards.
After my fix (2009!) it was perfect thereafter.

[RyanJJones]

Oh - just noticed I never posted the fix (!)
I poked up a wire from the drain hole to find where the blockage was. "x cm up". Then drilled a hole a bit above that through the wheelarch and water poured out. Gallons.
Then made hole 20mm - and drilled down and cleared the blockage. Waited to dry, Sprayed a can of waxoil in, then primed the drill hole, put in 20mm grommet and undersealed over.
It appeared "sealant/glue" from manufacture blocked the drain hole through. Once the above was done, never had an issue again or anywhere else. But you must clear it else it'll rust

[johnteddy]

Thank you for your help. i will try and get it sorted asap. cheers john.

[johnteddy]

Ive had a go at unblocking the drain from under the van. I managed to get a wire 40cm all the way up. This released some water (rusty rather than clear rain water) ant way i probably released about 1/2 pint. Now its back to slowly dripping clear water. I want to try and push a wire down the other end of the drain but ive no idea where it is or how to access it. (im not in anyway shape or form handy with cars or vans etc) so all the help is very much appreciated. Thank You,