The dreaded "swamp floor"

[18screaminwheels]

Found out the hard way my car has this problem, bad gasket under the passenger side windshield cowl and where it meets the fresh air vent causes rain to literally pour right in at times. First time I've had the car sit in heavy rain for days, came to get in and literally 2 inches of nice, salty brown water was waiting in the passenger rear floor. Stupid design set up to fail to begin with, even stupider is the fact that the rear floor pan has no removable drain plugs that I can see. I know how to fix the problem, just ranting here about idiotic design!!!!

[85crownHPP]

I'm not real familiar with the newer cars, but there has got to be some kind of replacement/updated part to fix the issue.
It is kinda dumb how a lot of cars are designed so that if one stupid piece is cracked/bent/misaligned or the easily disturbed gasket is disturbed, they let water roll right in.

[85crownHPP]

I'm not real familiar with the newer cars, but there has got to be some kind of replacement/updated part to fix the issue.
It is kinda dumb how a lot of cars are designed so that if one stupid piece is cracked/bent/misaligned or the easily disturbed gasket is disturbed, they let water roll right in.

[marquisman]

What generation panther are we talking?

[18screaminwheels]

???

Ok now I am a little confused, a watched a youtube video for a 2001 lincoln town car with the same problem...there is the plastic cover right under the wipers that you take off with phillips screwdriver...then there is a plastic tray underneath that sits on top of the screen for the fresh air vent....

I have a 1997 Grand Marquis...no tray was in there, just the cowl molding under the wipers and just that screen...Is my 1997 mercury supposed tovhave this tray too? Almost looks as if it never has one to begin with, there ia not even a hint of gasket residue on the boarder for the Screen...


I guess the real question, would my parts be different than those for the 2001 lincoln? I am going to be pretty pissed if I am missing that tray...

[18screaminwheels]

Ok now I am a little confused, a watched a youtube video for a 2001 lincoln town car with the same problem...there is the plastic cover right under the wipers that you take off with phillips screwdriver...then there is a plastic tray underneath that sits on top of the screen for the fresh air vent....

I have a 1997 Grand Marquis...no tray was in there, just the cowl molding under the wipers and just that screen...Is my 1997 mercury supposed tovhave this tray too? Almost looks as if it never has one to begin with, there ia not even a hint of gasket residue on the boarder for the Screen...


I guess the real question, would my parts be different than those for the 2001 lincoln? I am going to be pretty pissed if I am missing that tray...

Ummmm, a litte help please?

[HiFiMerc]

I believe I've traced the leak in my 92 to the very bottom HVAC housing bolt. I filled the area under the screen with water, and nothing ran in the car, it ran out of the drain like it's supposed to. Spray the area under the blower motor, and you can see water trickling in from that bottom bolt.

Have someone help you and using a light spray, (not full blast take the paint off water pressure) have your helper spray areas on the firewall, and look under the dash and see if you can pinpoint where it's leaking.

[18screaminwheels]

I believe I've traced the leak in my 92 to the very bottom HVAC housing bolt. I filled the area under the screen with water, and nothing ran in the car, it ran out of the drain like it's supposed to. Spray the area under the blower motor, and you can see water trickling in from that bottom bolt.

Have someone help you and using a light spray, (not full blast take the paint off water pressure) have your helper spray areas on the firewall, and look under the dash and see if you can pinpoint where it's leaking.

My question is, is my car (1997 mercury grand marquis) supposed to have a secondary tray or drain pan underneath the top cowl molding. I watched a video on youtube where a guy takes one apart on a 2001 lincoln. He has 1. The cowl molding under the wipers. 2. A secondary drain tray with a flap. 3. Then the screen that bolts right to the body.

My 1997 Grand Marquis only has the cowl molding under the wipers and the bottom screen that bolts to the body. My question is, is my car supposed to have that tray in the middle as well? Is there anyone else who has taken one apart that knows? I am asking because the lincoln in the video is a 2001.

So either A. The lincoln has different parts or B. I am missing that middle tray

Thats what I am trying to find out, and there are no other videos, pictures or diagrams online that i can see.

[sly]

in my 93 it was the rear door weather seal having holes in it.

[HiFiMerc]

Mine has the molding under the wipers, then the little screen over the air intake. That's it.

[18screaminwheels]

Mine has the molding under the wipers, then the little screen over the air intake. That's it.

Thanks, I RTV'd the ever loving hell out of the base of that screen, gasket looked like it was probably junk from day 1. So that takes care of one problem. If it turns out that it wasn't the screen gasket after all, where is the next most common place these things leak that would cause the floor to flood. It floods when parked too, which is, I assume , why it was the gasket inside the cowl...Hoping and praying that what I did will fix it. Leaving it sit to cure for a few days

If not i guess its time break out the garden hose, flashlight, and hope i can find where else it might be leaking...