the-G-ride

A couple years back after doing an oil change, I forgot to reclip the splash shield to the front bumper. I took it on the highway and wind got under the splash shield and ripped it out along with fender liners. I thought nothing of it so i never replaced it. The only down side I notcied was that the engine bay was getting extremely dirty.

Recently my passenger side speaker stopped playing, figured it might be my crossover or something. To my surprise however, my crossover was fully rusted and water was literally leaking out of my woofer. The same thing happened to the drivers side. So i figured water was getting in from the window? But theres rocks and sand on the inside of the door (where the woofer would go) making me think its from the fender area but I dont see any holes or areas where water could get inside the door itself. There is sand, dirt and water by the door hinges however.

Anyway my question is, is there any way to avoid this? I dont think i can put the fender liners back because im pretty low and I dont want to stick speakers back in the door just to have them get damaged again. Anyone else with this issue? Thanks.

01tl4tl

clean the drain holes on bottom of doors and ck the rubber seals at window to door edge- exterior
Only other place for FOD would be the holes wiring goes thru to door
FOD = Foreign Object Digestion

I have no splash shields and no problems with stuff in doors

01acls

You need to get some water proof speaker protectors like these. They come in different sizes. Just google it.

ndoghuntsville

I haven't had fender liners or underbody splash guard on since the previous owner wreck it over 40k miles ago. I've personally driven it 20k without any issues except sometimes mud gets splashed between the door and fender

On rockauto you can get a pair of fenders for around $30-40. Just in case you didnt know

Skirmich

To OP lacking Fender liners wont make water go into the door unless the Cord Rubber thingy of the door is stripped.

01acls

Lol what?

01tl4tl

the hole where the wires go into front edger of door has a rubber seal = if broken, there is your access point

Skirmich

^ That.
Also there is a physical stop of the door which has a metal hinge.. I dunno if water can get inside through there..

01acls

Harness rubber door seal.

I know what he meant... it just sounded funny to me.

01acls

In all honesty the splash shields are the first defense against moisture from the road while moving only. The water in his speaker is hard to say unless you know his climate conditions.

Skirmich

My C5s don't have baffles, I never had water going inside the door. Perhaps my window tint makes the extra gap between the window gaskets?


But I did ran my car without fender liners once for about 6-7 months.. I had a lot of crap in the door side since most of the tire debris gets stuck between the side fender and the door hinge area.
No water came in though.

01acls

Op, your problem isn't stuff in the door. That is normal. Your problem is you are missing or a hole (speaker) in the water plastic barrier. The plastic barrier (sheet of plastic) is what keeps the inner door panel dry. So get a plastic sheet between the door and the inner door panel then it will stay dry but, you need to leave room for the speakers.

01acls

Skirmich

^ That actually creates a horrible noise when you have a decent speaker setup, First step to SQ is to get rid of that crap and put loads of Dynamat in its place.. You can cover the same holes so the panel remains dry but vibration free.


That baffle you recommended would be the better choice.. And Dynamat the shit out of the door.

01acls

Yes I agree.

fsttyms1

That plastic isnt what is letting water in or to the speaker. That simply keeps moisture from inside the door area getting to the door panel or into the car.

If you are getting abnormal amounts of moisture dirt in there first look into why. Look at the main wire loom going into the door. Is the rubber boot secured tightly? Are your windows weather seals in decent shape?

You not having fender liners plays a big role in it. If you are against running the shield because of how low you are, try cutting it 1/3 of the way up and placing part of it in to keep the large flow of spray and debris from coming directly off the tire and into the door/door jamb area. Also, make sure the drip holes in the bottom of the door are clog free. That area (the door skin pinch seam) is going to be the first area of the car to rust out if moisture is left inside the door.

the-G-ride

I didnt even know there were drain holes on the bottom of the door! will check ASAP.

My brother made a baffle with a shield on top so if any water came in from the window, it wont hit the speaker. Regretting not doing the same

I was checking prices on car-part for a pair, but if you've had no issue, im guessing somethings wrong with mine.

I can't remember off hand if its torn or not. I know the previous owners cut the rear door rubber gromet to fish the speaker wire through, not sure about the front though.

This is one of the main reasons i want to but the liners back, theres so much grime nd mud in there, its a nightmare to keep clean.

Theres the factory plastic in place that i never removed or poked holes into, but still will check just to be sure.

Not claiming to be a SQ guru or anyhting, but the stuff right here: Welcome to Sound Deadener Showdown | Sound Deadener Showdown is some of the best shit ive ever used. a million times lighter then dynamat and it actually works! sealed up every single air leak and stopped all the vibration, like literally all of it. I installed it on my brothers corolla and when he closes his door, it is solid, think closing the door on a 5 series or somthing. no rattling or anything, just a solid thump.

Definitley going to check out the main wire boot as im assuming thats the cause, along with the drain holes. And i was thinking i can put back the fender liners and just cut the top part of the liner where the tire would rub on it. that way i get no gunk in the jambs and no rubbing on the tire.

The rust was my main concern, i mean theres none now, but its only a matter of time. I'll try to snap some pics to show you guys the amount of derbi in the door. thanks!

01tl4tl

that's why they make Rustoleum paint

fsttyms1

Kinda hard to get that to where it needs it, inside the door between the inner and outer skins

Skirmich

To the-G-ride


I know there are a lot of other Sound Deadening options but I'm a fan of Dynamat for years. And it works at the end of the day.

01acls

Op, you can check the harness seals and the drain holes in matter of minutes from the exterior of the car. No need to tear the door apart.

Simply open the door all the way out and look at the harness in the front door jam. Check to see if the harness seal is tight where it goes in the door from the door post. It should have a tight seal and flush to the sheet metal all the way around the opening, no gaps.

The door drains are at the bottom of the door. Look for little slits about half inch to one inch in length at or near the front edge and the back edge of the door. Located on the inside door jam, the side that's facing inward. To clear them out you simply stick a small flat screw driver or stiff wire up into the hole and move it around to loosen the debris.

losymis

See the tube? It is the sunroof drain tube.That was my cause..it is behind the emergency foot break..i just pushed back into the frame..that fixed my puddle of water on the floor

fsttyms1

Thats a great tip for inside the car, but this is inside the door, which has nothing to do with a moonroof drain tube.

01acls

ROTF. Hey, I don't care if it was on a Chevy, I'll still like the credit. LOL