Mav/Comet owners, I need your help! With the rainy season fast approaching I have a major leakage problem with my windsheild on my 73mav. About 14 months ago I had the front seal swapped for a new one because the old one was leaking like a sieve. Unfortunately after the next rain I noticed that the seal was still leaking and took it back and the guy put some more of that black sticky glue and said that it shouldn't leak anymore and sent me on my way. Well he was wrong and we went through the whole sealing thing two more times until the leak finally stopped. About 6 months after the leak stopped one of my chrome moldings came off while I was driving on the freeway, I took a replacement piece back to the shop and they put it on and all was well, until it rained today. The freaking seal is leaking again! What should I do? Should I take it back to the same shop again? I was thinking of asking him to meet me half way on another gasket and see if he'd bite, is this wise? If not is there anyone who can recommend a glass place in S. Cali? Also any other mav owners who might be reading, does any of this sound familiar to you? If so what did you do to correct the problem? I hate the fact that my mav is leaking despite multipule trips to the glass place! Help, I'm at my witts end! Thanks
are you sure you live in So-Cal was it the rain last monday?(i actually left my window open and my seat got all wet)
Yeah, I live in Lancaster and we had one of those storm cells and of course it had to happen right as I was coming out of a store!
I don't know much about California cars and how your weather affects them, but here on other side of the country a real common cause of leaking windshields are small rust holes in the metal behind the seals. When the windshield was pulled the first time, did anyone look to see if there were any holes in there where water could seep in? Another thing to consider is if the new seal may have been stretched out a bit too much so it would not fit around the windshield as tight as it should. This is all guess work at this point. I personally would take the car to a different shop with a good rep and explain the situation to them. They will probably want to pull the windshield back out and check it out for themselves. Hopefully they might be able to solve your leaking problem.
Jean, thanks for your reply. On the whole we don't have too many problems with rust but I can't say for sure if they checked. If holes were the problem are we talking a quick bondo job or are we talking full on metal restoration? I plan to full restore the mav in about 5 years, and we're talking stripping as far as possible and building her up the right way, and money won't be an object, I will spare no expense. However for right now I need to do the minimum to keep her on the road. Right now I'm looking into another daily driver to save some wear and tear on her for the time being. Do you suggest a certain distributor for weatherstripping? I was thinking autokrafters but I've heard good and bad. Thanks again for your advice.
If the leaks are being caused by small rust holes, they can be patched up with fiberglass for the time being. Since you are planning to restore the car in a few years, the fiberglass patches should stop the leaks until then. That is, IF the leaks are from rust holes. With the climate and weather in CA. being so much differnet than it is here in PA, rust may not even be the issue. The windshield has to come back out to know for sure. I have used the AutoKrafters windshield gaskets in the past and had no problem with them. The glass company we deal with seals the living tar out of them with black urethane so they don't leak.
are you sure its leaking around the window.....do you actually see it there or just that you think it is there because the floor is wet.... if you think its the windsheild....consider this.... you could have cowl rot. the cowl is rusted through internally and its leaking from inside the dash area.... this is not uncommon on the mavs. mine is so bad i had to glass my cowl and it is still leaking in a few areas. something to look at. if it is the WS and you are sure it is, i would suggest taking it back to the guy, if he guarantees his work, he should remove the WS and seal and replace the seal, he could have cut it when he put it on and the seal is leaking not the area behind it..
