2004 XC70 Dreaded Passenger Comp. Leak Topic is solved

TroutJim · Post by **TroutJim** » 08 Apr 2025, 14:38

There are some excellent videos to troubleshoot and solve. Windshield was replaced a year ago. Leak seemed to develop right afterwards. I have cleared drains. Still leaks. While testing, I have seen water on blower fins. The seal/moulding at the bottom of the windshield doesn’t appear to seal well. One solution appears to be to construct a cap over the blower air intake cowl. Before I do that, wouldn’t using Permatex Windshield Seal between the windshield and seal be a first good step? Disadvantages?

Vova585 · Post by **Vova585** » 08 Apr 2025, 19:03

Should you just try to go to the place that replace the windshield and ask them to reglue it? Or as one dealer mechanic suggested to me once upon a time: if you have a full glass coverage, you can accidentally drive behind the construction truck and stones...

Post by **DavidE7** » 09 Apr 2025, 20:47

The Z shaped trim on the bottom edge of the windshield is directly above the HVAC blower opening. If the channel that needs to seal on the windshield leaks, you get water in to blower fan area that ends up dripping out onto the floor. I pulled the Z channel on my post-windshield-replacement leaky car, glued inside the channel with hardware store clear silicone, pressed the channel tightly onto the base of the windshield, and my leak went away. Pulling the wiper arms, corner seals, and plastic rivet pins to get the cowling off for access to the Z channel is always a pain in the rear and takes more time than it should.

TroutJim · Post by **TroutJim** » 10 Apr 2025, 11:39

Thank you David. The Z shaped molding practically came off in my hand and had some kinks in it. I used the Permatex in the channel. I am presuming that the molding was old and that the replacement windshield may be thinner. I also ran multiple layers of tape front to back on the bottom side of the cowl and the bottom of the metal on the underside of the engine compartment dash. Positioned the tape on either side of the blower opening. Thinking that if water is coming from another place, it might drip down at the tape before reaching the opening. Did a 20-minute hose test. No water. Waiting for the next big rain storm.