Aussieveedubbers · Tech Talk

Leaky 66 beetle ideas needed

https://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/threads/88083/leaky-66-beetle-ideas-needed

bluebus ·

Hi all,

Haven't been on the forum since 2004 when my kombi died, but I've just inherited my friend's mum's 66 beetle so rediscovered the forum. The beetle needs some work to get to rego, but according to her mechanic there's not much to do. But with Brisbane's wonderful weather of late, and my lack of undercover parking, a new and wonderful issue has emerged... she's not waterproof. I pulled out the carpets when they got wet the other day and there's some rust in the rear driver's side pan, the passenger's A pillar, the driver's B pillar and a bit under the back seat.

She's currently parked on the road, facing slightly downhill and leaning a little to the left. And after a downpour, filling the front left corners of the pans with water. The first time it happened the carpets were still in, and the backs were dry but the fronts were drenched. The passenger side I think is coming through the little rust hole at the bottom of the A pillar. It's the driver's side that has me confused.

Doesn't seem to be coming in the doors, no rust visible in the driver's A pillar, the small rusty section at the bottom of the B pillar seems dry and the floor is dry except for where the water is welling down near the pedal cluster. I spent ages with paper towels and the small dam which has developed kept refilling from behind the pedal cluster seal on the tunnel.

So my question is... where might it be coming from??? There are small rust holes next to the bonnet seal (windscreen end) but underneath them seems dry. No water in the boot. Another small hole just next to the engine lid, but it seems to have only leaked into the engine bay and onto the ground. I dodgied the window seals by sealing them with electrical tape the other day, but the problem came back again, so I don't think it's getting in through there. I've since covered all the little rust holes with yellow electrical tape, so now my car looks extremely bodgy, but it should help isolate where the water is coming from. The rest of the pan seems dry apart from the little dams at the front.

I don't have a manual yet, so I can't see the full layout of the car, but given the water is in the tunnel, could it have got in there at another point and be leaking out near the pedals, rather than being filled at the pedal end? Don't really know the anatomy of my beetle yet, so any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Angela.

greedy53 ·

mate i would say that the front bonnet rubber seal is rooted it lets the water run in and down the door inner A frame then onto the floor check the front fire wall it most likely is rusted too
good luck

bluebus ·

Yep, on the passenger's side I'd say you're spot on. But on the driver's side I shoved paper towel into the bottom of the A pillar and also through the heater vents to check for moisture and it came out bone dry and dusty!

68AutoBug ·

bluebus wrote:Hi all,

Haven't been on the forum since 2004 when my kombi died, but I've just inherited my friend's mum's 66 beetle so rediscovered the forum. The beetle needs some work to get to rego, but according to her mechanic there's not much to do. But with Brisbane's wonderful weather of late, and my lack of undercover parking, a new and wonderful issue has emerged... she's not waterproof. I pulled out the carpets when they got wet the other day and there's some rust in the rear driver's side pan, the passenger's A pillar, the driver's B pillar and a bit under the back seat.

She's currently parked on the road, facing slightly downhill and leaning a little to the left. And after a downpour, filling the front left corners of the pans with water. The first time it happened the carpets were still in, and the backs were dry but the fronts were drenched. The passenger side I think is coming through the little rust hole at the bottom of the A pillar. It's the driver's side that has me confused.

Doesn't seem to be coming in the doors, no rust visible in the driver's A pillar, the small rusty section at the bottom of the B pillar seems dry and the floor is dry except for where the water is welling down near the pedal cluster. I spent ages with paper towels and the small dam which has developed kept refilling from behind the pedal cluster seal on the tunnel.

So my question is... where might it be coming from??? There are small rust holes next to the bonnet seal (windscreen end) but underneath them seems dry. No water in the boot. Another small hole just next to the engine lid, but it seems to have only leaked into the engine bay and onto the ground. I dodgied the window seals by sealing them with electrical tape the other day, but the problem came back again, so I don't think it's getting in through there. I've since covered all the little rust holes with yellow electrical tape, so now my car looks extremely bodgy, but it should help isolate where the water is coming from. The rest of the pan seems dry apart from the little dams at the front.

I don't have a manual yet, so I can't see the full layout of the car, but given the water is in the tunnel, could it have got in there at another point and be leaking out near the pedals, rather than being filled at the pedal end? Don't really know the anatomy of my beetle yet, so any help greatly appreciated.

Cheers,
Angela.



Hi Angela

there are 3 drain holes under the windscreen rubber on either sides, so any water that gets under the rubber
drips in under the dash and down and then can run anywhere
but usually behind where the door hinge bolts are..

When the rubber is dry....
get some clear or black silastic and run around the edge of the rubber all the way around....
If You can lift the edge of the rubber with an ice block stick so it won't scratch the paint and push the silastic under the rubber... it will seal the rubber...

if the rubber is really bad it may be cracked under the glass as water may be getting in under there too....

The rubber sealing strip under the bonnet also has 3 holes on either side top corners.. the rubber has bits to push into the holes... I don't use that rubber and just blocked up the holes

I hope this helps....

cheers

LEE

bluebus ·

Thanks Lee, I'll check it out in the morning 🙂

greedy53 ·

the reason on the passenger side ge wet is the roads fault the camber makes all the water sand etc.a really good example is most bugs that live on the coast will have this problern,where do you toss ya towl and things under the hood and where does the salty sand go pasengers side
anyway enough of my rambling dam i hate old age
good luck