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Honda Accord: Why is My Car Leaking Water by the Front Driver Side Floor

It's annoying when rain is still pouring all over you when you're driving. You might as well have gotten a convertible. This guide will help you to diagnose and repair a water leak inside your Honda Accord.

By Pamela Barboza - March 30, 2015

This article applies to the Honda Accord (1990-2002).

It's agitating and annoying to find out water is leaking into your car. When you notice water building up in the foot well of your car, you'll have to repair it before other components of your car's interior gets damaged. Water can cause corrosion of pin connectors, module failures, sensor failures, rust accumulation, bad smells, and high humidity inside the car. Rather than taking your car to a dealer, find the source of the leak yourself and determine what the least expensive option would be to repair it.

Materials Needed

  • Garden hose
  • Towels
  • Foaming window cleaner
  • Can of compressed air
  • Weatherstrip seal
  • Body trim adhesive

Step 1 – Check the weatherstripping

The weatherstrip adhesive around the door frame can develop leaks over time. To confirm that this is the cause of the leak, spray foaming window cleaner along the outside edges and use an air nozzle to blow air from the inside. If there is a leak, bubbles should form where the air blows through. The leak may come from the top, sides, or bottom of the window.

To fix the leak, you will need to remove the old weatherstrip and install a new one. Purchase a compatible weatherstrip seal for your Honda Accord along with weatherstrip adhesive. A new weatherstrip costs around $20.

Figure 1. Apply new weatherstrip adhesive.

Step 2 – Check the drain tubes

Located in each of the four corners of your Accord's roof are drain tubes that divert water out of your car. If you remove the carpeting in the driver side foot well, you can see a drain tube firewall exiting the car frame. The grommet around the tube may have come loose or it may be eroded. A simple repair would be to replace the grommet with a new one, and make sure the tube securely runs through the firewall. A new firewall grommet costs around $3 to $5.

In the case that your Accord's drain tubes are clogged, insert the plastic nozzle from a can of compressed air into the entrance of the drain hole on the roof. Blow air into the drain tube for a few seconds. Then run water through it, and make sure it is exiting properly from underneath the driver side wheel well. If there's still no water exiting the drain tube, continue to blow air into the drain tube.

  • Figure 2. Reinsert loose drain tube into the firewall grommet.
  • Figure 3. Use compressed air to clear out the drain hole.

Step 3 – Check the door panel

If you remove the door panel, behind it is a plastic rain guard. Although this plastic cover is sealed to the door, it can still wear and develop leaks over time. Water would then run past the glass, exit through the door sill, and into the driver side foot well. To check if this is the problem, lay down towels by the bottom door panel inside of the car. With the door closed, spray water onto the windshield for a couple of minutes. Then open the door, and check if the leak is from the plastic rain guard. To fix the problem, simply reseal the plastic cover with adhesive. This should cost you no more than $5 at an auto parts store.

Figure 4. A plastic rain guard.

Featured Video: Why is My Accord's Interior Leaking?

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