aligned and sealed. If componen t a lignmen t or seal-
ing is necessa ry, refer to the appropr iate section of
this grou p for proper procedures.
WATER LEAK TESTS
WARNING: DO NOT USE ELECTRIC SHOP LIGHTS
OR TOOLS IN WATER TEST AREA. PERSONAL
INJURY CAN RESULT.
When the condition s cau sing a wat er leak h ave
been determ ined, simu late the condit ions a s closely
as possible.
• If a lea k occurs with th e vehicle pa rked in a
st eady light rain, flood t he leak a rea wit h an open-
ended ga rden hose.
• If a leak occurs wh ile drivin g at high way speeds
in a stea dy rain, test the leak ar ea wit h a rea son able
velocity stream or fan spray of water. Direct the
spray in a direct ion compar able to a ctual condition s.
• If a leak occur s wh en the vehicle is pa rked on an
incline, hoist the end or side of the vehicle to simu-
lat e this con dition. This meth od ca n be u sed wh en
the leak occur s when t he vehicle accelerates, stops or
turns. If th e lea k occurs on a cceler ation, hoist the
front of th e vehicle. If the lea k occurs when brakin g,
hoist t he back of t he vehicle. If th e leak occur s on left
turns, hoist the left side of the veh icle. If the lea k
occurs on right turns, hoist the r igh t side of th e vehi-
cle. For h oisting recommen da tion s (Refer to LUBRI-
CATION & MAINTENANCE/HOISTING -
STANDARD PROCE DURE ).
WATER LEAK DETECTION
To detect a wa ter leak point-of-entr y, do a wa ter
test and wat ch for water tracks or droplets forming
on the inside of th e vehicle. If necessary, r emove inte-
rior trim covers or pa nels t o gain visual access to the
leak ar ea. If the hose cannot be posit ioned without
being held, have someon e help do the water test.
Som e wa ter leaks must be test ed for a considerable
length of time to becom e appar ent. When a leak
appears, find th e highest point of th e water track or
dr op. Th e highest point usua lly will show the point of
entr y. Aft er lea k poin t has been found, repair the
leak and wat er test to verify that th e lea k has
st opped.
Locating th e en try poin t of water tha t is leakin g
into a cavity bet ween pan els can be difficu lt. The
trapped wat er m ay splash or run from the cavity,
often at a dist ance fr om the entr y point. Most water
leaks of th is t ype become a pparent aft er accelerating,
st opping, turning, or when on an incline.
MIRROR INSPECTION METHOD
When a lea k point a rea is visually obstr ucted, use
a suit able mirror t o ga in visual access. A mirror ca n
also be u sed to deflect light to a limited-access area
to assist in locating a lea k point.
BRIGHT LIGHT LEAK TEST METHOD
Som e water leaks in t he luggage compartment can
be det ected with out wa ter t est ing. Position the veh i-
cle in a brightly lit ar ea. F rom inside the da rkened
luggage compartment inspect arou nd sea ls and body
seams. If necessa ry, have a helper dir ect a drop light
over the suspected leak ar eas aroun d the luggage
compart ment . If light is visible th rough a norma lly
sealed location, wa ter could en ter thr ough th e open-
ing.
PRESSURIZED LEAK TEST METHOD
When a wa ter leak into the pa ssen ger compa rt-
ment cannot be detect ed by water test ing, pressurize
the passenger compart ment and soap test exterior of
the vehicle. To pressur ize the passenger compar t-
ment , close all doors and windows, start en gin e, and
set heater control to high blower in HEAT posit ion. If
engine can not be started, connect a cha rger to the
batt ery t o en su re adequate voltage to the blower.
With int erior pressurized, apply dish det ergent solu-
tion to suspected leak area on th e exterior of the
vehicle. Apply detergent solution with spray device or
soft br istle brush. If soap bubbles occur at a body
seam, joint, seal or gasket, the leak ent ry point cou ld
be at that loca tion.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING - WIND NOISE
Wind n oise is th e resu lt of most air leaks. Air leaks
can be cau sed by poor sealing, improper body compo-
nent alignmen t, body sea m porosity, or m issing plugs
in th e engine compa rtm ent or door hinge pillar a reas.
All body sealing poin ts should be a irtight in norm al
dr iving condit ions. Movin g sealing surfa ces will not
alwa ys seal airtigh t under all conditions. At times,
side glass or door seals will allow wind noise to be
noticed in th e passenger compa rtmen t during high
cross winds. Over compen sa ting on door or glass
adju st ment s t o stop wind noise tha t occurs under
severe condition s can cause pr emat ure seal wea r an d
excessive closing or latchin g effort. After a repa ir pro-
cedure ha s been per formed, test vehicle to verify
noise h as stopped before retu rning vehicle to use.
VISUAL INSPECTION BEFORE TESTS
Verify that floor and body plu gs are in place and
body componen ts are aligned and sealed. If compo-
nent a lignment or sealing is necessa ry, refer to the
appropriate sect ion of this group for proper proce-
dures.
ROAD TESTING WIND NOISE
(1) Drive the veh icle to ver ify the genera l locat ion
of the wind n oise.
23 - 2 BOD Y VA
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