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GeeBee



Member Since: 03 Apr 2018
Location: Perthshire
Posts: 15

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Keswick Green
Windscreen hinges - source of leak??
Had my 2012 110 a week and am now aware of water dripping into the driver footwell. It's coming down behind the dash - I can feel wet sound proofing wadding behind where the dash finishes to the left of the clutch pedal. The bulkhead in the engine compartment is dry and the outside rain gutter looks solid.

Before I picked up the Defender it had its windscreen replaced by National Windscreens, as the previous screen had a bad chip. So there's no way of knowing if the leak was present before the windscreen change. The dealer is unlikely to confirm he sold it with a leak knowingly.

So the leak could be from the new windscreen rubber and a few topics on this forum suggest that.

The windscreen "hinge" on the driver side is extremely surface corroded - half of the paint is gone having blistered. My question is - has anyone any experience of this being an ingress point? I'd just like to rule the hinge out before possibly shelling out £100 on a genuine LR rubber windscreen seal.

Thanks for any advice.
Post #698421 4th Apr 2018 8:25am
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Balvaig



Member Since: 19 Feb 2016
Location: Fife
Posts: 719

Scotland 2016 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 Landmark LE Corris Grey
Yes it could be from the window blocks - they have a fibre gasket below them. It could also be the seal under the window frame. The most likely suspect would be the windscreen though. They are prone to leaking, especially with non LR seals.
Post #698425 4th Apr 2018 8:41am
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Grenadier



Member Since: 23 Jul 2014
Location: The foot of Mont Blanc...
Posts: 5765

France 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Corris Grey
Common problem. I have a very rusty driver's side hinge/bracket on the windscreen and drops in the footwell after heavy rain as well. Yet to remedy the problem, but think it might be an ineffective seal between windscreen surround and bulkhead. When I replace my windscreen for a new heated one at the end of the year, I will change the seal as well. Additionally I have considered going to a wrap shop and get them to add a strip of transparent stone-chip protector, cut to size, along the length of the rubber strip, invisible to the eye but adding extra waterproofing. Thumbs Up Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey
Post #698427 4th Apr 2018 8:44am
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

^^^^^ strip of transparent wrap - that's a good idea!

I was just thinking of adding a bead of sikaflex along the length of the foam strip, as I have half a tube going spare right now, but something like that might be a better and neater solution. Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #698449 4th Apr 2018 10:07am
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josefk



Member Since: 09 Jun 2014
Location: lincolnshire
Posts: 113

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Corris Grey
hi GeeBee,

it's a two minute job to check the hinge/hinge bolts - i had a leak into the passenger footwell and checked the hinge bolts on that side as the first step - the delinquent bolt was obvious (rusty) and the water track behind the gasket was similarly obvious.

the factory gasket is basically rubbish (hopelessly thin) so i replaced it with 3 individual thin rubber washers (easier and cleaner for me than a bead of sealant as recommended in the water ingress manual) and had no problem since.

Cheers
Post #698490 4th Apr 2018 1:45pm
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GeeBee



Member Since: 03 Apr 2018
Location: Perthshire
Posts: 15

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Keswick Green
Quote:


Good to hear - I will investigate and thanks for the reply.
 2012 USW Keswick Green 110
Post #698571 4th Apr 2018 6:13pm
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Retroanaconda



Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2547

Scotland 
For the windscreen frame to bulkhead seal I dug out the front 1/4” or so of the seal and after masking up filled the resulting gap with sealant, smoothed off it’s no different in appearance to the foam. For the hinge blocks I cleaned them up and refitted with new gaskets and a bead of sealant around each hole. And finally for the windscreen seal itself I jammed the nozzle into the seal and applied sealant right the way around.

Result is no more leaks. Except for those from the roof seams of course...
Post #698581 4th Apr 2018 6:35pm
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ngins



Member Since: 15 Jan 2017
Location: Down South
Posts: 69

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Corris Grey
I appreciate this is an old thread, but I think my window foam gasket it’s leaking. It certainly looks like it’s tracking around the end as it’s very compressed and then into the cabin. If I Loosen or take the hinge off per the water ingress manual does it all Decompress and then I’ll get issues with trying to pull it down tight again or does it just stay put with the roof compressing it? Just trying to anticipate what will happen and if I can take the hinge right off and seal behind and reseat it or if I should only loosen it.
Thanks! N.
Post #812696 30th Jan 2020 2:35pm
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boxoftricks



Member Since: 06 Feb 2019
Location: Home Counties
Posts: 745

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Zermatt Silver
Should be absolutely fine taking it off. I did mine with a healthy dose of Tiger Seal around the holes to plug everything up.
Post #812726 30th Jan 2020 5:45pm
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marlbare



Member Since: 23 Jan 2020
Location: Villers le Temple
Posts: 47

Belgium 
hello Hi, this can help : http://www.landroverweb.com/Pdf-files/Manu...Manual.pdf time belongs to those who know how to take it
Post #812732 30th Jan 2020 6:16pm
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ngins



Member Since: 15 Jan 2017
Location: Down South
Posts: 69

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Corris Grey
Thanks all. The water ingress manual is helpful - I was just also double checking if the whole thing just springs apart when I slacken the hinge. I’ll Silkaflex it (only because I have never used tiger seal but I have used sikaflex a lot in the past) and then put it all back together. As well as silicone the windscreen seal. It seems to be the foam seal that’s leaking but it’s hard to tell for sure until I Seal it and then still have a puddle!! I’ll fill as many other bits as I can whilst I have the tube of sika on the go and it’s an excuse to buy a snow cowl too Smile.
Post #812737 30th Jan 2020 6:49pm
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donmacn



Member Since: 07 Nov 2017
Location: Nth Scotland
Posts: 1829

Ngins - you haven't said how old the vehicle is, or when the window blocks/hinges were last looked at. (If they really are "hinges" then it's pretty old)

But what I wanted to say was to make sure that you have spare bolts to hand. When I last did mine, about 6 months ago, I had to very carefully drill out one of the bolts. With aluminium corrosion (in the thread in the window block) it was completely immovable. I've got a pic somewhere. It's probably a good idea to replace all of these bolts anyway and to put some sort of anti-corrosion barrier between the steel bolt, and the aluminium window block.

Second - don't move the car when the blocks are off, because that might allow the body to flex and maybe misalign the holes.

Finally, for going around the windscreen seal, have a think about 'Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure'... I had a leaky windscreen seal, and I found this much neater than sikaflex/tigerseal. You just lift the seal a bit, let some flow in, and it's job done. Don't put too much in or it will overflow - be ready with some paper towel to wipe up any of that. But it's good stuff and handy for other LR leaks! Donald

1994 Defender 300Tdi 110 SW - owned since 2002 - 230k miles and going strong
(The 'rolling restoration' or tinkering thread: http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic58538.html )
2000 Range Rover P38 4.0L V8

in the past..
RR classic - fitted with 200Tdi
1984 RR classic - V8 with ZF auto box
1993 Discovery 300Tdi

not to mention the minis and the Type 2 VW camper...
Post #812742 30th Jan 2020 7:10pm
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Timcat



Member Since: 20 Jul 2016
Location: Tanzania at the moment
Posts: 1008

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Indus Silver
Had these exact problems! Back & forth to Land Rover three times! So, first of all I peeled back the windscreen rubber cleaned out the grit water ect & dried with a hair dryer.
Once cleaned out & bone dry I applied a bead of warm dumdum pushed the rubber to seat it warmed it up again & removed the xs.
After that I removed the window blocks & cleaned the area & replaced them with a bead of dumdum around the bolt holes, upon tightening the blocks remove the Xs one once again.
Finally run a very thin bead of tiger seal along the foam seal between the bulk head & windscreen surround ( Landrover did this also but made a mess of it)
So....even with the weather we have had it’s been bone dry! If the screen has to come out or the blocks need removing for some reason no problem as it’s only dumdum! As for the tiger seal if a main dealer does it I’m ok with it.....
Post #816821 25th Feb 2020 12:19am
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ngins



Member Since: 15 Jan 2017
Location: Down South
Posts: 69

United Kingdom 2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Corris Grey
thanks again to all for the replies - I haven't done the job yet because the weather has been so awful but I'll get there eventually - I'll do a new door seal at the same time and clean it all up. I'll probably sikaflex or tigerseal it but whilst its still wet I was going to push some dumdum into the window seal and see if it stops it temporarily before I do it properly - is 3M Caulk Strip 08568 as near to dumdum as you can get these days?

By the way @donmacn thanks also for the tip on Captain Tolley's used to use it on boats all the time - not sure why I didn't think of it - its good stuff - nice to see you can still get it! I will also heed you advice on the bolts. For info its a 2013 Puma 110 so they are blocks not hinges Smile
Post #819135 11th Mar 2020 4:18pm
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