my name is dave and i am new the the j-body site. I love my 03 cavalier, at keast I did until about 2 weeks ago, when my car started to leak when i take it through the car wash, not just a litte bit, ALOT. the dealer told me it was normal and even took it through the wash today, and as I type this, there is a puddle on my passenger side floor that the dealer saw happen after he went through the wash. I am now told that it is a design flaw and i have since spoken to GM Canada and they have told me there is nothing they will do about it!! They say that i should just not use carwashes. Has anyone else had a problem like this, because if it is a design flaw, than about a million cavalier owner out there are getting wet in the car wash like me. Please help me out if you know what I could possibly do.

dave
london, ontario

That sounds like a massive flaw!! There has to be a way to get that fixed for free


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Words that you can't use in modding: Finished, Perfect, Cheap.

wow i have been through alot of drive through car washes with my 01 never even a drop of water. i don't know about the 03 and up, but it sounds like your getting jerked around.

New sig in the works

Yeah, I'd say their "hosing" you on that one. I've had three J's now, not one has leaked in a car wash (not that I do them that often).. I've even taken my convertibles thru the quickee wash (you're not supposed to) and haven't had any problems.

...j




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Oh im getting jerked around all right, i told the girl at GM that i am stopping payment on my lease and they can come and pick it up cuz I will NOT pay for a car that leaks. Does anyone know who I can call that actually has a brain within GM? Thax for your help

dave,
london, ontario

I've taken my Cavalier through a car wash at least 3 times in my life and I have never had that happend. Furthermore, I have hand washed my Cavalier many, many times and never had any leaks inside my car (and I'm a really good, thorough car detailer-runs in the family). If the flaw is that bad, I can only imagine what would happen if you are stuck in a heavy downpour (which sometimes can be similiar to going through a car wash). Since your car is an 03, there's a good chance your car is under warranty...I would look into it and see if there is any way you can get the situation with your car rectified. If it's a factory flaw and your car is still under warranty, the dealership where you purchased your car from should be more than willing to help you get the necessary repairs you need to your car.

I have to say, I have had one car wash nightmare, it involved my old '99 Hyundai Accent GL. I took through a car wash once...everything was going fine until the suds from the wash started something through my air vents. When the wash was done...I had to turn my vents on high and let all the suds fly out of the vents until there were all gone...but that was the only car wash nightmare I have experienced in my life.

Does it have a sunroof or has it been in for any repairs?

I've had this happen twice, but both were my fault.... First was when I put the sunroof back in, there are two little drains that plug in up in front of the roof and I missed one (oops). The second was when I was putting the wiper cover thing (official term) and instead of going under a weather strip, it was put on over it. What was happening was the water was running down the windshield and instead of running into a channel to flow way, it was dumping down and running into the cab.

Take a pitcher of water and pour it around the outside of yor car to see where it leaks, we can probably help you better then...

no, i dont have a sunroof, and yes, i was t-boned about a month ago, but it was fixed at the ddealership that is hosing me now, and they say it has nothing to do with that(not that i believe them) the water is commin in on the passenger side, right in the middle, and right near where the carpet stops(where the floor meets the dash, or console. they say its from the vent hole for the fresh air intake for the cab of the car.

Bingo!

Look at the cover on top of that. It should go UNDER the weatherstripping on the windshield. If it is going OVER it, take it off and put it underneath and then pour water down your windshield...

thx, but i just checked it again, after your post, and they had checked it as well, the only thing they came up with was that it was a design flaw, so i asked the girl at GM if that ment that every caalier on the road leaked in the carwash, and she said "probably".. I actually laughed out loud when she said that.

thx for all the help so far

Wow, what a horror story. All I can say is my Dad's 2001 Cavalier doesn't leak and my my 1997 Cavalier doesn't leak. They must not want to sell many Cavalier's if they are saying they all leaked. I'd find a different Chevrolet dealership to deal with and see if they can help you out.

Take your car to a different chevy dealer. a chevy daeler has to honor your warranty if you bought it there or somewhere else. And when you go to the other dealer. tell them how much better they are than the one you bought it from. they love that crap. lol

John Lenko wrote:Yeah, I'd say their "hosing" you on that one.

That was terrible Lenko.


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i got an 03 cavalier, and my only problem with leaking was when i left my window cracked.......other that that, it has never leaked.....the dealer is jerking you around


You'll never touch God's hand
You'll never taste God's breath
Because you'll never see the second coming
Life's too short to be focused on insanity
I've seen the ways of God
I'll take the devil any day
Hail Satan

(slayer, skeleton christ, 2006)

My 98 Cav leaks on the passenger side floor when I take it through the car wash. I don't think it's that big of a deal as long as it doesn't leak when it's raining too. I have rubber mats which are easily dried with a paper towel


af

ya man, my 03 has never leaked(knock on wood). i wash it all the time too. id try a different dealer. maybe one who knows what they are talkin about




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my 02 cavy leaks but its after i replaced the window motor on the drivers side... it only leaks during a car wash not during rain and its on the top corner of the drivers window so when i spray the car i just dont hit that place with to much water and its good.....

humm My old CAvi (92), use to leak like mad. And it would drip on to the front passengers feet.. Turns out the tubing under the vent at the bottom of the windsheld ( under the windsheld whippers) was clogged. There is a flap that lets the water drain out the bottom.. but if it gets plugged ( leaves ect.) it can't open thus leaking water under the dash.. I just took it apart and cleaned it out with a air compressor.. And that was the end of it.. Now I realize I'm talking a bout a older GEn car.. But I now have a 01' And I can't imagine that being much different..


What's wronge with stock..?

drive an 05 and no leaks. been through a few times and no leeks. (i will check thouroghly next time to be absolutely positive.) take your car to another dealer and explain everything even being t-boned. all the cavy's can't be defective! that is just bs.

mine does that @!#$ on pass. side only because i wrecked the damn thing and it doesnt line up 100% then i put lambos on it..lol has it ever been wrecked mite want to check into that one look at the lines on the door vs the drive make sure everything looks exact ect..

Gee...could GM customer service be part of the reason why GM is $280 billion in debt, and now has a "Junk" credit rating...along with Ford.

Hmmm I wonder.




-da chinchilla

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Thx for all your help guys, your info is very useful. My Insurance comp. is comming next week to look at it again and im gonna push to have it written off, but in the mean time, i hae taken legal action against GM to get them to stop the BS, so i will see what next week brings.

thnx again

dave in london

My car ('00 Cavi) and my buddies ('03 Cavi) both have trunk leakage problems.

The trunk leaks at the top where it would meet the rear window.

His leaked in rain, mine leaked in the carwash.

His leak fried his Sony Xplod Amp (did him a favor), my leak fried my Rockford Amp (GOD DAMN IT!!!)

He took his to a dealer and had it looked at and they didnt do anything.

I went to Wal Mart and bought $4 worth of stormdoor weather stipping and went at it, no problems since.


-- The The One One --
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Here's my $0.02: My '96 'Fire had a nasty leak problem a few years back. Great dealership in Phoenixville PA, by the way. My ride was well out of warranty, but they worked with me and eased up on the bill some. Lots of labor involved, but they understood that it was a design flaw. They tracked it down to the firewall weld seam. They got it fixed up, but they said it was a bit messy in doing so. No more puddles in to footwells after that.

U say u got T-boned on that side. They probably did not align everything right. Even if they did their best sometimes it a lost cause. I get alot of wind noise and some water through the top of my doors, 97 coupe. Changed both set of mouldings on the doors and still have alot of wind noise and some water. Car has never been wrecked. Somebody told me to bend the doors and see if that would work. Curve the door in more.