Everytime it rains I'm getting a water leak in the area where my seatbelt is pulled out from. The seatbelt is soaked. I've had this 981S for almost 3 years without an issue. it just started happening this year. I've gone back to the dealer twice and they clean out the "gutters" and tell me it's fixed but it keeps happening. Anyone have any ideas?
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gtsilver
I was getting a leak where the water would accumulate at the base of the driver's pedals. Nothing at all in the passenger compartment. I would also see water dribble out of the bottom of the car, outside, just behind the driver's side front wheel, when the car was parked on a decline after rain or washing. It was just diagnosed as clogged rear drains by the dealer and fixed, no charge. Yes, rear drains not front. No information yet about how to clear these drains ourselves or what clogged them. The sales advisor said it ought to have been done at the last service interval (20k), but that was almost a year ago.
You said "the drainage tube was clogged and needed to be cleaned out" and I assumed that's what the sales advisor meant when he said the rears drains were clogged and had been fixed. Part of the communication problem could be that the mechanic gives the sales rep a quick explanation and then it gets relayed to me with no chance for follow-up questions. Sometimes I feel that although my car has been brought up to me and needs to be moved out of the way, I should push back and ask to talk to the mechanics to get more details. I'm genuinely interested in what happened, after all.
In their defense, I hosed off the back of the car that evening to clean off a baked-on bird dropping and could tell that plenty of water was dripping from below the car. I didn't test that before I brought it in, but it did look to me as if the rear drains were working.
ELP_JC, I didn't quite like his explanation of rear drains either, but he said that if the rears were clogged, it would overflow up the drivers' side of the car and that's why it leaked there. I can't understand why any overflow would ever empty into the passenger compartment unless it's actually a drain for the passenger compartment to expel water and the water is just backing up the drain. I do like the idea of a drain set up so the car doesn't flood up to the electronics if it's left out in the rain. (My Triumph had rust holes for this purpose.)
As before, after I drive the car, water drips out from part of the car that doesn't appear to be a drain. This morning after driving to work, the water dripped out from the large black plugs along the bottom edge of the car, behind the driver's door. Before it was from the front, between the door hinge and the wheel well. So something appears to be different after their repair.
In their defense, I hosed off the back of the car that evening to clean off a baked-on bird dropping and could tell that plenty of water was dripping from below the car. I didn't test that before I brought it in, but it did look to me as if the rear drains were working.
ELP_JC, I didn't quite like his explanation of rear drains either, but he said that if the rears were clogged, it would overflow up the drivers' side of the car and that's why it leaked there. I can't understand why any overflow would ever empty into the passenger compartment unless it's actually a drain for the passenger compartment to expel water and the water is just backing up the drain. I do like the idea of a drain set up so the car doesn't flood up to the electronics if it's left out in the rain. (My Triumph had rust holes for this purpose.)
As before, after I drive the car, water drips out from part of the car that doesn't appear to be a drain. This morning after driving to work, the water dripped out from the large black plugs along the bottom edge of the car, behind the driver's door. Before it was from the front, between the door hinge and the wheel well. So something appears to be different after their repair.
When I was going in to the dealer to get the drains re-examined after the leak I mentioned last week, the convertible top stopped working. I detailed that here.
I asked about things like
- where are the drains
- how can I tell if they are clogged
- how often should I check them?
- what clogs them
I don't have answers yet, but I'm supposed to get them answered when I return on Monday.
Also, apparently it was a bigger deal to dry out the car after the leak. They removed the seats and carpets and used a fan to dry them out over the weekend. I thought before it was enough to blot the carpets with towels and leave the top down during a sunny day.
I have to say that this water leak issue is making me question whether I want to buy another Porsche. It's more important for me to be able to park my car outside during a thunderstorm without losing my electronics than it is for me to have a fun car.
I asked about things like
- where are the drains
- how can I tell if they are clogged
- how often should I check them?
- what clogs them
I don't have answers yet, but I'm supposed to get them answered when I return on Monday.
Also, apparently it was a bigger deal to dry out the car after the leak. They removed the seats and carpets and used a fan to dry them out over the weekend. I thought before it was enough to blot the carpets with towels and leave the top down during a sunny day.
I have to say that this water leak issue is making me question whether I want to buy another Porsche. It's more important for me to be able to park my car outside during a thunderstorm without losing my electronics than it is for me to have a fun car.
I am running up against this exact issue myself right now. Dealer will not cover it under warranty and wants to charge $180 an hour to blow out the rear drains.
I'm right now trying to figure out where the drain actually comes out. From my research both after taking apart stuff and diagrams it dumps somewhere in the middle of the car ( hence why it pours out everywhere under the rockers). The reason it soaks the belt is because 2 of the drains collect into a single large pan then that pan has a tube that goes to the body. When it backs up the pan overflows and pow- you got water overflowing on the seat belt and into the car.
I'm going to pull off the side panel of the car and see if I can access the drain exit. It's really just a giant pain in the ***.
I'm right now trying to figure out where the drain actually comes out. From my research both after taking apart stuff and diagrams it dumps somewhere in the middle of the car ( hence why it pours out everywhere under the rockers). The reason it soaks the belt is because 2 of the drains collect into a single large pan then that pan has a tube that goes to the body. When it backs up the pan overflows and pow- you got water overflowing on the seat belt and into the car.
I'm going to pull off the side panel of the car and see if I can access the drain exit. It's really just a giant pain in the ***.
Here is the little bugger in question:
#28 is the catch pan, and #29 is the drain tube that is probably blocked. This is all i can, and from the look of it it drains right into the the body near the air intakes on either side. If anyone has more information on this it would be awesome.
The drain tube:
![]()
Full diagram:
![]()
Here is a diagram showing the body of the car:
![]()
#28 is the catch pan, and #29 is the drain tube that is probably blocked. This is all i can, and from the look of it it drains right into the the body near the air intakes on either side. If anyone has more information on this it would be awesome.
The drain tube:
Full diagram:
Here is a diagram showing the body of the car:
^ i'm grasping at straws here. 
I THINK it's behind the air intake duct you are showing here, but the only way to pull the duct out is to pull the side skirts off the car, then you can get at the nuts to remove it.
From the dealer, they told me if it's clogged it would cost me $180 for diagnostic (water test) and $180 an hour to clean them. They will not clean them under warranty. The car is a 2013, under warranty, and has less than 14k miles on it. You can imagine my frustration. haha
Before i start pulling things apart I'm going to take a run down to home depot to see if i can create some sort of hose with a plug to push into the drain hole from the top. Try to force the dirt out with a sealed blast of air. I had minor success with a small rubber tube but it needs more pressure to be effective.
I THINK it's behind the air intake duct you are showing here, but the only way to pull the duct out is to pull the side skirts off the car, then you can get at the nuts to remove it.From the dealer, they told me if it's clogged it would cost me $180 for diagnostic (water test) and $180 an hour to clean them. They will not clean them under warranty. The car is a 2013, under warranty, and has less than 14k miles on it. You can imagine my frustration. haha
Before i start pulling things apart I'm going to take a run down to home depot to see if i can create some sort of hose with a plug to push into the drain hole from the top. Try to force the dirt out with a sealed blast of air. I had minor success with a small rubber tube but it needs more pressure to be effective.
Have a question and a suggestion. Question is if Caymans have the same system (hope not). And the suggestion is the drain has to be visible from under the car, no? If that's the case, you could find it and insert something flexible thru there and unclog it, I'd hope. My Cayman has no visible drain anywhere except a clear hose by the front right wheel, which is the A/C condenser drain. Don't know exactly where the hatch water drains to the floor, but hope there's no such problem as the Boxster. I'd guess those of you having issues live around trees, but I don't understand where leaves could accumulate on top of the car; just in front, at the windshield base, which has nothing to do with the issue. By the way, that water has to also drain somewhere, but I'd guess is dropped at the inner fenders. Good luck.
). And the suggestion is the drain has to be visible from under the car, no? If that's the case, you could find it and insert something flexible thru there and unclog it, I'd hope. My Cayman has no visible drain anywhere except a clear hose by the front right wheel, which is the A/C condenser drain. Don't know exactly where the hatch water drains to the floor, but hope there's no such problem as the Boxster. I'd guess those of you having issues live around trees, but I don't understand where leaves could accumulate on top of the car; just in front, at the windshield base, which has nothing to do with the issue. By the way, that water has to also drain somewhere, but I'd guess is dropped at the inner fenders. Good luck.
I have one of those string type lawn edgers and have a roll of plastic string for it. Perhaps you could gently push it into the drain tube from the top to clear it out. Try it on the side that is not obstructed first to see if it goes through.
UPDATE
Figured i would give an update and some info for everyone on how to solve this. I eventually got my very clogged drains cleared and working again. It'd be valuable to look at all the photos first so you can get an idea of what to do.
Here's what you can do to blow out the drains without going insane:
1. First of all, you'll need one of these $12 - 24" air blog guns from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NYTBY8 (or just buy the tube itself Needs to be min. 24" long.. trust me...)
2. Raise the top just enough so the covers fold up and you can access the drain (you don't need to take out the carpets or anything else).-
pic:
![Image]()
3. Double bend the 24" air blow gun into the shape shown here. It needs to be this way to snake into the bend at the bottom of the drain tube.
pic:
![Image]()
4. Look down inside the side pocket of the car past the mechanisms, and under the accordion drain hose (push it out of the way). You will see a large drain at the bottom of the large water pan. It'll look just like in this picture. The top of it is ribbed all the way around like a sarlac pit.
pic:
![Image]()
5. Snake the blow gun down into the hole, until it stops. This is where your clog will be, most likely at a 90 degree angle to the body of the car facing the door. This is why we bend the end of the rod so we can get blowing towards the clog.
pic:
![Image]()
6. You'll want to cover the area with rags, if it's full of water it's going to be muddy and nasty. I used as much PSI as my compressor could deliver, about 110psi. Move it around a little bit, and you'll be blowing out all sorts of junk .
7. You can test the drain by pouring water right into that drain. Don't worry too much about splashing it around, the whole area collects into the drain pan, then goes into that single drain. If it goes down fast, your drains are clear. It should spew out the bottom of the car near the air intakes.
I hope this was helpful! :cheers:
Figured i would give an update and some info for everyone on how to solve this. I eventually got my very clogged drains cleared and working again. It'd be valuable to look at all the photos first so you can get an idea of what to do.
Here's what you can do to blow out the drains without going insane:
1. First of all, you'll need one of these $12 - 24" air blog guns from Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NYTBY8 (or just buy the tube itself Needs to be min. 24" long.. trust me...)
2. Raise the top just enough so the covers fold up and you can access the drain (you don't need to take out the carpets or anything else).-
pic:
3. Double bend the 24" air blow gun into the shape shown here. It needs to be this way to snake into the bend at the bottom of the drain tube.
pic:
4. Look down inside the side pocket of the car past the mechanisms, and under the accordion drain hose (push it out of the way). You will see a large drain at the bottom of the large water pan. It'll look just like in this picture. The top of it is ribbed all the way around like a sarlac pit.
pic:
5. Snake the blow gun down into the hole, until it stops. This is where your clog will be, most likely at a 90 degree angle to the body of the car facing the door. This is why we bend the end of the rod so we can get blowing towards the clog.
pic:
6. You'll want to cover the area with rags, if it's full of water it's going to be muddy and nasty. I used as much PSI as my compressor could deliver, about 110psi. Move it around a little bit, and you'll be blowing out all sorts of junk .
7. You can test the drain by pouring water right into that drain. Don't worry too much about splashing it around, the whole area collects into the drain pan, then goes into that single drain. If it goes down fast, your drains are clear. It should spew out the bottom of the car near the air intakes.
I hope this was helpful! :cheers:
Good luck sir. If you follow my pics it's pretty easy. This car is just overall hard to work on because tech. Info isn't readily available. My NC Miata race car is basically the exact opposite LOL. Service manuals are plentiful and parts cost next to nothing. It's worth it though, the car is a lot of fun.
I found the solution to my leak. I think it's the same as what misterturbo had mentioned.
Actually, the service department in Porsche of Delaware found it.
![]()
This service manager was recommended to me at a local Cars and Coffee. First they found the missing bellows seal around the steering column (P/N 991-347-037-02 Bellows). The part number had changed from the one I had with a 2014 model year, so it might have been improved to not fall out as often. Second, they found the clogged drain that appears to be the one from misterturbo's schematic. The service advisor told me that they had no idea this drain even existed and that several other Boxsters on their lot, even one with only eleven miles on the odometer, had a partial clog here. I think the official name of this drain is "convertible top b pillar sediment chamber drain tube." Out of curiousity, I tried to translate that to German and it does seem a bit more euphonic with "Verdecks b Säule Sedimentkammer Ablaufrohr."
I also wanted to share that the service department here was adamant that we should not have any water leaks with the car, which is good to hear after another service advisor told me to get a car cover.
Actually, the service department in Porsche of Delaware found it.
This service manager was recommended to me at a local Cars and Coffee. First they found the missing bellows seal around the steering column (P/N 991-347-037-02 Bellows). The part number had changed from the one I had with a 2014 model year, so it might have been improved to not fall out as often. Second, they found the clogged drain that appears to be the one from misterturbo's schematic. The service advisor told me that they had no idea this drain even existed and that several other Boxsters on their lot, even one with only eleven miles on the odometer, had a partial clog here. I think the official name of this drain is "convertible top b pillar sediment chamber drain tube." Out of curiousity, I tried to translate that to German and it does seem a bit more euphonic with "Verdecks b Säule Sedimentkammer Ablaufrohr."
I also wanted to share that the service department here was adamant that we should not have any water leaks with the car, which is good to hear after another service advisor told me to get a car cover.
I have similar issues with water getting into the footwell area on both the driver and passenger sides. Car is a 2014 BS with just over 20,000 miles. And it's normally parked outside (ever since I bought it in Jan of 2015 as CPO, previous owner had it for about 3000 miles in just under a year).
Reason I said similar is because I don't believe the water was coming from the outside. Both times when it happened, it was at night with no rain, but very humid out, at relatively cool temperatures (around 50's). So I had the HVAC system set to defog in both incidents, for approximately 30-mins each time (or the windshield would fog up so much that it'd become unsafe to drive). And at the end of both drives, I'd notice that there was about 1/4 cup of water spilled on the all season carpet.
My original suspicion was that it's the AC condensate drain that's getting clogged up in my case....as turning the defog on forces the AC to be on, doesn't it? I tried proving out my theory today (11/7/16) by leaving the AC on the whole time during a 40-min drive, but did not get to see a single drop of water on the carpet, on either side.
We had rain here in the Boston area just last week and I did not get any water inside the car, either.
So any suggestions on what else could it be? Same with a few others who have posted, the dealership is not being helpful in resolving this. I've been quoted similar diagnosis and labor rates for cleaning out the drains. But I'd like to at least get an idea of which drain is being clogged first so if I end up having the dealer do the job I can point it out to them. Appreciate any comments in advance!
Reason I said similar is because I don't believe the water was coming from the outside. Both times when it happened, it was at night with no rain, but very humid out, at relatively cool temperatures (around 50's). So I had the HVAC system set to defog in both incidents, for approximately 30-mins each time (or the windshield would fog up so much that it'd become unsafe to drive). And at the end of both drives, I'd notice that there was about 1/4 cup of water spilled on the all season carpet.
My original suspicion was that it's the AC condensate drain that's getting clogged up in my case....as turning the defog on forces the AC to be on, doesn't it? I tried proving out my theory today (11/7/16) by leaving the AC on the whole time during a 40-min drive, but did not get to see a single drop of water on the carpet, on either side.
We had rain here in the Boston area just last week and I did not get any water inside the car, either.
So any suggestions on what else could it be? Same with a few others who have posted, the dealership is not being helpful in resolving this. I've been quoted similar diagnosis and labor rates for cleaning out the drains. But I'd like to at least get an idea of which drain is being clogged first so if I end up having the dealer do the job I can point it out to them. Appreciate any comments in advance!
This is an old thread but I'm bumping it as someone who recently ran into this problem after heavy rains in Houston. Our driver side rear drain wasn't totally clogged but clogged enough that with the heavy rain the drain overflowed into the passenger cabin on the driver's side, saturating the edges of the panel behind the seats, pooling under the driver's seat as well as soaking the carpet and padding & frying our SmartTop. The latter caused all sorts of strange behavior with our Boxster including the alarm going off and refusing to disarm, an airbag warning light, a system fault message, a soft-top control system fault message, driver's side frunk & trunk switches not working & the spoiler being stuck in the raised position. After drying everything out and uninstalling the SmartTop everything seems fine.
Keep those drains clean! If your dealer is servicing your vehicle then make sure they're clearing the drains. We just recently had ours serviced at the dealer and I find it hard to believe that this drain clogged so quickly.
Keep those drains clean! If your dealer is servicing your vehicle then make sure they're clearing the drains. We just recently had ours serviced at the dealer and I find it hard to believe that this drain clogged so quickly.
^^ Not Mr. T. but I can answer a couple of questions...
Yes, the flaps open with out going into the service position, in fact they open when the top goes up and stay there. So you just need to operate the top long enough for them to open then stop. Drains are on both sides.
Good idea with the vinyl tubing, might be safer then pushing 'any' metal through the hose...
Yes, the flaps open with out going into the service position, in fact they open when the top goes up and stay there. So you just need to operate the top long enough for them to open then stop. Drains are on both sides.
Good idea with the vinyl tubing, might be safer then pushing 'any' metal through the hose...
Thanks a million for your help. Will check my brother's car one of these days. If no obstructions are visible, will pour water and look for it quickly after pouring it around the vent area. It'd be nice if there was a hose or something like for the A/C evaporator, so it can be blown backwards, which is the preferred way. But at least this is a relatively easy way to check it, and clear it if needed. Thanks again to all who contributed to this. Beats having to take your car to a dealer, and get your car partially dismantled because techs don't know this info:crazy:.
Sorry for late reply, I don't frequent the 9 forums much. As Westcoaster said, the flaps do indeed stay open. I tried to do this first by removing all the trim and it ended up as a hassle, so my pictorial way is a lot easier after much trial and error.
For the vinyl tubing - this might work if it's large enough. I firstly tried some rubber tubing I had laying around, but found the flexibility took away most of the power of the compressor through deflection and it wasn't controllable. You want to hit it from a few different angles (back and forth) to break the gunk loose.
For the vinyl tubing - this might work if it's large enough. I firstly tried some rubber tubing I had laying around, but found the flexibility took away most of the power of the compressor through deflection and it wasn't controllable. You want to hit it from a few different angles (back and forth) to break the gunk loose.
I never use compressed air to clean my drains. I use a shop vac with a rigid tube attachment to the crevice tool about a quarter size in diameter to suck out any debris in my rear drains. I have never had a problem with this method....so far. (fingers crossed).
I poured water down the back drains and it came straight through.
Then after two mins some can out behind the RHS front wheel.
BTW are there any drains at the front?
Then after two mins some can out behind the RHS front wheel.
BTW are there any drains at the front?
I have a 2014 981 and all of a sudden after very heavy rain over weekend when I drove off on Monday I heard water like a bottle being poured out and it drenched the driver seat belt and the floor at back of seat
Looked at drain hole just under the roof hinges and poured water that went straight through and out in wheel arch so not sure what’s causing it
did you get to the bottom of the issue?
simon
Looked at drain hole just under the roof hinges and poured water that went straight through and out in wheel arch so not sure what’s causing it
did you get to the bottom of the issue?
simon
Take a look over in the DIY sub forum.....a member has a video posted that answers all this.
The dealer normally knows about the rear most drains only. Turns out there are two more that can only really be cleared by removing the rear of the side skirts and reaching in. Really bad design....combined with the fact that the end of the tubes have a screw on cover with fabric over them which seems to encourage clogging.
I have seen cars with fully clogged drains even from owners who say it never has been outside, low miles etc...
The dealer normally knows about the rear most drains only. Turns out there are two more that can only really be cleared by removing the rear of the side skirts and reaching in. Really bad design....combined with the fact that the end of the tubes have a screw on cover with fabric over them which seems to encourage clogging.
I have seen cars with fully clogged drains even from owners who say it never has been outside, low miles etc...
Good this thread is live again ... this is what I found in the drains today.. yet to bring it out
if this turns out to be a German coin.. car is going to dealership even if out of warranty
![Image]()
![Image]()
if this turns out to be a German coin.. car is going to dealership
even if out of warranty
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