File in Section:

Service Bulletin

Bulletin No.:
Date:

PI0916B
December, 2013

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION
Subject:

Floor/Carpet Wet at Front Passenger Side Under Dash, or at Any Front/Rear
Footwell Area

Models:

2011-2013 Chevrolet Caprice PPV

Attention: The latest version of Corporate Bulletin Number 09-01-39-007 addresses the same
front floor/carpet wet condition, but the cause is specific to air conditioning usage and
may be unrelated to the cause and repair shown in this PI.
This PI has been revised to add the 2011 Model year, add Condition/Concern
and Recommendation/Instructions #3 and update the Warranty Information.
Please discard PI0916A.

Condition/Concern #1
Some customers may comment on finding the floor/carpet wet at the front passenger side under the dash.

The cause of this condition may be one or both of the following causes:

3291073

•

Water intrusion in the seam (1) between the HVAC case and the cowl.

3291074

•

For some police equipped vehicles, water may run on the wire harness exiting the HVAC case, then follow
along the conduit into a grommet/hole (shown circled in the graphic above) in the cowl, and finally run into the
vehicle interior.

Recommendation/Instructions #1
Note: If the leak path is verified specific to a side door water leak, move ahead to Recommendation/Instructions # 2
to repair the door water leak.
First verify the customer condition, then seal the leak area(s) following the steps below.

3291075

1. Remove the upper and lower air inlet grille panel. Refer to Air Inlet Grille Panel Replacement (Lower Panel)
in SI.

3291076

2. Inspect the seam at the top of the HVAC case, where the case sits against the cowl. The seam is commonly not
sealed in this area and water coming off the windshield may find a path behind the case and leak into several
places in the interior under the dash.

3291077

3. Apply windshield urethane, such as *Kent Industries Speed Set Windshield Sealant P/N P10545, or equivalent,
to the seam to seal the top of the HVAC case to the cowl.

3291078

Note: Due to varying content on some police equipped vehicles, the wiring harness size and routing may vary
slightly from that shown in the following graphics.
4. Inspect the cowl area outside the HVAC case for the possible existence of a wiring harness associated with
certain police equipped vehicles. If equipped, the grommet/hole location for the harness will be just below the
bolt (1) shown in the graphic above.

3291074

5. If equipped with the additional harness, complete the following repair steps:

3291079

5.1. Remove an approximate 50-76 mm (2.0-3.0 in) length (1) of the conduit from the lower end of the wire
harness.
5.2. Fully seat the grommet holding the wire harness in place at the cowl.

3291082

5.3. Apply windshield urethane to the cowl and grommet to seal the wire harness to the hole through the cowl.
6. Reinstall the upper and lower air inlet grille panels. Refer to Air Inlet Grille Panel Replacement (Lower Panel)
in SI.
*We believe this source and their products to be reliable. There may be additional manufacturers of such products/
materials. General Motors does not endorse, indicate any preference for, or assume any responsibility for the
products or material from this firm or for any such items that may be available from other sources.

Parts Information
Speed Set™ Windshield Sealant is available from Kent Automotive at 1-888-YES-KENT or online at
www.kent-automotive.com.
Part Number

Description

P10545

Speed Set™ Windshield Sealant

Warranty Information
For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:
Labor Operation

Description

Labor Time

0580078*

Seal HVAC Case Seam to Cowl

0.4 hr

Add

Seal Wiring Harness Grommet to Cowl

0.1 hr

*This is a unique labor operation for bulletin use only. It will not be published in the Labor Time Guide.

Condition/Concern #2
Some customers may comment on finding the floor/carpet wet at any front or rear footwell area.

3392287

The cause of this condition may be that water, normally being channeled through a side door, may bypass an
improperly sealed water deflector and create a leak path into the vehicle. Because of the increased mirror/window
switch wiring harness content, this condition most commonly occurs at the driver door, but may occur at any front or
rear side door.

Recommendation/Instructions #2
Important: Due to varying content added to some police equipped vehicles at different times, the side door trim
panel(s) and water deflector(s) may be removed and reinstalled several times. Any time the trim panel is removed for
any reason, the water deflector should be inspected for proper sealing.
Note: If the condition is specific to the driver side rear footwell, and the leak path is NOT verified to be from the side
doors, move ahead to Recommendation/Instructions #3 to repair the plenum water leak.

3392290

1. If a side door leak is verified, remove the trim panel on the affected door. Refer to Front or Rear Side Door Trim
Panel Replacement in SI.

3392291

2. Inspect the door water deflector for any puckers/gaps (1) where the butyl adhesive may have pulled away from
the inner door surface.

3392292

3. If puckers or gaps are evident, pull the water deflector away from the sheet metal to release the butyl adhesive
along the bottom and lower corners.
4. Apply a bead of *Kent Automotive Windshield Butyl Tape P/N P20230. or equivalent, above the existing butyl on
the water deflector.

3392294

5. Reposition the water deflector to the sheet metal, pressing the butyl adhesive to eliminate any puckers or gaps
in the water deflector.

3392297

6. For a higher level of assurance of a complete seal of the deflector to the door surface, using a hand held roller or
similar tool, “wet-out” the butyl adhesive around the complete perimeter of the water deflector.

3392300

7. As shown in the graphic above, add a piece of duct tape over the bottom edge of the water deflector. Position
the tape between the trim panel retainer holes in the sheet metal and ensure it is not visible below the trim
panel, once installed.

3392841

8. If repairing a leak at the driver door, inspect the routing of the mirror and window switch harnesses before
installing the trim panel:

3392307

3392311

Important: The correct harness routing is shown in the first graphic above. An example of an incorrect routing is
shown in the second graphic.
8.1. Ensure the harnesses are routed as shown in the first graphic above. It may be necessary to unclip the
grey connector and reroute the one harness underneath the other to achieve this.

3655069

Important: During rerouting of the harnesses, if the cable tie strap (shown circled in the graphic above) is replaced
or repositioned, ensure that the cable end is pointing toward the inner door and NOT outboard towards the water
deflector.
8.2. Add a piece of duct tape (1) to the harness/trim panel to ensure the harnesses and connectors are
positioned as close as possible to the door trim.

3392321

8.3. After reconnecting the door side harnesses, position the trim panel to the door ensuing the connectors nest
into the pocket formed by the water deflector without causing any undue tension on the deflector adhesive.
Also, the window regulator cable should be positioned along side and NOT on top of the door switch
harness.
9. Reinstall the trim panel on the affected door. Refer to Front or Rear Side Door Trim Panel Replacement in SI.
*We believe this source and their products to be reliable. There may be additional manufacturers of such products/
materials. General Motors does not endorse, indicate any preference for, or assume any responsibility for the
products or material from this firm or for any such items that may be available from other sources.

Parts Information
Butyl Windshield Tape is available from Kent Automotive at 1-888-YES-KENT or online at
www.kent-automotive.com.
Part Number

Description

P20230

Butyl Windshield Tape (1/8” x 1/4” x 15’ roll)

Warranty Information
For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:
Labor Operation

Description

Labor Time

0560092

Body Side Window Resealing

Use Published
Labor
Operation Time

Condition/Concern #3
Some customers may comment on finding the floor/carpet wet specific to the driver side rear footwell area.
The cause of this condition may be an improperly sealed body seam at the left front cowl/plenum area, behind the
wiper motor. Water can enter this seam, flow down the A-pillar and front door sill and may puddle in the rear footwell.

Recommendation/Instructions #3
Verify the leak path, then seal the plenum seam following the steps below:

3655080

1.
2.
3.
4.

Remove the driver side kick panel. Refer to Body Hinge Pillar Trim Panel Replacement in SI.
Remove the lower inlet grille panel. Refer to Inlet Grille Panel Replacement (Lower Panel) in SI.
Remove the windshield wiper module. Refer to Windshield Wiper System Module Replacement in SI.
Inspect and water test the underside plenum seam.

3655071

4.1. Use an inspection mirror to view a section of the seam underneath the cowl brace.
4.2. Apply water from a hose directly at the seam.
4.3. If leaking, water droplets will be seen dripping down the A-pillar. It may take at least three minutes for the
water droplets to show.

3655072

5. Once leak is confirmed, use a scraper to remove excess sealer patch material to expose the plenum seam
edge. Only remove enough patch material to expose the seam. The graphic below show the exposed seam
edge after removing the sealer patch.

3655073

3655074

6. Place a generous amount of *Kent Automotive High-Tech™ Clear Seam Sealer, P/N P10200 (5 oz tube), or
equivalent, on a gloved finger, reach under the cowl brace and work the seam sealer into the plenum seam.

3655076

7. Seal the seam from the corner to a distance of approximately 80 mm (3.15 in) inboard.

3655078

8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Use a mirror to visually verify that the seam is completely sealed.
Allow sealer to skin over, then re-water test using a hose to confirm seam is sealed.
Reinstall the windshield wiper module. Refer to Windshield Wiper System Module Replacement in SI.
Reinstall the lower inlet grille panel. Refer to Inlet Grille Panel Replacement (Lower Panel) in SI.
Dry carpet/interior as necessary and reinstall the driver side kick panel. Refer to Body Hinge Pillar Trim Panel
Replacement in SI.
*We believe this source and their products to be reliable. There may be additional manufacturers of such products/
materials. General Motors does not endorse, indicate any preference for, or assume any responsibility for the
products or material from this firm or for any such items that may be available from other sources.

Parts Information
Kent Automotive High-Tech™ Clear Seam Sealer is available from Kent Automotive at 1-888-YES-KENT or online at
www.kent-automotive.com.
Part Number

Description

P10200

Kent Automotive High-Tech™ Clear Seam Sealer

Warranty Information
For vehicles repaired under warranty, use:
Labor Operation

Description

Labor Time

0560052

Plenum Panel Resealing

Use Published
Labor
Operation Time