POLL: Have you found water under the carpet in your 2017+ Ridgeline?
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Looking to block the drain slots closest to the rear window. Thus, force rain water over the outside of the body/fenders instead of draining down the backside of the cab sheetmetal. That would only be temporary until a real fix is performed.
Agreed. The discussion I had would indicate several potential known leak points ranging from grommeting in the upper window surround to seams in the back wall, and a few grommeted penetrations for wiring. The conversation also indicated that the sheetmetal work was designed to be water "managed" and not completely water-tight. So possible to be exceeding an engineered design limit, or something engineered isn't woking well in the real world, or could be an assembly problem. So sounds simple to seal up every seam in sight but some of those may need left unsealed to not trap moisture draining down from above the window. A TSB with a systemic procedure to troubleshoot and repair would be a smart move for everyone involved.
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Does anyone know if this wet foam under the carpet could be detected with a moisture meter like they sell at Lowe’s or Home Depot? I am about to purchase a 21 RTL-E. The area that I am planning to purchase the vehicle from has had tons of rain this week. I am not sure how keen a dealer would be on lifting the carpet to let me check for this. I definitely don’t want to get the vehicle home and find out I have this problem.
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Does anyone know if this wet foam under the carpet could be detected with a moisture meter like they sell at Lowe’s or Home Depot? I am about to purchase a 21 RTL-E. The area that I am planning to purchase the vehicle from has had tons of rain this week. I am not sure how keen a dealer would be on lifting the carpet to let me check for this. I definitely don’t want to get the vehicle home and find out I have this problem.
The pin type of meter will tell you if the carpet is wet if you compare readings to a known dry area but it may not tell you if there is moisture under the foam which is more like a plastic cushion. If the floor is or was recently very wet, you will feel dampness on the carpet. Again, compare the feel up front to the feel in the rear.
If the truck has all weather rubber mats, lift them up and look for condensation beads on the underside. Finally, if it is a dewy day and you find condensation on the inside of the windows, especially the front after starting the car with the windows closed and the HVAC system running, you have excess interior moisture.
I would like to be in the sales meeting, where the sales manager warns the "concierge" about all these crazy Ridgeline shoppers who might be pulling up the sill plate and checking underneath the carpet for moisture. That ought to emit some fairly interesting responses from the employees. Brings a whole new meaning to the phrase "kicking the tires."
I can say that although my foam was pretty wet I didn't feel any moisture on the carpet. I don't know just how much water you need until it finally seeps up through the carpet, but it must be a lot. I would not solely rely on feeling the carpet as a sign of having a leak.
I think the moisture meter could be a great tool if you were methodical and careful about poking the pins around. It's certainly worth a shot...
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I read through a lot of your posts last night about the issues you had. Did you end up getting rid of your Ridgeline? Would you tell others to avoid getting one?
RogersRTS - your comments here helped me track down what I THINK was my water issue. I water tested further against the back window and the only place I could get it to come in was the rear drivers side behind the rear glass (I had focused on the passenger side previously). So I did the rear seat removal and bed liner tear down, took the rear drivers wheel and wheel-well off looking for a seam to patch. After an hour of inspecting seams - the most obvious thing you said jumped out at me: "several potential known leak points....including grommet holes for wiring". I was so focused on the seams I didn't even notice this obvious grommet hole that had no rubber grommet in it!! After water testing right on that area - it started flooding in under the back seat. Sealed that up, re-tested, and no water in sight. Put everything back together, water tested again, and no water again. Fingers crossed I found the issue! Don't know why I didn't immediately pick up on the empty grommet hole, but thanks to you I didn't waste too much time before I remembered it wasn't necessarily a seam.
Love this forum - you people rock! And love my truck just a little more now that I think I have my water issue resolved. I'll still check back on here to see how others are making out.
Love this forum - you people rock! And love my truck just a little more now that I think I have my water issue resolved. I'll still check back on here to see how others are making out.
Can that grommet guy be reassigned to the Auto Engine Idle Stop wiring team?
Would you mind posting a picture of the grommet (or lack thereof), if you took a picture? Thanks.
Or promoted to the chief VCM device installer.
My buddy (not a member of ROC), bought a G2 on my continual recommendation of the RL (as I have had 2 G1's)...he buys an early 2017, brand new.
Within 2 weeks, he has a bad water leak issue. Front & rear carpets soaked.
He gets it serviced. They dried the carpets.
Then again after that, same issue....and yet a 3rd time.
The dealer had a regional "rep" come look at it and couldn't find the issue.
Then, they fly a engineer\designer out from California to look at it. They took the whole bed apart, all the body panels off, interior gutted...etc - could not find the source, but it would leak with a pressure water test.
They asked my buddy if they could cut open the rear firewall !
He said 'once you buy it from me!'
They eventually did. factory buy back...minus his 8k miles of use.
He now has a 2018 with no issues.
I felt horrible.
Within 2 weeks, he has a bad water leak issue. Front & rear carpets soaked.
He gets it serviced. They dried the carpets.
Then again after that, same issue....and yet a 3rd time.
The dealer had a regional "rep" come look at it and couldn't find the issue.
Then, they fly a engineer\designer out from California to look at it. They took the whole bed apart, all the body panels off, interior gutted...etc - could not find the source, but it would leak with a pressure water test.
They asked my buddy if they could cut open the rear firewall !
He said 'once you buy it from me!'
They eventually did. factory buy back...minus his 8k miles of use.
He now has a 2018 with no issues.
I felt horrible.
Wow, that's progress. Now you have me wondering.... What is the easiest access path to check that hole?
Curiosity will likely get the better of me, but promised the service manager that I would be a good boy and not tear my truck apart before they inspected the problem.
Lemon Laws typically force a dealer or manufacturer to buy back a vehicle after they have made a certain number of attempts to repair the same issue.
A leak on the left passenger side - one time....and then the right side - another time - and a windshield leak another time...not necessarily a Lemon Law case.
Each state is different - you need to check into it.
A leak on the left passenger side - one time....and then the right side - another time - and a windshield leak another time...not necessarily a Lemon Law case.
Each state is different - you need to check into it.
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