Hi Guys,
We bought a new 01 Elantra +extended 100k warranty in October 2000 and were very pleased with it until the central locking stopped working in December
2002. Upon inspection at the dealership it turned out this was caused by a large amount of water in the driver's foot well. We were assured the problem had been cured, and the wiring harness replaced, and off we went happy that our warranty had done so well for us.A few months went by, and the central locking went wrong again. Same thing, the water caused it. Once again we were assured they had found the root cause of the water coming in, and that it would not happen again. However, in April 2005 the car went in for the 10th (!!) problem caused by water entering the foot well. In this time the windshield had been replaced (at our expense, as ours had a crack), and each time we were assured they really had found the entry point this time.
So in April they water tested it for a number of days, and sure enough after almost a week under water at the dealership, some water started to enter the foot well. We were told this was coming in through a body seam, which was duly sealed and the car returned to us. We were elated (again) that they had at last fixed the problem which had been troublesome for so long, and which they should have fixed 2 and a half years ago.
Well, that was about a month ago, and so far it seems no water has entered the drivers foot well. BUT. Ever since the extensive water tests, when we take a left turn, water shoots out from behind the front passenger glove box. Whoever is sitting in the front passenger seat gets a wet foot, and the electrics down there get a bath. We phoned the dealership and agreed to leave it a while to see if it evaporates or empties. As the problem was still occurring, we booked it in again and they said the "air box" had filled with water when they were doing the tests, and they drained and dried it. On the journey home from the dealership, no water was coming out from behind the glove box, and the problem seemed cured. That is, until the next morning, when it started coming out again.
My wife phoned the dealership, and they told her to bring it in. When she go there she was told there was no more they would do. This seems very unfair, seeing as the "new" problem is not the original water coming in (they actually seem to have cured it at last) but the problem THEY caused.
Can I easily locate the "air box" and see if it's got water in it? do they mean the box that holds the air filter? If it was empty the other night, but now has water in it, where could it be coming from? Am I the only one who has had this problem?
Incidentally, I wondered if the water was coming from the heater, as it seems to be coming from above that heater assembly under the center console, but seeing as it is cold water even when the engine is hot, and we do not seem to be losing any water from the cooling system, this seems to not be the case. It seems the water is of an external source.