Water leaking in driver side front floorboard, 2003 Ranger xlt.
 

Hey all. I'm getting frustrated. For the past 2 years, my drivers side front floorboard has been getting wet every rain. I'm getting a new windshield this Friday, with new trim seal as it's shrunk and hard as a rock. But prior to this, I pulled the carpet up and did the hose over roof and let it run. Where I noticed water coming in is along the floor pan where it's sealed. The seal looks like a huge weld. But it seems that they ran two beads on top of each other, I see water seeping between them. I got under the truck and found a couple body push clips and a small port with insulation behind it. So I thought it was that, but found that it's like the floorboard in my truck is a double floor pan. Am I right here? I plan on re-sealing the joint, but now I'm worried I'll just be trapping the water elsewhere. I've cleaned out the cowling and pulled all three covers and ran water through whole thing, and it drains good. I'm hoping new seal and windshield fix all this, but wanted to ask the Ranger Brothers for any thing else to look for and why it may leak at that body joint seal. Thanks guys and gals.

Find some rubber plugs and drill holes that size(plug size) in the pan under the truck to see if water is trapped in there

A windshield is sealed to the ridge that runs around the inside edge of the opening, and there is a valley around that ridge to install trim
The rubber trim is just that, a trim piece it is not a seal, the ridge/glass mating is the seal

Water will get into the valley and can start rusting out the metal at the lower corners and that WILL leak into the cab, so make sure installers, or YOU, check for that when windshield is out, if its rusted then clean it out as best you can then primer and paint exposed metal, using a brush is fine, you won't see it
Then put some sealer at the corners


Paint can't stick to metal very well
Primer can, but doesn't protect surfaces well
Paint can stick to primer and paint does protect well

Water doesn't cause rust, Oxygen in the air causes rust, water just speeds it up because its H2O, two hydrogen and one oxygen
A well painted surface won't let oxygen come into contact with the metal underneath, so no rust
But metal can start rusting on the back side of a well painted surface, so..............

Most common leak point on Rangers is the 3rd brake light on the back of cab
And water ends up on drivers side floor because of the angle the truck sits at, higher in the back and lean to drivers side because of gas tank weight, and drivers weight

Thanks Ron, I'll drill those holes as soon as the weather gets above 30 here lol. Does the 03 Ranger have a double floor pan that you know of? I'd look at the 3rd break light, but I just replaced that last year with a new unit and seal. I'm with you on it being something with the windshield area. I'm having Safelight do the windshield work and if it does need cleaning and painting, I'll have that addressed. Thanks again.