I’m offering this as an extension of the teg tip posted by 2ndjenn on how to fix the passenger side water leak, but I included the pictures here so other people might find it helpful in the process.
symptom: floor board on the passenger’s side of the car becomes wet or soaked whenever it rains or you wash your car. If the carpet has been soaked for a while, mold or mildew may form over time, and you may notice a “musty” odor inside your car as a result.
possible cause: water is leaking into the air blower cabin and is dripping down into the passenger floor. The water leak into the air blower cabin is caused by failed rubber seals that are located right above it that have deteriorated over time.
Tools you’ll need:
philip head screw driver
flat head screw driver
pliers
socket for removing wipers
cleaning brush (optional)
vaccum (optional)
OEM parts you’ll need:
rubber seal 91608-SJ6-003. This seal goes below a clip screw that holds down the plastic cover for the air blower cabin. Some people also call this air blower cover the “second cowl” just below the main windshield cowl that is right above it. There are eight of these rubber seals, as there are eight clip screws that hold down the air blower cover. The critical rubber seals that you will need to replace are the 2nd and 3rd seals from the left side, as these two are situated right above the air blower cabin. So when these two rubber seals have rotted, water will seep in through the clip screw holes that were once sealed and eventually into the air blower cabin and down into the passenger floor board. You will want to order eight of these.
main windshield cowl CAP-SCREW ASSEMBLY 91501-SK7-013. There are six of these screws that go along the top of the windshield cowl. There are two parts to this screw: the top cap that pops off and the screw that goes into the threaded white plastic cowl holders that are attached just below the windshield glass. The screw portion is fragile, so they are easy to break if you use too much force in turning them. You may want to order three or four in case you do break some of the originals.
main cowl LOWER RIVETS 91511-SK7-003. There are seven of these one-piece rivets that hold down the lower portion of the main windshield cowl. You may want to order three in case you bend some out of shape when you remove them to get the main cowl off, but I actually reused all of mine after I had finished.
air blower cabin cover CLIP SCREWS 90657-SA6-003. Eight of these plastic screws hold down the plastic top cover for the air blower cabin. These eight screws go into eight holes which are sealed by the rubber seals mentioned above. This clip screw is a two-part piece. The top part consists of a threaded screw, and the bottom part is a rivet-like piece which holds the threaded screw portion in place. These clip screws can be removed using a combination of prying and unscrewing, but in removing the air blower cabin cover, I was forced to break two screws when they just simply refused to be taken out. You can order four or five just in case you end up breaking some like I did, or if you have money lying around and want to replace all of them with a new set then go ahead and order eight.
The pictures below are self explanatory, you can also read the original teg tip posted by 2ndjenn if you’re new to this fix. I’m kinda sleepy now so maybe I’ll come back later and post a pdf here for those that want to download the full details. laters and good luck.
I just took the pictures, the real credit goes to 2ndjenn who posted the original teg tip in the Teg Tips section. Before I read that tip, I didn’t even know what the heck a “cowl” was :think:
It’ll be the resistor that controls the speed of the fan I think - or maybe the actual fan motor has burned out if you’ve had the leak for a while (happened to me).
Those rubber seals are a bit expensive at $2.50 each. I think I saw a similiar type seal at the hardware store the other day. If they’re cheaper and they work I will post them here.
I’ve had the same problem and I’ll do this fix next weekend. Hey, about the blower motor, last month I smelled a faint burning smell and after that my blower only works in the two strongest positions. One and two do nothing, three and flur blow fine and strong. Where should I focus my attention?
For the air blower cabin cover CLIP SCREWS (Acura part# 90657-SA6-003), you can just go to Pep Boys, go to their hardware screws and rivets aisle section and get the RIVET-TITE nylon screw rivets part#47954. The pack comes with two clip screws/rivets and only costs $1.99. To me they look identical to the oem. The original Acura oem clip screws list at $3.10 each. If Pep boys doesn’t stock them just tell them the part number and they’ll order them for you.
As for cost, here’s a breakdown of the oem parts above, list price each-
rubber seal 91608-SJ6-003 $1.97 ea
main windshield cowl CAP-SCREW ASSEMBLY 91501-SK7-013 $2.58 ea
main cowl LOWER RIVETS 91511-SK7-003 $3.16 ea
air blower cabin cover CLIP SCREWS 90657-SA6-003 $3.10 ea
If you want to buy a new windshield cowl, it’s about $132-$140.
I’d say try looking at the blower motor resistor. If two of the speeds dropped out, then you probably have some broken pieces (high will work no matter what - even if you remove the resistor). It’s like $30 from the dealer, if you can’t get one cheaper (or do the radio shack fix for $1-$2).
In addition to the stuff already covered on this, water will also cause the windings in the motor to rust. This causes two problems: 1) less power output for turning the fan and 2) rust in windings makes friction which prevents spinning. Both of these acting together will make the motor unable to turn and basically lock up.
Water will also cause crap to build up on the blower resistor. Which will eventually screw it up too.
All of this because of some stupid plugs in the cowl! :rant:
8 of the other 2 you have listed. read all the way to the bottom of the paragraphs in the “Parts Needed” section and it tells you how much of each you will need.
thanks!