Bulkhead drain holes - help needed

Jimboger911 · 9 Mar 2014

Many thanks, your explanation does make sense
On the right side of the battery, have (rather, I HAD, before I poked it through!) one of these little plugs that you can kind of cleAr out - it was kind of tapered at the bottom
HOWEVER, on the left side, it is a straight grommet that connects to a pipe, which then leads to the edge of the front undertray?
I do remember reading somewhere that early cars had the left and right grommets connected to pipes that ran to the underside of the car
And that the later cars had the tapered style grommets as per the picture - these I believe we're not connected to anything and could just be cleaned out
Seems like I have a mix of both - a pipe on the left and a grommet that can be cleAned on the right ?
My car Is a 1999

A2B · 8 Jan 2015

Hi Jimboger911
Did you manage to recover the drain hole grommet that was pushed through? If yes how did you do it? Thanks

Armagreggon85 · 21 May 2017

Reviving an old drains thread!

Hi Jimboger911

It's a while since you started the thread but did you resolve this?

I've owned my 996 for 2 years now and it's always been stored outside. I had a bit of water ingress into the frunk once about 6 months ago - I checked the front drains and there didn't appear to be any leaves or junk blocking them up so I removed the carpet, dried it out and the problem didn't reoccur.

Unfortunately with all the really heavy rain we've had this past week I discovered that my passenger footwell has turned into a pond. I've mopped it up as best as possible but struggling to find the source of the leak as my drains appear clear.

With water in the frunk and the passenger footwell this suggests the front drains to me and upon closer inspection today, the drivers side drain appears to have a sort of rubber grommet round the top which I assume is connected to the drain pipe. The one on the passenger side however is just a hole in the metal.

I thought maybe the drain pipe had dropped down inside causing the leak. I could see what looked like the top of a pipe about an inch below the hole and slightly offset. Access is tight and I can't get my hand in there so I asked my girlfriend to see what she could feel and apparently it's not a rubber hose below, it felt like the top of a metal tube.

From this post I assume that the hole is meant to have one of those tapered rubber grommets in to direct the water into the metal tube below.

Can anyone confirm the passenger side drain is meant to have one of these tapered rubber grommets in? If so, what is the part number for this piece so I can order a replacement.

My car is a 1997 C2 - I don't know if these drains changed throughout the 996 life cycle, it's very difficult to find any sort of images of this area and the diagrams are very poor.

deMort · 21 May 2017

The very early 996 had a gromet with a tube leading off of it ( your type it sounds like ) .

The later ones just had a grommet .. these allow the water to drain away onto the top of the fuel tank and out , plenty of space there to drain away.

On either type the tank etc is the same so if the grommet / tube on yours has fallen out then the water will still drain away in the hole it was fitted to.

To replace your type then i would imagine you have to drop the fuel tank to get at it .. ive never done this although i have reported a few of this type missing when serviceing these cars .

To get water into the luggage area would be either the bonnet seal or perhaps a missing grommet in the bulkhead .. try pulling back the carpet by the headlights each side ( bulkhead ) and see if theres a missing grommet there .. i know on the 997 there is and it causes leaks there .

The pollen filter on yours should have a foam cover on it .. it thats damaged or missing then water can drip onto the pollen filter and into the car .. remove the filter and look inside to see if its damp to check if thats where your leak is.

There are other places but check these first

EDIT

Just to point out if the water gets under your passenger seat then the alarm control unit is there .. that would be bad !

Armagreggon85 · 21 May 2017

Thanks, I'll check these areas. Luckily I don't think it's quite reached under the seat, there's a small ridge in the floor, just in front of the seat that might appears to be a bit of a barrier.

From what you're saying it wouldn't matter if the pipe is missing then...

deMort · 21 May 2017

Yup .. but the ridge has holes in it

Check and let me know .. the hole will drain away the water .. if you want to check then pour a cup of water into it and see where it comes out of .. it will be on top of the undertrays .

infrasilver · 21 May 2017

I think the grommets are designed the way they are to stop rodents getting in?

deMort · 22 May 2017

infrasilver said:
I think the grommets are designed the way they are to stop rodents getting in?

I was never officially told that but its what i have always assumed ..

You would be suprised at just how many 996 etc out there dont have the grommets fitted

searider · 29 May 2017

wet feet - still!

Evening all,

I'm getting water into the passenger footwell and an occasional drip onto my clutch foot.
I can see it dripping down from the front left corner and there's a water stain to the left of the centre console.

The car lives outside and I have only had water ingress since I had the aircon re-gassed.

This afternoon I've checked the two drains in the scuttle. Both free and when pouring water into the scuttle it ends up under the car. Drivers side has a grommet. Passenger side just a hole.
Have checked front sunroof drain by pouring water into the front left corner of an open sunroof and the water ends up under the car.

I'm thinking that my air conditioning evaporator drain must be blocked. But where do I find it? (I have tried the search!)

deMort · 29 May 2017

The a/c drain is n/s/f and close the the center consol .. if you remove the foam panel under the glove box area you will be able to see it ... pipe goes down and under the carpet to the center consol and approx inline with the gear knob .

For the leak to be both sides then it sounds like the foam panel behind the battery with the heater pipes going through it .. mice love to eat it or it has just lifted .. get a torch and you can easily see .

searider · 29 May 2017

Demort said:
The a/c drain is n/s/f and close the the center consol .. if you remove the foam panel under the glove box area you will be able to see it ... pipe goes down and under the carpet to the center consol and approx inline with the gear knob .

For the leak to be both sides then it sounds like the foam panel behind the battery with the heater pipes going through it .. mice love to eat it or it has just lifted .. get a torch and you can easily see .

Cheers - got it in one. can see the pipe cable tied to the tray and dripping from there. I guess next step is to disconnect, rod or blow through and reconnect.

Many thanks.

searider · 31 May 2017

Crap in the elbow cleared out and elbow refitted.

40 miles today and no dripping. Result at no cost!

Mallone · 27 Nov 2020

Jimboger911 said:
Many thanks, your explanation does make sense
On the right side of the battery, have (rather, I HAD, before I poked it through!) one of these little plugs that you can kind of cleAr out - it was kind of tapered at the bottom
HOWEVER, on the left side, it is a straight grommet that connects to a pipe, which then leads to the edge of the front undertray?
I do remember reading somewhere that early cars had the left and right grommets connected to pipes that ran to the underside of the car
And that the later cars had the tapered style grommets as per the picture - these I believe we're not connected to anything and could just be cleaned out
Seems like I have a mix of both - a pipe on the left and a grommet that can be cleAned on the right ?
My car Is a 1999

Excuse the almighty thread resurrection, but does anyone have the part numbers for the tapered grommets? Been having a good look through the 996 Katalog but can't seem to find the newer style. The passenger side elbow/hose are missing on my early car and figured I'd just replace with the tapered one.

My OCD won't allow me leave it with nothing there!

ian_alex · 27 Nov 2020

If you really want the grommet back then it can be done with one of those flexible grabber things where the inner core comes out and separates so an object can be gripped when the central core is retracted.
Needs a lot of patience and really not worth the effort unless you are really into complete originality!!

Mallone · 27 Nov 2020

ian_alex said:
If you really want the grommet back then it can be done with one of those flexible grabber things where the inner core comes out and separates so an object can be gripped when the central core is retracted.
Needs a lot of patience and really not worth the effort unless you are really into complete originality!!

Did have a good look around but it's all definitely gone. Both from the scuttle/battery tray end and also the wheel arch. Just nothing there anymore. I'm assuming it's fine to drain into the front subframe area as is, but the new grommet would just clear things up a bit.

Can't seem to find the part numbers for the new grommets anywhere...

Bulkhead drain holes - help needed

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