Transit cowl water leak findings and fixes

[SmartHaul]

Investigating the sources of my 2017 Transit's water leaks took up the afternoon. Water was observed flowing through the drain hole into the diverter above the air filter box and around the cowl grille. Water overflows onto the airbox and electrical plugs if the diverter clogs, water accumulates too quickly, or the van is parked on a slope. The opposite is also true. Water was also discovered dripping directly onto engine parts in a few places and creeping behind the cowl grille. took a few pictures to keep track of everything

 

[Oogway53]

Water is not good especially on areas like the fuse box and other areas with wirings that can cause a shock that would damage any software. This needs immediate appoinment with your dealer.

 

[FTAdventurer]

Investigating the sources of my 2017 Transit's water leaks took up the afternoon. Water was observed flowing through the drain hole into the diverter above the air filter box and around the cowl grille. Water overflows onto the airbox and electrical plugs if the diverter clogs, water accumulates too quickly, or the van is parked on a slope. The opposite is also true. Water was also discovered dripping directly onto engine parts in a few places and creeping behind the cowl grille. took a few pictures to keep track of everything

Nice job keeping an eye on that. The cowls on the '17 Transit are known to have issues.If that diverter gets clogged or the seal isn't strong, water can easily get into the airbox and wiring. It might be a good idea to seal the cowl edge and clean out those drains often

 

[VanDamme]

Totally agree, those cowls can be a pain. Did they notice any signs of water getting into the cabin or blower motor area yet, or has it just been around the airbox so far?

 

[Thomas E.]

Investigating the sources of my 2017 Transit's water leaks took up the afternoon. Water was observed flowing through the drain hole into the diverter above the air filter box and around the cowl grille. Water overflows onto the airbox and electrical plugs if the diverter clogs, water accumulates too quickly, or the van is parked on a slope. The opposite is also true. Water was also discovered dripping directly onto engine parts in a few places and creeping behind the cowl grille. took a few pictures to keep track of everything

That area is a known trouble spot on the Transit. I ended up drilling a small relief hole in the diverter and added a bit of sealant around the cowl clips. Lucky for me, it's been dry ever since, even during heavy rain.

 

[haul&howl]

Awesome. Modifications like that to the transit diverter often tackle ongoing water intrusion problems quite effectively.