Preventing and Draining Water Buildup in Your Sebring Convertible

I love my 1996 Sebring convertible, but it had one flaw that took me over a year to find a solution for: every time it rained, water would build up in the body of the car and eventually slosh its way inside my car. I was able to prevent this for the most part by using a car cover when it rained, but I really wanted to solve the problem so that the water would not build up in the first place. I set out to do some research on convertibles and discovered that this is actually a very common issue, and an easy fix.

What Tools Will I Need?

Actually, you do not need a single tool. You will, however, need a wire hanger. Take the hanger and untwist it, or cut it, so that it is just a straight rod. An air compressor is also helpful, even a small one. If you do not have one, you can often talk to a local, small mechanic and ask to use theirs for a few minutes. They may charge $20.00 or so, but it is worth it.

Finding the Problem

Sebring convertibles have several very drain small holes along the underbody of the car and along the back tires wells. You need to locate these. You can often find diagrams online for your specific year and make. For the 1996 JXI convertible, there are a lot of these little drain holes and all will have to be treated. To look for these drain holes, look in your rear tire wells and underneath your doors (open the doors before looking). This is where they will be.

Solving the Problem

Take the wire hanger that you have untwisted and insert it into the drain holes. The water usually builds up because the drain holes become clogged with dirt and debris. The hanger fits into the drain holes perfectly and will break loose any dirt and debris that have become trapped and are clogging them up. You may have to insert and remove, then insert and remove the hanger multiple times in each drain hole to ensure that any clogs are taken care of. Next, use an air compressor on each drain hole to blow them out. Just stick the end of the compressor hose right up to the drain hole and let it sit there for a minute. This is just another step to ensure that all dirt and debris are broken up and blown away from these drain holes.

This is regular maintenance for this car. Once you notice some water building up again, simply repeat the steps and unclog the drain holes. It may take a year or more for the drain holes to become re-clogged. It really depends on what you encounter, such as a lot of mud, pollution, etc.

Resources

Personal Experience