Hello-
Just noticed on my new to me LR3 that someone had put electrical tape along the sides and bottom of where the windshield hits the trim. I pulled one of the side trim pieces off, it's just a cover for the frame. I couldn't remove the bottom piece because I didn't feel like going that far yet and removing the wipers. My question would be, Why do you think this would have been done? I didn't think that even if a little water got past these seals they would at all enter the vehicle? Maybe it does cause leaking. Where would it leak? Anyone with experience on this? Cheers.

 

It's a known leak point, as cowls warp they let water in = bad news

Best to replace - it's about a $100 part (new OEM from Atlantic British) LR096164

 

I haven't had issue with the sides but I will tell you that water (and it won't be a little) can run down the windshield and get behind your warped cowl. Notice I assumed you had a warped cowl?? EVERY LR3 has a warped cowl (or will if they just replaced it with a new one). The issue with the water getting behind it is that it gets into the connector (which faces up - brilliant engineering) for the transmission control module which is on the firewall next to the battery. Once those connections corrode the CAN bus will go nuts and you'll get the Christmas tree lights on the dash and likely, a no start condition.

That's why the previous owner did it - and I wouldn't remove it except to solve it another way because you don't want that water in there.

**Edit - beaten to the answer by mere minutes!!

 

The water goes through the box that holds the cabin pollen filter (I think it's that particular filter) and one fix is to create a baffle or shield so that the water can't get in. I epoxied a thin piece of plastic to it (It was a license plate insert from the LR dealer) and haven't observed any more water on my floorboards.

 

I used Bear Bond tape to seal the cowl to the windshield. This is the tape that NASCAR teams use to patch up damage to their cars during races. I didn't see the sense in replacing a poorly designed cowl that'll just warp again. No water is going to get past this stuff.

 

I had the cowl replaced on my 2005 several years ago and it has not warped. It lives in the garage though. It had warped before, and still lived in a garage, so something is different.

I replaced (myself) the cowl on my 2006 and used RVT to seal it. Within 6 months it had warped again. A few things:
1. The '06 doesn't live in the garage.
2. I need a new A-Pillar trim piece on the '06 and it is not really keeping the cowling in place very well.

I will probably break down and buy a new A-Pillar trim piece eventually....they are stupidly expensive for what they are, but it's not the last $100 I'll ever make. When I do that, I may replace the cowling again just for aesthetics.

 

License plate does indeed work great to make a shield.

 

Thanks for all the input. Ordered a new cowl, will arrive on Monday. I think I'm also going to order two new pillar trim pieces as the ones that are on there are incredibly worn. I took off the old one today and prepped the windscreen. I'm not sure how the cowl seal with the windscreen is something of concern given that the cowl itself has a literal ton of holes in it that lead to the exact same place. There is a diverter on the back of the cowl on the side of all the electrical bits but I fail to see how this stops the water.

 

I sealed mine to the windshield mainly to keep the leaves and snow from packing in there.

 

Take a closer look. The cowl is not suppose to seal off the windshield gutter. I mean there are those BIG screens on it. The gutter simply does two things, divert water to the fenders and provide an intake plenum for fresh air. But if you remove the cowl and look at the cabin air intake, imagine water pouring down the windshield and how it would go into the cabin intake. That intake simply extends too far forward. I think originally there was more to the design as there are a couple holes on its forward bit. Maybe there was a cover and it was removed last second as a cost saving measure. So the problem ends up being that if the cowl warps at the wrong spot, water enters the intake then into the filter, blower motor and cabin. There is no way at all for water that getting into the gutter to get into the computers behind the battery.

And read the TSB attached below about the a-trim covers, will help a little. New covers have a new design but there is still a proper installation.