I just picked up a 2000 and after driving it through a couple rainstorms I noticed water in the drivers side front and rear floor pans. It mainly collects in the rear. I've read many threads on this subject and have some clarification questions.

-can water be leaking in from the roof rain gutter running about two inches above the doors? I noticed that there is a rubber weatherstrip in the channel that I could remove(not glued in?)? Is this gutter supposed to be sealed?

-I don't have a sun roof and I see no obvious signs of water stains coming down the firewall below the pedals? Is that possible?

What could be the most likely source(*) of the leak(*)? I'd rather not have to gut the interior to find this if possible.

thanks in advance for help!

Most likely your door seal needs to be resealed. Over time the factory adhesive breaks down and allows water into the cabin instead of keeping it in the door and to the door drains. It is a very simple fix.

Here is a great write up with photos from ddalder:
http://www.bonnevilleclub.com/forum/...ic.php?t=79063

how about the question in regard to the rain gutter running down the length of the roof about two inches over the door opening, can water leak in from them or are they simply diverters?

Those should only be channels. If it is leaking through there, you have very serious problems (and would likely see stains or moisture on the headliner). I would think this is extremely unlikely unless the car was previously in a collision affecting the A, B or C pillars.

What makes water leaks in these cars so difficult to find is where the water ends up pooling. This is frequently not near the source. For example in my car, the leak was the front door water deflector but the accumulation was in the rear passenger foot well.

I thought that would be the answer to my roof gutter question, having no experience with these cars though, I had to ask, thank you.

no water stains on the headliner, I'm safe there.

I hope beyond all hope it'* one of the door deflectors!

any other ideas on where should look for where it might be coming i from if not the doors?

Other than the doors, the most common place is from the sunroof and/or drains. Since you don't have one, it isn't an issue.

Check the overall condition of your door seals. Make sure you don't have any tear, rips or other problems. Ensure when your door closes that it seems to fit correctly. If the door had ever been adjusted, you may have a gap somewhere. Another good preventative measure is to regularly treat your door seals with something like Meguiar'* Vinyl and Rubber Cleaner. This will also condition them. There is also a silicone emulsion available through your GM dealer.

The doors seals don't need to be "adhered" to the body with silicone or other sealants. These are meant to be removable and I have never seen anywhere in the FSM that indicates they need to be resealed with any sort of compound. I've had mine off several times without additional problems. Just make sure that they are applied evenly without any large gaps between the seal and the lip on the body.

It is also unlikely the water is coming from your firewall unless someone had previously pulled out the wiring harness passthrough(*) and didn't seat them correctly.

My best guess (until checked and found to be fine) is still the water deflectors inside your doors. If you don't see anything obvious with the bead of adhesive, close the door and really soak the doors down well. I've seen instances where everything "looked" okay, but with a water test found the leak.

that'* what I'll do, thank you very much!