My 2010 PRHT has a slight leak from somewhere but the source is beyond me. I only noticed last year when I had problems with the rear drains which are now resolved but I still find a small amount of water in the boot on the panel adjacent to the jack cubby.
There’s usually a small trail of water (no bigger than a biro) in the general area of the key in my photo. When I remember to lift the boot lining to check, the water is just sitting on the metal and the white felt on the boot lining is damp. I’ve checked behind the plastics at the front and side of the boot and can’t see anything.
I assume that’s the rear inside panel off which doesn’t look too difficult. What am I looking for around the rear light ? Looking at the general alignment it would let water in below the level I’m seeing it, ie into the main boot well.
It’s almost certainly not the brake light as there’s nothing under the skin - except most of the skin off my fingers.
The aerial looks fine with no tell tale drips or stains but I guess a lick of silicon wouldn’t hurt.
I struggled to find a leak in my boot - turned out to be failed/missing panel sealant from original manufacture. My leak was LHS of the "boot reveal looking from the back of car, but there is similar seam on RHS. Take a look here-
Thanks Tim, the additional pictures were useful but unfortunately, no sign of condensation on mine.
This morning, after a plentiful deluge overnight, the boot was bone dry but after a run, the tell tale emerged again so I had a better look behind the panels.
The only possible source seems to be the flap behind the rear light cluster which has a sort of bloom around the foam seal to the body (pics attached - ignore the chalk marks on the painted panel in the 1st pic).
How difficult is it to replace/fix the flap ? I wouldn’t be too confident removing the light cluster without causing more damage to the seals.
Have you actually had a look at the securing nuts holding the light fitting in? Took mine out a couple of months ago to remove the bumper and a couple of the nuts were loose, maybe need tightening up on yours.
The light comes out easily then you can check the seal, clean up and secure.
My seals looked in great condition, didn’t even need any clean up but I wiped them over before refitting.
I think I’ve actually tracked it down to a cable fastener towards the front of the boot. It’s wet where it fastens to the bodywork and I can get a fingernail underneath so I dried it, put some tissue around it and went for another spin. It was wet again and the tissue stopped the spread to the rest of the boot.
The big question now is how do I remove the fastener so I can dab a bit of silicon underneath ? (The shocker and turret are bone dry, it’s just the photo that’s making the rim look wet).
Well I’m confident that the clip is the source of the water ingress as I’ve taken it out again with the trusty bog roll to stop the drips running from it, but can’t for the life of me figure out how to remove or tighten it. I’ve unclipped the fat cable and tried rotating it in case it’s a slotted fixing, tried to pry it up, and tried pushing it down but it’ll not shift.
I think what’s happening is it’s siphoning water from underneath in the airflow and then getting drawn by the air running to the rear flap. But, while the clip is slightly loose, there isn’t enough clearance to get a bead of silicon underneath.
Thanks for looking at it. You’re right about it being a pig to get at from underneath as it’s inboard from the suspension turret and most likely the wrong side of the wheel arch. Coupled with the fact it was under sealed last year and I don’t have a ramp, I think I’ll try a bit of plumbers tape and if that fails, hit it with some silicon.
Not wishing how to tell you to suck eggs as they say, but you won’t go far wrong with
“ GEOCEL PLUMBA JOINT JOINTING COMPOUND & SEALER 50ML CLEAR“
Great for those small jobs and works.
Thanks. I’ve not heard of that. I’m old enough to remember “seek and stop” which sorted out multiple leaks in my Mini. It was really runny and then set like a badly made jelly - eventually.
In reality, I should break the clip and put a new one in with a bead of silicon to finish but then I’d agonise over not having the right tape for the twin wire that’s taped to the outrigger.
I keep trying to say it’s only a car, then I spend more on it than I should !
Right folks, this is now driving me totally nuts ! Must be lockdown fever.
I’ve silicone sealed what I thought was the offending clip but today the leak was almost as bad as before I tried to sort it out.
The water trail is underneath the carpet where the side of the boot carpet flops onto the raised portion. The white underfelt is the only thing that gets slightly damp. Nothing wet above the carpet at all and, as far as I can tell, it’s coming from front to back (heading towards the rear lights).
There’s nothing there until I drive so it’s obviously pooling somewhere and getting sucked or flowing once the car is moving.
Good point Mick as I only looked but didn’t do any proper investigation having convinced myself it was running front to back. On reflection, it makes sense that more water will shift under braking than acceleration.
I think what I’ll do is lay a piece of absorbent paper or a cloth mid way and see for definite which end the leak is starting. I’d previously put a couple of strips but they got soaked so it wasn’t conclusive.
No leaks from the light seals but they had to come out before removing the bumper. I was doing some undersealing around the rear of the car. Some of the nuts holding the light fittings in 3 x each side seemed only finger tight, they must have worked loose over the years. So do check yours are sealing ok.
Rechecked the back end and the lights are good and tight. Poured a jug of water over the cluster to be sure and it drains away externally. Finally, I stuffed a cloth under the rear trim panels and am now fully convinced that it’s running front to back.
If it’s not the clip I highlighted the question is where else could it be coming from. The roof compartment carpet is dry as is the drain when I checked at 2pm today (19°C and no rain since yesterday) so I’m not sure whether it can run that far.
There must be somewhere that water gets trapped and then gets pulled through the boot but I’m stumped.
