Boot leak, how I fixed it.

[Cabinboy]

Following on from my 'water in boot' thread and the superb advice from this forum I sealed up my rear lights this weekend.

So I thought I'd post up how I did it to help anyone else with the same problem.

First thing, remove the bumper, this is quite straight forward, just remove the 3 screws in each wheel arch and then the two bolts underneath, TOP TIP, remove the number plate first..

Next, remove the light cluster, 4 nuts inside and 2 screws underneath, don't forget to disconnect the electrical plugs first.

Light cluster removed, you can see the neoprene gasket, this is the bit that fails and allows water into the boot, you could replace this or you can seal the gasket, I took the seal option.

You can see in this pic by the dirt where the water has run down on top of the light cluster and past the gasket seal.

Carefully remove the seal, take care as it can be stuck slightly to the cluster, I used a stanley blade to ease the stuck bits.

One side of the gasket, you can see where it makes contact with the light cluster.

The other side, you can see where it makes contact with the car bodywork.

So I used some bathroom sealer I had kicking about but I guess any silicone sealer will do the job.

I layed down a bead of sealer in the groove on the gasket.

Then 'stuck' the gasket back onto the light cluster.

I then put another bead of sealer on the gasket, this time on the area that contacts the bodywork.

Refit the cluster, 4 nuts inside and 2 screws under, don't forget to reconnect the electrical plugs.

You can see the sealer has 'squashed' slightly, hopefully making a good seal.

Now just the other side to do and refit the bumper.

We had rain today and the boot is still dry so hopefully this has worked.

Hope this helps.

Rog.

 

[cpoh]

Excellent writeup!

Did you wait for the sealant todry before putting the lights back on the car?

 

[teggy_dc5]

:xcheers: another great addition to the site well done xthumbup

 

[Cabinboy]

Excellent writeup!

Did you wait for the sealant todry before putting the lights back on the car?

No, put it back together 'wet' to get a better seal.

 

[vtecpang]

Good Lad Roger boy

 

[obizzle32]

Top write up, I will be getting rid of the swimming pool in my boot and following your write up this weekend!

 

[Woppywop]

Exactly what i did a month or so ago... Does the trick perfectly!

Excellent write up chap, well done.

 

[clanny]

Rog, tell me you cleaned up the body of the car to ensure a good contact between the sealer and the bodywork? Personally I shy away from doing things like that with a setting sealant. I prefer to use silicone grease (or vaseline if you can't get the grease. The grease will repel water and won't ever "flex" off the surface once it's made contact (unlike sealant does through time around your bath for example). It's less of a "one way" repair if you like.

Other than that, superb write up with great info and pictures. Many thanks for that. Hope you relocated the goldfish from your boot before doing this job and that it's worked well and your goldfish like their new home?

Oh and one last thing.....











Nice car mate xthumbup

 

[clanny]

Just to add that I did this at the same time as I did the fog light diode mod. Mine was only a tiny dribble on the left but good to get it done for the future. Thanks to Rog for the write-up.

Nice car mate. :xgrin:

 

[H105Daz]

Hey Rog' .. any update on this as a working repair? I notice the watermarks on the bodywork behind the cluster, but is there a clear 'point of entry' for the water?
Strangely, mine only lets in water with light rain, if it chucks it down all day it remains dry inside but light drizzle for a few hours and I have a cupful that needs mopping up.. :unsure:

 

[Vtequila]

Thanks for sharing this man, i still need to get it done but i might have problems taking off the rear bumper, but have to check for that later when i have the time and place.

 

[j88 aaf]

I did this today. Thanks for the write up and pictures. Fingers crossed it works as I was contemplating getting a rod licence and sitting in my boot to see what i could catch following the recent weather near me!

 

[jono888]

My boot is always flooded with water after the rain, however we cannot find where the leak comes from... today we even sat inside the boot (closed) and poured water from the top of the car and all the gaps where the lights are to see where the leak is but nothing was coming through?

Might have to try taking the bumper and lights off when its sunny..

 

[Coldfuse]

i actually think its where the spare wheel screws into the floor, i had my lights fully sealed last year during my car respray, and i still get water in my boot

 

[boots123]

I had this problem as well it took three visits to a body work shop for them to realise it was a missing rubber grommet but they did not say where exactly it was. Dry for over year now.

 

[53 Teegwa]

I did the above as when i stored the car I found there was still moisture in the car and well you can imagine after 2 weeks non movement boke.

Car hasnt seen a drop of water in the boot and no moisture within the car at all since so definetely a good bit of DIY if you have the time, patience and tools.

 

[jono888]

i actually think its where the spare wheel screws into the floor, i had my lights fully sealed last year during my car respray, and i still get water in my boot

hmm but the screw doesn't screw into the floor?

here's my pond....

 

[davidpingu]

Thanks for the write up. I used this on the weekend.

For anyone attempting this I came across a couple extra things not mentioned in the guide which may or may not be helpful.

Firstly I could remove two of the three screws at the bottom of arches but the middle one I couldn't get to without removing the wheel. Seemed a lot of effort for one screw but there you go!

Secondly just to clarify that the two bolt type screws are also in the arch but nearer the top behind where the bumper meets the arch each side. (couldn't spot these for a while)

There are also two black clip type thingy's at the bottom of the rear bumper underneath which need to be removed.

Finally when the rear bumper did come off and we removed the 4 nuts and 2 screws in the clusters the unit still didn't quite have the clearance to come out so I undid the end nut on the black metal bar running below the lights.

Think that's about it?

Like others have said, fingers crossed now!

 

[jono888]

I found the source of my boot leak inside my boot... this is just under the light clusters.

Need a better weather to take the bumper and lights off to find out where it is actually coming from...

For now I will be building a pond towards japfest !

 

[Spoons86]

i got a pond to... not cool but lack of time atm means daily drying out and praying for no rain!