My 6N suffers from a wet boot in the wetter times of the year.

 

As we've just started to get into the wetter part of the year, it has just started to get wet again, so I've been keeping an eye on it to see if I can see where it's coming from.

 

It seems to be somewhere on the left hand side of the boot and mainly what would be the top side of the chassis rail, where the wheel tub meets the floor. It doesnt appear to be the light seal leaking and I dont use the rear washer as it's never worked.

I cant tell if it's coming from the front or rear of the boot ?

 

What other possible points of water ingress should I check ?

 

Any help- gratefully received.

 

Just for the record, I have looked through the forum to try and find the answer first.

 

I've found where the water is entering the boot, but I dont know how it's getting there ?  It was only a bit damp when I parked up last night and it poured with rain through the night. This morning, there was quite a bit of water and you could see a little trail where it had run in, at the rusty spot in the picture. So that rules out splashing up from the road.

 

Can anyone shed any light on where the water came through the body in order to enter the boot at this point ?

There isnt a seam like this in the panel on the other side. Is it a repair  ? It looks like it might be as it has no brushed on sealant.

Edited 29 September, 20196 yr by Polo3
Picture not showing

I'm unable to see your picture, but as the water has appeared when the car was stationary and you say that it isn't leaking around the rear light clusters, it would be worth carefully checking the boot seal.

You could do that visually, or you could go a stage further and trap a sheet of paper or plastic in there and attempt to pull it out when the boot is shut - of course, you need to do this all the way round.

Other areas that you could check, include the petrol filler, the rear wiper and the radio aerial.

If you still can't find the problem, it would be worth removing the trim on each side and having a look behind there. - Whilst you are in there, and if it hasn't already been done, it is worth raising up the door lock compressor assembly (drivers side), as right at the bottom where they are normally placed, it is possible for them to get wet and that tends to be fatal to them.

 

Regards

Could be the seals around the rear lights, could be a split in the boot rubber seal

 

Thanks. I'll take some of the interior out and see if that offers any more clues. I did wonder if the rubber trim that runs along the roof might be worth checking out ? What do you think ?                                                                                                                    

I dont know why the picture hasnt appeared. It just says "queued" , so I thought it might be waiting for approval from a moderator ?

Edited 29 September, 20196 yr by Polo3
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It's  a pity the picture wont show because that would be a big help with diagnosing a possible point of entry.

I know this is not a recent thread, however to help others, here's what I found.
Water was getting under the tailgate seal between the hinges, and running around the flange until it reached the back light area where it entered the car and dripped off the rear light bulb holder, remove the boot seal, gently squeeze it to close the gap to ensure a tighter fit, and tap it back on with a hammer, preferably nylon, make sure it's all the way onto the flange.

Another leak, both rear light housings were cracked at a seam, it's a design fault, remove the light, take out the bulb holder and look above the top bulb hole, water was getting in here, dribbling down to the bottom of the light cluster and leaking into the car. Apply silicone sealant, plenty of it, to the crack it can't be seen with the light fitted. Before refitting the back light, remove the foam seal, clean it, the light and the paint, make sure it's dry and apply an unbroken smear of silicone to both sides of the seal where it touches the light/paint, and refit the light clusters.

If the car has a sunroof make sure the drains are clear and that the drain hose is properly pushed into the rubber grommet that takes it out if the car (below the rear lights), if this joint leaks, the water from this (and the back lights) can make it's way under the back seat cushion.

There are vents behind the back bumper that can let water in, especially if a rodent has eaten them!
On our 6N2, behind the metal support for the rear bumper are the ends of the chassis rails, remove that beam and cover over those holes as water will fill the chassis, I covered ours but didn't seal it so as to allow ventilation. Searching for our water ingress with a hose left water running out of chassis drain holes for nearly 5 minutes after I turned the hose off. 

At the front, the most likely water entry is though the door membrane, it runs onto the door seal along the sill and into the car. Remove the door panel and membrane, use waterproof double sided tape and plastic sheet and cover holes in the door, you'll need to be creative where wires etc. come through, point a hose at the outside of the glass with the door open and check for leaks, especially along wiring for window switches and speakers. Keep making adjustments until it's water tight, water gets in through panel clip holes too, keep an eye out for that.

Check front sunroof drains (these exit at the top if the 'A' post behind the wing)

Lastly, people have said that a build up of leaves and crap around the cabin filter can cause water to get into the passenger footwell. This needs the plastic at the bottom of the windscreen removing, the filter housing removing, all the rubbish removing, and a smear of sealant on the foam seal, rebuild. Ours was not leaking, however.