Technical Leak in Boot - Help!

Currently reading:
Technical Leak in Boot - Help!

JAY81UK

New member
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
14
Points
5
Hi, I have a 2011 Fiat Punto Evo.

I've noticed the carpet in the boot was a bit damp, so lifted it up and underneath, I have a took tray rather than a wheel. That was damp, so I removed that and there was a pool of water under it!

I've dried it all out and left the tray and carpet indoors so I can see where the leak is coming from. I think I've narrowed it down, but not sure how I resolve it? It's coming from under the plastic surround in the boot nearest the boot door.

I can't post photos so if you can PM me if you think you can help, I can send you the links. Thanks.
 
Last edited:
I can't appear to post photos so if someone could PM me I can send them to you. Thanks.
 
Do you see water on the brackets for the parcel shelf..? My 07 does this

57 one gets water in the wheel well.. but carpets feel dry

58 had a swimming wheel last winter on purchase.. but seems ok since

The 2012 has been bone dry all its life.. and has had tail bulbs changed for MOTs..
Not caused ingress

Tell us what you are seeing : finding

No stains on headliner ( roof aeriel )
 
I'm not car savvy enough to take the lights out. It's definitely running down under that plastic piece though. I would ask a garage but they'll charge £££
 
The lights come out to change the bulbs, just two screws on the inside of the boot opening, and they just lift out, no need to be tech savvy and it’s covered in the manual under replacing the bulbs
 
I'm not car savvy enough to take the lights out. It's definitely running down under that plastic piece though. I would ask a garage but they'll charge £££

If youve got access to a philips (large + ) screwdriver.. its a 5 minute job :)

Lift the tailgate.. look at the tail light

Its those 2 screws that hold it in..

Under the plastic surround is a rubber seal.. if mounted poorly it lets rainwater in :eek:
 
If youve got access to a philips (large + ) screwdriver.. its a 5 minute job :)

Lift the tailgate.. look at the tail light

Its those 2 screws that hold it in..

Under the plastic surround is a rubber seal.. if mounted poorly it lets rainwater in :eek:

I'm sorry what do you mean? Any photos of what you mean please?

I'm also unsure what I'll need to buy to repair it.
 
I took the back lights off today and this was underneath -

https://imgur.com/undefined

https://imgur.com/262JPDH

It was went under there and I've now dried it out.

Went out for a quick drive, checked the boot, and there's water in there again:

https://imgur.com/3vZcv0d

I don't get it all?!



Have you checked the mounting holes for the rear lights? They have a rubber grommet that might be missing or broken.

Also it could be the rear fiat badge, the grommet around the rear wiper, the actual boot seal itself, or the high level brake light seal (water would be down the rear window in this case)

Process of elimination, starting with the easiest. I’d say next check the rear light mounting holes where you push the light unit in (ensure you push the lights in firmly). If it’s not that then take the black plastic boot card off (there’s a few screws and clips), then check the badge and wiper area for water. If you can’t find anything, it’s likely the boot seal itself.
 
Have you checked the mounting holes for the rear lights? They have a rubber grommet that might be missing or broken.

Also it could be the rear fiat badge, the grommet around the rear wiper, the actual boot seal itself, or the high level brake light seal (water would be down the rear window in this case)

Process of elimination, starting with the easiest. I’d say next check the rear light mounting holes where you push the light unit in (ensure you push the lights in firmly). If it’s not that then take the black plastic boot card off (there’s a few screws and clips), then check the badge and wiper area for water. If you can’t find anything, it’s likely the boot seal itself.

The grommet that helps secure the light to the car was in tact, but I did notice it's not as tight fitting against the car as the left one. However there's no missing parts so this has to be just how it is.

I'm not sure where I'd get a replacement seal from, however if it was this, surely the top of the boot carpet would have been soaked?
 
I've been pretty lucky over the years with car seals and have only had one leak (through a rear light on a 40 year old MG Midget as the 'foam' seals had started going hard).

I've replaced the seals now but at the time struggled to find any replacements so I used silicone grease liberally applied to both sides of the seal which although a temporary fix worked a treat.

Only use silicone grease and not petroleum jelly - silicone won't harm rubber or plastics like mineral oils will.

An aircraft engineer by trade, we usually close the door with someone on the inside with a torch to locate the leak, while someone else on the outside uses a water hose around the suspect area
 
The problem with leaks is they can be very hard to track down. You can look at the boot seal the light seals and the rubber around things like the wiring looms or if any wires pass into the car body from behind the bumper but it’s just a case of dry everything out then work out where the water is coming from next time it rains. If you pay a garage they will usually either not find the leak but charge you for Labour in trying to find it, or they will get out a silicon sealant gun and squirt it everywhere and still not fix the problem, you’re probably better off to keep searching yourself
 
I'm very much in Max's "camp" with this one. Take all the easy to get at trim off, dry everything out so you are making a fresh start then take a torch into the boot with you and shut the boot lid DON'T USE A MAINS POWERED LIGHT will you. Get someone to play a water hose over the back of the car and see if you can find out where it's coming in. You may need to remove more trim once you get it narrowed down to a certain area.

Body water leaks can be very difficult to track down and sort and you can end up wasting money throwing it at a garage. If you are going to give it to a garage I'd recommend an independent who specializes in your make of car because if it's a common one - like the leaking rear light units on the Puntos - they'll have run into it before so are more likely to get a good result. In general I wouldn't particularly recommend a main dealer because costs will be high and you can't guarantee a satisfactory outcome.

Good luck. You are probably going to have to persevere with this and don't dismiss the possibility there may be more than one leak!

PS Andy - above - makes a good point about how difficult garages find these things to sort. There's also the fact that if they don't find it relatively quickly interest will soon be lost as there will be plenty of other jobs booked in which will be easier to make money on!
 
Last edited:
I took the back lights off today and this was underneath -

https://imgur.com/undefined

https://imgur.com/262JPDH

It was went under there and I've now dried it out.

Went out for a quick drive, checked the boot, and there's water in there again:

https://imgur.com/3vZcv0d

I don't get it all?!



I’ve had a leak in my boot for the last few weeks and finally found the problem.

Where several panels are joined and then glued together above the right rear light cluster (boot lid has to be half way up/down to see) there was a split in the glue which is directly below the black gutter on the roof of the car, so all rainwater was draining over this split in the glue causing water to come in the boot. Fixed with clear silicone and now problem is sorted!

Did you ever find the problem with yours?
 
I’ve had a leak in my boot for the last few weeks and finally found the problem.

Where several panels are joined and then glued together above the right rear light cluster (boot lid has to be half way up/down to see) there was a split in the glue which is directly below the black gutter on the roof of the car, so all rainwater was draining over this split in the glue causing water to come in the boot. Fixed with clear silicone and now problem is sorted!

Did you ever find the problem with yours?

Our 2014 Panda was like this. Probably from new and possibly why it was for sale. Dealer fitter a new boot mat.... But failed to spot the dirty great hole and fix it. A quick dollop of bathroom mastic and its been dry ever since. I think Tiger Seal might have been a better medium for the repair though.
 
Back
Top