General Water in the spare wheel well.

[lambou1d]

I know this has been discussed before but there are no conclusions - or so it seems.
In the last week or so I noticed damp in the car and after realising the rear seats were wet, I found about 3 inches of water in the spare wheel well.
Was always dry before.
I've checked the rear air vents (under the bumper) definitely not that. Possibly coming in from the near side rear quarter. Checked the light cluster and that seems OK.
Any Ideas would be gratefully received.

 

[varesecrazy]

I know this has been discussed before but there are no conclusions - or so it seems.
In the last week or so I noticed damp in the car and after realising the rear seats were wet, I found about 3 inches of water in the spare wheel well.
Was always dry before.
I've checked the rear air vents (under the bumper) definitely not that. Possibly coming in from the near side rear quarter. Checked the light cluster and that seems OK.
Any Ideas would be gratefully received.

A few options..
Best to pull out the carpet.. Let if drain

Mop out tyre well
, then line with kitchen towel

Should be obvious which does stay dry.. And the yellowed crinkly towel that didnt


Clear rainwater... So Not screenwash?

Aerial, roof seams,
tailgate rubber boot /grommet

 

[TTR]

Eh up

Have a read of my threads on my boot leak might help you.

In addition I’ve sealed up the bump stops at either side, my car parks nose down and I’m now convinced that the way in which they screw in allows water into the tailgate.

Not sure if this would account for the level you are getting in but everything is worth trying

also have a careful look at the rubber grommet where the wiper goes through, if it’s loose it can let water in, seal it with silicone.

Hope this helps

 

[lambou1d]

Thanks for the replies. I'll be checking out those suggestions asap.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Is there anything at all sitting across the rubber seal strip - even the smallest leaf, twig or similar, esp it at the top, stops it sealing against the hatch door and can let some water in although maybe not that much. Also check around the door where the rubber touches it.

Has the car been jet washed or hosed with a jet directed up behind rear bumper?

 

[lambou1d]

Im thinking this may be due to me getting carried away with a pressure washer. Used in the past with no issues but I did have rather a lot of mud on car the other day. Definitely dry before the mud stuck as I had just had the spare wheel out the day before. Water was clean and so not due to wading. Checked all the usual places including door+boot drain holes, seals, rear lights, wiper grommet, aerial, air vents under bumper etc. Next step is to pull the rear trim and sit in the boot whilst the wife pressure washes it. Hoping that it won't do it again but these things are never as simple as that.
I will keep you all informed.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Im thinking this may be due to me getting carried away with a pressure washer. Used in the past with no issues but I did have rather a lot of mud on car the other day. Definitely dry before the mud stuck as I had just had the spare wheel out the day before. Water was clean and so not due to wading. Checked all the usual places including door+boot drain holes, seals, rear lights, wiper grommet, aerial, air vents under bumper etc. Next step is to pull the rear trim and sit in the boot whilst the wife pressure washes it. Hoping that it won't do it again but these things are never as simple as that.
I will keep you all informed.

It’s very easy to get wash water from jet washer come in through the air exit vent at the back of the car (behind rear bumper and into spare wheel well). The clue that this has happened is the three sections of soft rubber flap (that are supposed to prevent this) end up partly pushed in and caught in the plastic’grille’ the air goes out through) I’d put money on that being where it’s come from - been there, done that!

Any wading deeper than about 6” of water ends up getting water mixed in with the transfer unit gears (diesel versions) or potentially the gearbox (all versions), as it gets sucked into a hot gearbox (on being cooled by wading) thru the breathers on the top. I’m sure that’s why the oil in my transfer unit came out looking like cold, milky tea. And that’s less deep than the rear air vent. Remember they were designed for driving on snow-covered mountain roads, not fording muddy ravines

Having just spent £600 replacing a water-damaged alternator I’m a bit more circumspect about deepish water now.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Sounds exactly like ours was. It was bad manufacture and a large gap in panels underneath but not involving the rear light. The hole was nearly 1cm square!! It looked as of ot was supposed to be there.

 

[lambou1d]

Thanks for all the advice.
Most of the obvious things have been checked.

On further inspection there was so much water in the back of the car, wheel well, rear seat, rear carpet etc, that this could not have been me and the pressure washer - I would have had to spend 20 minutes pointing it through an open window. So it must have spent the last two weeks filling up with the constant rain. Anyway, as it has always been dry before something must have changed.

Roof liner is dry, so not the aerial, rear washer works and wiper arm grommet OK, tailgate drains are clear. Vents under bumper are good and dust is still in place showing no water as got through there. Does seem to be wetter on the near side rear quarter .
Back seat now in the house drying, so to boot carpet + cover. I'm going to dry the car then see what happens. If it gets wet again then I will have to strip the trim from the rear but I'm not doing that unless I have to!! Which I, no doubt, will.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Did you spot the earlier reply from The Panda Nut? He found that, on removing the rear light unit, there was an unfilled square hole in the bodywork, lower down from where the wires come through - apparently left the factory like that (mine's filled with mastic). Although unlikely that's suddenly failed - you say only in past couple of weeks. How about the rubber tube the wiring tot he tailgate goes through, where that meets the bodywork? Rear quarter windows are bonded into place - anything come unstuck around there? Or possibly a roof rail mounting... But I'm sure you'll have checked all these.

 

[lambou1d]

Did you spot the earlier reply from The Panda Nut? He found that, on removing the rear light unit, there was an unfilled square hole in the bodywork, lower down from where the wires come through - apparently left the factory like that (mine's filled with mastic). Although unlikely that's suddenly failed - you say only in past couple of weeks. How about the rubber tube the wiring tot he tailgate goes through, where that meets the bodywork? Rear quarter windows are bonded into place - anything come unstuck around there? Or possibly a roof rail mounting... But I'm sure you'll have checked all these.

Thanks.
yes I've had the rear lights out and seems OK, also the rubber tube grommet thing at top of tailgate. No sign of water running down inside of rear quarter light glass and the sealant looks ok but I have an inkling it may be the problem. I don't think the roof rail is the source because the headliner is dry.
I'll not be investigating further until either the inside has dried or it starts to fill up again (hasn't rained for a few days). Then I'll be in the boot with a torch!

 

[The Panda Nut]

My 2019 car has sprung a leak recently This is the rear screen glue. It may relate to a repair I had done. The water was dripping onto theboot mat and it was not easy to see where it was coming from at first, I have stopped the leak using Comma Seek n Seal. This is a clear liquid sealant that runs into and seals minor leaks quite effectively. The alternative is taking the rear screen out. The rear glass in the Panda is only c. 3mm so would probably break if it had to be removed so seek and seal is a good bet. I put quite a lot down behind the top of the rear screen from both out and inside. The worst bit is removing run off but it does come off with white spirit. As far as I can tell its now dry

 

[lambou1d]

My 2019 car has sprung a leak recently This is the rear screen glue. It may relate to a repair I had done. The water was dripping onto theboot mat and it was not easy to see where it was coming from at first, I have stopped the leak using Comma Seek n Seal. This is a clear liquid sealant that runs into and seals minor leaks quite effectively. The alternative is taking the rear screen out. The rear glass in the Panda is only c. 3mm so would probably break if it had to be removed so seek and seal is a good bet. I put quite a lot down behind the top of the rear screen from both out and inside. The worst bit is removing run off but it does come off with white spirit. As far as I can tell its now dry

So is that the rear hatch windscreen? Not quarter light.
Interesting, I will be getting in the boot with the wife outside with a hosepipe. I was assuming that any leak in the rear hatch door would run out the drain holes onto the bumper but I suppose anything coming round the glass will drip down on the very inside of the panel into the boot floor.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

So is that the rear hatch windscreen? Not quarter light.
Interesting, I will be getting in the boot with the wife outside with a hosepipe. I was assuming that any leak in the rear hatch door would run out the drain holes onto the bumper but I suppose anything coming round the glass will drip down on the very inside of the panel into the boot floor.

If water runs inside the hatch door it tends to collect on the black plastic trim at the bottom of the boot opening, to either side of the metal ‘ring’ the boot latch locks onto. Mine sometimes has a little sitting there - often if something has stopped the rubber seal making full contact at the top.

But to get 3 inches of water in the wheel well you’d need to have been parked under a waterfall and have a very significant gap somewhere.

 

[lambou1d]

If water runs inside the hatch door it tends to collect on the black plastic trim at the bottom of the boot opening, to either side of the metal ‘ring’ the boot latch locks onto. Mine sometimes has a little sitting there - often if something has stopped the rubber seal making full contact at the top.

But to get 3 inches of water in the wheel well you’d need to have been parked under a waterfall and have a very significant gap somewhere.

It was more like 6 inches before the carpet must have wicked it up under the rear seats! I do live in West Wales - very much like living under a waterfall but all the same, the quantity has really foxed me as no gaps at all have been found. Tomorrow is hosepipe day!! I'll let you know the outcome - I'm guessing rear quarter light.

 

[The Panda Nut]

My 2019 car has sprung a leak recently This is the rear screen glue. It may relate to a repair I had done. The water was dripping onto theboot mat and it was not easy to see where it was coming from at first, I have stopped the leak using Comma Sean n Seal. This is a clear liquid sealant that runs into and seals minor leaks quite effectively. The alternative is taking the rear screen out. The rear glass in the Panda

So is that the rear hatch windscreen? Not quarter light.
Interesting, I will be getting in the boot with the wife outside with a hosepipe. I was assuming that any leak in the rear hatch door would run out the drain holes onto the bumper but I suppose anything coming round the glass will drip down on the very inside of the panel into the boot floor. It ran over the boot trim from near teh rear wiper,

Yep the top of the rear screen. It ran round the screen and was dripping straight into the boot. The other possibility that I havnt heard mentioned is the grommet on the rear light wiring. For that amount of water we are talking a big hole and after two leaking Fiats with body panels that just didnt meet up where they should Im still suspicious of this as a cause. These panels that are bonded seem to be an issue. The car also has air outlets behind the trim inside the door bottom. This trim is neld in by a few ficings basicaaly pushed in from inside the boot. You have to pull off the rubber seal then remove this. There are a couple of grommets and these vent things that allow stale air out at the back undder the bumper. worth inspecting too.

 

[The Panda Nut]

My 2019 car has sprung a leak recently This is the rear screen glue. It may relate to a repair I had done. The water was dripping onto theboot mat and it was not easy to see where it was coming from at first, I have stopped the leak using Comma Sean n Seal. This is a clear liquid sealant that runs into and seals minor leaks quite effectively. The alternative is taking the rear screen out. The rear glass in the Panda The hole in our 2014 car could not be seen until the rear light cluster was removed. It sat right under the rubber lamp unit seal.

 

[lambou1d]

Thanks for all the pointers.
I will be using the hose tomorrow and let you all know. Two weeks of constant rain should be easy enough to replicate.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Im thinking this may be due to me getting carried away with a pressure washer. Used in the past with no issues but I did have rather a lot of mud on car the other day. Definitely dry before the mud stuck as I had just had the spare wheel out the day before. Water was clean and so not due to wading. Checked all the usual places including door+boot drain holes, seals, rear lights, wiper grommet, aerial, air vents under bumper etc. Next step is to pull the rear trim and sit in the boot whilst the wife pressure washes it. Hoping that it won't do it again but these things are never as simple as that.
I will keep you all informed.

I get carried away with the pressure washer every week and I have never had issues caused by that. Only VW say a pressure washer is not to be used on theor cars because it can wash the laquer off the paint.... I will not be buying another VW needless to say.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

I get carried away with the pressure washer every week and I have never had issues caused by that. Only VW say a pressure washer is not to be used on theor cars because it can wash the laquer off the paint.... I will not be buying another VW needless to say.

All car makers advise against directing a pressure washer at their paint in some way or another … Fiat say “keep 40cm or more away from the bodywork to prevent damage or alteration”.