Water in P38A spare wheel well

[glenhendry]

Brisbane is getting ****ed upon from a great height, and it is finding all the weaknesses in my beloved P38A. I had a serious leak into my spare wheel well and I traced it with help from these forums to the rear left hand sunroof drain.

The tube from the sunroof runs down the D pillar (one on each side of the car) behind the rear passenger door. It empties into a drain tube directly behind the rear seatbelt retractor mechanism under the rear left hand parcel shelf. (see image 1).

To get to the drain from the underside, you must remove the rear mudflap and then the wheel arch lining. Neither are too difficult. (see image 2). You can see a Mark-III (LR approved) coathanger used here to clear out the drain 'valve'.

You could unblock the drain from above by taking off the rear parcel shelf and poking something down the obvious tube. Image 3 shows the drainage valve from above the rear left wheel once the inner liner is removed.

[Scouse]

Been there, done that. Have you done the other side too? And checked the front ones?

Sometimes the drain hose is a bit short & pops out the top of the rubber fitting in the wheelarch too :(.

[Hoges]

did all that plus replaced the rear seal ...and still it comes in...from whence I know not...

I have taken out the rear seats and removed the wheel well cover.
As I sit listening to the rain and watch for water inside, it suddnely appears, seeping in along the seam of the cross member from under the floor. When you look along the wheel well floor level towards the rear, there's a cross member with large holes in it, just below the rear hatch lip. That seems to be where the water gets in... wondering if it maybe from where the bumper bar is bolted on?

[Hoges]

Been there, done that. Have you done the other side too? And checked the front ones?

Sometimes the drain hose is a bit short & pops out the top of the rubber fitting in the wheelarch too :(.

Well, one year later, heavy rain in Brisbane and wheel well filling with water AGAIN:mad:
Checked sunroof drain hoses...all properly connected and all clear
Undertook complete refurb etc rear door seal .. excellent

BUT : Still the water appears on LHS mysteriously seeping in through the seams between wall and floor of wheel well ...

am wondering what is the void between side wall of wheel well and outer skin of vehicle ...any clues? somebody?:(

[glenhendry]

am wondering what is the void between side wall of wheel well and outer skin of vehicle ...any clues? somebody?:(

This is angry rain isnt it?

I reckon that void on the LHS must be for the muffler when the non-Aus RR have dual pipes?

[adm333]

A length of Cat 6 cable is the perfect size for running down the drain tubes to ensure there are no blockages on the way !!!

And yes, this rain is relentless.

[Hoges]

The sunroof drain tubes are clear and all "extra" well connected...made sure of that when I removed/replaced sunroof and roof lining in 2010. There's no water on the carpet or behind the subwoofer enclosure...

When rain is light, no water seeps in. Yet it does when the rain is heavy...
Also it is seeping in along the seams .

Got me thinking that in heavy rain the water is pooling behind the wheelarch cover and leaking back through the seams before it has a chance to drain away. So will pull off the wheel /wheel arch cover today and have a look...
Will let you know!;)

[wanglemoose]

any ideas to what causes this when you dont have a sunroof?

[Hoges]

any ideas to what causes this when you dont have a sunroof?

The "official advice" is that the problem can be caused by how accurately the tailgate ... both upper and lower, are aligned, and the positioning of the rubber seal.
If you do a search on this forum there's a copy of the TSB which specifies how to adjust the lip which hold the seal and where to put a small cut in the seal along the bottom edge either side of the centreline etc to allow it to drain. New seals come with this cut already made...

I still do not know where it's leaking from: the cabin is dry and the water is seeping in between the floor panels. I'm suspecting that it's a body seam
behind the rear wheel arch which is covered by the liner; or somewhere behind the bumper bar. I've sealed the bumper bar attachment bolts well and truly...

(The doc cut a chunk out of my arm last Monday (too much sun...) so I am sitting here fighting frustration in that I can't attack the problem for a couple of weeks ...so I've removed the floor plug ...

There are some hints near the end of the "Body" section in RAVE where it has diagrams of the 'lower floor' panel in the rear compartment and a 'closer' panel.There are lines marking where the sealer is put. I'm wondering if the sealer has cracked and whether thoroughly cleaning the outside down and brushing on bituminous paint might do the trick ...

If you have any new ideas...:D

[redandy3575]

You know what...... just let it leak. I've had a similar problem, turned out to be the sunroof drain plug, but till recently the same issue with the water leaking in between the seems, so i've given up and just let it leak. I could drill a small hole at the deepest point to let it drain away and plug it with a small rubber plunge.

It's only a minute quantity, but i think it's a Land Rover thing along with the oil leaks.:)

[Benzinvernichter]

I had an issue like that some years ago. Was just a liitle amount of Water and in the end it was just condensated Humidity summing up in winter.
Searching the problem I found another possible leak. If the Seals from upper and lower Tailgate ar OK, water could also seep in through the lower tailgate directly to the spare wheel well. You wouldn't notice it first, because of the plastic lip covering the gap.

Peter
1995 4.0SE (+)
2000 4.6HSE
Switzerland

[Scouse]

If the leak is hard to trace, you'll be better off living without a few of the trims/carpet in the loadspace area for a while. Then you can at least see how the water is getting into the wheel well & trace it from there.

My car spent a lot of time on dirt roads so the water made nice trails through the dust film under the trims.

[bee utey]

If the leak is hard to trace, you'll be better off living without a few of the trims/carpet in the loadspace area for a while. Then you can at least see how the water is getting into the wheel well & trace it from there.

My car spent a lot of time on dirt roads so the water made nice trails through the dust film under the trims.

If you are currently forced to live without dust :( you could always spread talcum powder around to see the snail trails of water entry.:cool:

[Hoges]

Well, one year later, heavy rain in Brisbane and wheel well filling with water AGAIN:mad:
Checked sunroof drain hoses...all properly connected and all clear
Undertook complete refurb etc rear door seal .. excellent

BUT : Still the water appears on LHS mysteriously seeping in through the seams between wall and floor of wheel well ...

am wondering what is the void between side wall of wheel well and outer skin of vehicle ...any clues? somebody?:(

as a follow on:
here's the problem
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=43030&stc=1&d=1327836545

[adm333]

A few years ago I had the water in wheel well problem. Mine was the tailgate seal, but it hand been bad, so there was some surface rust in there.

I gave it a light sanding and then masked a straight line around at a reasonable point and then painted it with a mat black rust converter / primer paint, just with a brush.

Never had water again after that, maybe the paint helped seal the seams as well.

[Hoges]

A few years ago I had the water in wheel well problem. Mine was the tailgate seal, but it hand been bad, so there was some surface rust in there.

I gave it a light sanding and then masked a straight line around at a reasonable point and then painted it with a mat black rust converter / primer paint, just with a brush.

Never had water again after that, maybe the paint helped seal the seams as well.

very interesting: when you say the tailgate seal, do you mean the lip around the aperture on which the rubber seal is seated?

[adm333]

Yes, the rubber seal around the tailgate opening had come away at the top right corner, allowing water in. Not obvious at first.

The seal itself was in pretty good nick, so I cleaned it up and ran a bead of silicone right around the lip before re installing the seal. Made sure there was plenty in the top corners and after it all set I never had a problem again.

[adm333]

Leaks around the areas marked, but also water runs down along the seal to the bottom, so you have to make sure it is well sealed all the way around.

[adm333]

as a follow on:
here's the problem
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=43030&stc=1&d=1327836545

Hoges, is that your picture ? Is your Range Rover Willow Green ?

[Hoges]

Hoges, is that your picture ? Is your Range Rover Willow Green ?

Yep, the khaki /olive green colour of the wheel well is as original but the vehicle itself is a metallic "Java Black"

Thanks for the pics and explanation. I've done the silicone bit around the aperture including a new seal and adjusted the striker plates. The carpet etc is totally dry... but still it seeps in the seams ...think I need to take off the bumper bar and remove the LH rear wheel arch cover ...:(

As best I can determine, the wheel well is single skinned. That would imply the water is running down the outside somewhere and entering through a gap where the components have been spot welded and then supposedly seam sealed. Am wondering if the original seam seal compound has deteriorated.

Maybe I just need to give the outside of the wheel well, as I mentioned before, a good clean and brush on a thick coat of bituminous paint along the seams especially...

[Hoges]

What with all this rain ... this is a view of the boot space looking in over the tailgate.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/02/241.jpg

I did all the tailgate seal siliconing etc plus have removed the trim to view the the sunroof drains : properly seated etc...

Kept a vigil in the car in the rain...well there was nothing better to do and I love the sound of rain on the roof... :eek:

All of a sudden the water began to appear from between the seams... as indicated. So, I jacked up the vehicle, removed the road wheels and under guard liners and scrubbed down the outside surface and gave it a good coat of bitumenised sealer and let it dry for a couple of days.

Put it all back together...out in the rain...still seeping through the seams.

I didn't think the rear section is double skinned...has anyone pulled one apart to see if this is correct?

I studied the RAVE and it seems to be single skin...so I'm wondering where is the water pooling to get through the seams...any ideas? PLEASE:(

[zhoey]

This problem has been bugging for months on end. I never did any form of serious leak tracing, in part because I was too lazy to go out in the rain.

In my case, even when parked, there would be water ingress into the wheel well whenever it rains. This immediately excludes water ingress from the seams, rear door seals etc as described in previous posts. Yes, it may seem that water had ingressed from the seams, but this just isn't possible as water does not flow upward (of course, the RR may well prove me incorrect)

Again, I had no water ingress from the sunroof end, I had no reason to suspect that any of my sunroof drains were blocked, and I never did inspect the sunroof drains at the rear LHS wheel arch end.

I did just that yesterday. There were two significant issues that I found out on doing so:

1) The design of the sunroof drainage valve (the part that is inserted into the wheel arch) results in slow drainage of water, and as a result.....

2) The sunroof drain tube is merely inserted into the drainage valve. Now, if we have a deluge of water flowing through the drain tube, and the fact that drainage is backed up somewhat at the drainage valve due to slow drainage, the water would merely overflow back into the wheel arch and into the wheel well. This would be from the drain tube to drainage valve interface.

In desperation, I am going to seal the drain tube / drainage valve with gasket silicone and see if that improves matters.


"THAT DARN PIECE OF TRIPE CUT ME OFF COS' I PROVED HIM WRONG"

[bee utey]

What with all this rain ... this is a view of the boot space looking in over the tailgate.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/02/241.jpg

I did all the tailgate seal siliconing etc plus have removed the trim to view the the sunroof drains : properly seated etc...

Kept a vigil in the car in the rain...well there was nothing better to do and I love the sound of rain on the roof... :eek:

All of a sudden the water began to appear from between the seams... as indicated. So, I jacked up the vehicle, removed the road wheels and under guard liners and scrubbed down the outside surface and gave it a good coat of bitumenised sealer and let it dry for a couple of days.

Put it all back together...out in the rain...still seeping through the seams.

I didn't think the rear section is double skinned...has anyone pulled one apart to see if this is correct?

I studied the RAVE and it seems to be single skin...so I'm wondering where is the water pooling to get through the seams...any ideas? PLEASE:(

Betcha if you looked elsewhere you'd find the water is going into the seam at a much higher point, running through the length of the spot welded seams, and exiting where the inner seal is broken. The welded seam would be water tight on the outside forcing the water leak inside the vehicle. Break the outer seal and it would probably leak there not inside.

Look up nearer the rear wheelarch for water entry.

[zhoey]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/p38a-range-rover/43950d1330083782-water-p38a-spare-wheel-well-changer.jpg

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/p38a-range-rover/43951d1330083922-water-p38a-spare-wheel-well-hole.jpg

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/p38a-range-rover/43952d1330083946-water-p38a-spare-wheel-well-gap.jpg

The first 2 photos show the rear left hand corner of the vehicle. Basically, water was seeping into the boot space at the lower left corner of the car, entering the hole and then overflowing into the wheel well. This makes it look like water seeping into the wheel well via the seams as someone posted earlier, but (in my case) it isn't.

The space below the indicator/brake light cluster was a pool of water. I believe that water was seeping behind the boot seal somewhat and making it's way behind behind the seal until it drips at the corner where the seal is.

I decided to remove the seal and reseat it, but it would not go on properly in some places....I took the unprecedented step, got a pair of scissors and snipped it right in the middle of the lower edge. The 3rd pic says it all, there is a 1 inch gap when the boot seal is fully seated.

What next? I am going to get a tube of windscreen sealant, pump it into the rear of the boot seal, where it is seated on the seam. And then leave it till the next rainfall and see if it still leaks.

"A FOOL & TRIPE ARE BOTH AS DANGEROUS"

[zhoey]

Betcha if you looked elsewhere you'd find the water is going into the seam at a much higher point, running through the length of the spot welded seams, and exiting where the inner seal is broken. The welded seam would be water tight on the outside forcing the water leak inside the vehicle. Break the outer seal and it would probably leak there not inside.

Look up nearer the rear wheelarch for water entry.

Yes. It looked pretty much the same for me this afternoon.

[Hoges]

43950


43951


43952

The first 2 photos show the rear left hand corner of the vehicle. Basically, water was seeping into the boot space at the lower left corner of the car, entering the hole and then overflowing into the wheel well. This makes it look like water seeping into the wheel well via the seams as someone posted earlier, but (in my case) it isn't.

The space below the indicator/brake light cluster was a pool of water. I believe that water was seeping behind the boot seal somewhat and making it's way behind behind the seal until it drips at the corner where the seal is.

I decided to remove the seal and reseat it, but it would not go on properly in some places....I took the unprecedented step, got a pair of scissors and snipped it right in the middle of the lower edge. The 3rd pic says it all, there is a 1 inch gap when the boot seal is fully seated.

What next? I am going to get a tube of windscreen sealant, pump it into the rear of the boot seal, where it is seated on the seam. And then leave it till the next rainfall and see if it still leaks.

"A FOOL & TRIPE ARE BOTH AS DANGEROUS"

Good information ...thank you
BTW re pic size: ... try 640 x 480 will be much better

[Scouse]

Pics fixed.

[zhoey]

Thanks for the fix.
Here are some more pics taken in daylight and I hope this will help in curing our collective misery.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/p38a-range-rover/43974d1330140054-water-p38a-spare-wheel-well-sungai-buloh-20120225-00111.jpg
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/p38a-range-rover/43975d1330140071-water-p38a-spare-wheel-well-sungai-buloh-20120225-00110.jpg

In my case, both box sections were completely filled with water.

[Hoges]

Yep, except I got water only in the lower section. I removed the seal, filled the void with non corrosive roofing sealant and tapped it back into place with a rubber mallet. Will leave it under cover for 24 hrs.

I've removed the rear bumper bar and am half way through removing the tailgate but PO /or mechanic has stripped the head on one of the 4 bolts holding it in place :mad: need to remove it to see if there's a seam split on the outside somewhere...

Getting confident of finding "ït" :eek: (along with the source of The Nile :eek:)

[zhoey]

Done. Hosing down and all seems dry.
Now to wait for the next torrential rainfall.



"A TRIPE IS ONLY CAPABLE OF GIVING BIRTH TO MORE TRIPE"

[redandy3575]

This is hilarious!!:D I'm having the same problem as you all, but couldn't be bothered in tracing it. This is a similar problem with the old VS Holden Commodore's, and the answer was to simply drill two very small holes enough for the water to trickle out on the lowest point, will be doing that on the Rangie soon.

[Hoges]

Hi zhoey, your post #24 with pics and post #28 plus bee utey's comment earlier have been invaluable . They represent my situation exactly.

there is however another strong possibility for the origin of such leaks other than the tailgate seal...or the tailgate hinge bolt holes

I examined the hole in the top of the cross member (you post #24 middle pic). There were traces of water there

I dried it out with a couple of blasts from swmbo's "professional" hair dryer :twisted::D and on a hunch began to dribble water around the area of the panel join below the level of the tailgate seal and away from the bolt holes: sure enough water began to appear inside the cross member about 30 seconds later.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/02/211.jpg

Examined outside and rubbed off the black paint with some thinners and discovered the seam which joins the side panels with the rear panel. there were obvious gaps.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/02/212.jpg

similarly on the RHS.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/02/213.jpg

Dried it out again and applied a generous bead of sealant...

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/02/214.jpg

tomorrow I'll clean external join on both sides of the vehicle and seal with the 3M water sealant then prime and paint...

So my advice is to dribble a hose around the joins below the tailgate seal and check that the seams are properly sealed on both sides of the vehicle... to repair it properly will require you to remove the bumper bar:( but not the tailgate.

If it is the seam, it may be possible to make an effective repair by applying a bead of black RTV along it..."push" it into place with a putty knife to force it in ...it won't be visible with the bumper bar in place

I'll report back when I've completed the job and let it stand in the Brisbane rain for a few days...

[zhoey]

Well there had been a light rainfall for about an hour earlier afternoon. This was followed by a 3-hour torrential thunderstorm and my Rangie was parked under the skies, sloped slightly upward for the past 10 hours. The rain had just slowed to a bearable drizzle and I am pleased to report that the wheel well is bone dry. Looks like I have managed to stem the tide after all.

In conclusion, dare I say that the main problem area was the boot lid seal. There were two main issues - first is that the problem areas lie mainly in the top left & right corners, where water seeps behind the seal and thereafter finds the easiest path into the wheel well. In my case, this was the lower left corner.

Second, the seal was not nearly long enough for the boot aperture. This was also an incidental cause as to why the boot seal was not properly seated in the corners in the first place. What I did was to cut the seal, in the middle at the lower edge. I used "Sikaflex 225" windscreen sealant in order to obtain a waterproof seal. You can google "Sikaflex 255" for more details.

After final installation of the boot lid seal, I am now left with a 3.5cm or approx 1 3/4" gap at the bottom edge. This means that the seal is definitely too short in my case. To fill this gap, I will have to purchase a used rubber seal from a breakers to and cut an appropriate length to fill this gap. :D

"TRIPE ADVICE MAY ENDANGER LIVES....... CAVEAT EMPTOR"

[zhoey]

Hoges,
It is very unlikely that the seam is actually leaking, although we have RR's and I cannot discount that possibility completely. I had initially thought water was leaking into the wheel well through the seams, but eventually water was seeping in at the seams, only by capillary action from elsewhere. However, if the latter is indeed a problem for you i.e. the seam welds are porous, or the welds are inadequate etc, I would have the relevant seam re-welded, as this is a structural part of the vehicle.



"TOAD TRIPE STINKS. ASK ME HOW I KNOW"

[zhoey]

Hoges,
On 2nd thoughts looking at your photos, there is a very real chance of water seeping behind the boot seal at the top, flowing and pooling behind the seal at the location in the vicinity of the seam, and the finding it's way into the vehicle via capillary action. IMHO.

[Hoges]

Hoges,
On 2nd thoughts looking at your photos, there is a very real chance of water seeping behind the boot seal at the top, flowing and pooling behind the seal at the location in the vicinity of the seam, and the finding it's way into the vehicle via capillary action. IMHO.

I wondered about that but I got the clue when I sponged the seam area with water to clean the crud off and a few mins later noticed drops inside the car...
I then dribbled the hose on it and sure enough capillary action dragged a lot of water through. It's obviously been previously repaired as the result of a minor rear end shunt. According to RAVE, they're just thin panels spot welded into place. Seam sealer is then applied to waterproof them. The spot welds look OK but they've not sealed the seam after the repair:mad:

I replaced the aperture seal a year ago and cemented it in place especially in the top right and left hand corners..and it made a big difference...but not enough. I kept the old seal ( just in case;)) so I'll do your cut and splice repair also!

[zhoey]

And if you splice, mail me a 10cm length. I'll pay postage and it'll save me having to buy an entire piece just for 10cm or less. :p

[zhoey]

Double post.

[zhoey]

I wondered about that but I got the clue when I sponged the seam area with water to clean the crud off and a few mins later noticed drops inside the car...
I then dribbled the hose on it and sure enough capillary action dragged a lot of water through. It's obviously been previously repaired as the result of a minor rear end shunt. According to RAVE, they're just thin panels spot welded into place. Seam sealer is then applied to waterproof them. The spot welds look OK but they've not sealed the seam after the repair:mad:

I replaced the aperture seal a year ago and cemented it in place especially in the top right and left hand corners..and it made a big difference...but not enough. I kept the old seal ( just in case;)) so I'll do your cut and splice repair also!

I looked in RAVE. They are supposed to apply seam sealer then weld.

[Hoges]

Brushed on the seam sealer, gave it 3 coats of primer and 3 coats of 'midnight black". Let it dry off for several hours and then dribbled the water as before... all good! Refitted and aligned the lower tailgate...not that there's much tolerance to align it... All closed up and more (lots more) water... no sign of a leak anywhere... heavy rain seems to be a better test so will wait a few days...but it does look promising!

[Craig_Keira]

And looks like I have a massive leak here too.... I had about 7-8" water in the wheel well. So much, it managed to slosh out when I was driving and took nearly 20 minutes to syphon out.

It so wet in there, I have to let everything dry before I have a hope of knowing where to start. Condensation is covering everything.

[Hoges]

There are several ways of dealing with this.
First one is to strip out the panels on both sides of the boot area.
Roll the rear seats forward, raise the wheel well cover to 90 deg and lift it out.
By removing the panels etc you can get an idea as to where the water is pooling.
If the water is pooling in the cross members -the struts with the holes in them which traverse the boot just below the lower lip of the tailgate opening,(Post #28, lower photo) then it's fairly certain that the water is coming from the seam seals pictured in post #32.
Have a good look at the clear plastic pipes ...the sunroof drains...where they penetrate the upper surface of the wheel arch to make sure they're secure.
Follow Zhoey's description of the way to calk the tailgate opening rubber seal, especially in the upper corners...

In the meantime run the aircon flat out and try to dehumidify the cabin as much as you can.
There's a small "bung" (about 25mm diameter) in the floor of the wheel well. Lever it out from the inside with a screw driver and the water will flow freely. It's easy to replace so store it in a "safe place" 'til you get the leak rectified.
Good luck!

BTW: if all else fails, clear out the rear compartment and take up sentry duty during heavy rain. It's quite comfortable...take a camera to record the drips/leak paths etc... and watch for the trickle to begin... if you get strange looks, ignore them...they're jealous!

[Hoges]

update
three days of Brisbane deluge... bone dry. :banana:

Now for the next obsessive P38 task...;)

[Craig_Keira]

Thanks Hoges.

The water is gone - the wheel well is nice and dry. I didn't spot the bungs but a syphoning and a think sponge sorted it out nicely.

Today is sunny. I'll be trying to dry the back as much as I can before the rain starts again..tomorrow... for the entire week.

I'll look for those sunroof drains first up.

[zhoey]

Just wondering.......

Did any of you guys come across a boot seal that was a tad too short like I did on mine? Mine was too short and that's why I ended with the corners of the seal not seating properly, this was a major cause of the leaks.

[Craig_Keira]

Mine's got the slits in at the bottom, but it doesn't look short. Perhaps your shrunk with age? Rubber does have a tendancy to do that.

[PaulP38a]

Nope zhoey, my 2000 model had a solid seal all the way around. The slits were at the bottom outer edges and also at the point where the upper tailgate meets the lower tailgate. I think my 1999 model was the same.

Cheers, Paul.

[zhoey]

Paul mine had a solid seal all round with the slits that you mentioned. On closer inspection, I found that the corners of the seal were not seating properly. I cut the seal at the middle-bottom to see how much seal I was missing.....and that was the gap that you see in the pics.

[Craig_Keira]

Just been sitting in the rear of the Rangie. Looks like my tailgate seal isn't very good on the lower nearside where it is pushed onto the body. First step will be to run some silicone sealant around the entire thing and see how that goes. It looks like its coming under the carpet on the nearside.

[zhoey]

Just been sitting in the rear of the Rangie. Looks like my tailgate seal isn't very good on the lower nearside where it is pushed onto the body. First step will be to run some silicone sealant around the entire thing and see how that goes. It looks like its coming under the carpet on the nearside.

Windscreen sealant's a lot better.

[DT-P38]

Going bush this weekend, gonna sleep in the back of my pig just so I can feel like one of the team!

[Craig_Keira]

ok then, windscreen sealant :)

[Hoges]

Just been sitting in the rear of the Rangie. Looks like my tailgate seal isn't very good on the lower nearside where it is pushed onto the body. First step will be to run some silicone sealant around the entire thing and see how that goes. It looks like its coming under the carpet on the nearside.

1. Suggest you use neutral cure water-based sealant or the Sikkens windscreen sealant. The common acetic acid based curing silicon products promote rust. Tip: firstly mark the centre point of the seal along the top edge (I used a white paint "texta" marker) of the upper tailgate opening.

2. Remove the seal all around and clean the metal lip around the aperture. The TSB on this says to carefully bend the lip outwards by 5mm all around. A small welding clamp with jaws which are about 100mm long and 20mm wide is very useful for this. Just clamp it on and gently bend outwards making sure you get it evenly done all the way around.

3. You then need to put a generous bead of sealant deep into the aperture seal. Do this for the top edge and around the two top corners and about half way down each side. Stop there and push the seal into position starting from the top centre and doing each side a little at a time pushing it well into the upper left and right corners and down each side. Tap it into position with a rubber mallet so that it seats home properly...especially in the corners!! Wait for the sealant to cure.

4. Once it has cured and adhered properly, seal the rest and place it evenly into position paying attention to the lower corners. As before, seat it home with a rubber mallet. The reason for this method is that sealing all the way without letting the top section adhere first, allows the seal to 'droop' in the top corners because of the stretch required for the seal to reach all the way around...get the corners fixed in place first.

Can you actually see the water coming in below the seal under the carpet? ...I'd remove the carpet to get a better view... if so, it also may be worth adjusting the lower tailgate latches either side of the aperture (10mm hex) loosen and try and move them in 3mm and retighten (don't over tighten!!) and push the lower tailgate shut and see if it seals better...

Hope this helps

[Sebastian Gamon]

Hello everyone, the problem with the tailgate seal is known, I glued mine in, everything is fine. But I have another problem: water in the rear left and right side panel.
(The rear windows have already been removed and re-glued by a professional company). The water is coming from the direction of
the wheel well/wheel curve from the front. See pictures. Do you have any ideas?192516192517

[prelude]

Most likely the joint between the two panels has started leaking. could be rust or some of the sealant they put on there (I think) has dried out and crumbled away. You would have to take the rear inner tubs out to check.

-P

[Sebastian Gamon]

already checked, all is ok

[prelude]

I just cut that part of my car off so... Can't really check anymore :)

From memory the sunroof drain runs down there somewhere. Could also be condensation?

Cheers,
-P