Water leak in Hatch

[ilikerice]

During long rain storms I have been collecting water in my trunk area where the spare tire is. It really turns into a swimming pool in there sometimes if its a down pour. I have been keeping my drain plug off because of this. Been going on for about a year now. Keep forgetting to ask if their is anyone else having this issue.

I have tried the hose technique by leaving the hose on top of the car pouring water around the hatch door. I can not seem to duplicate the issue. My hatch seal looks mint. No build up of any kind.

CRX's have this issue but its a pinch weld near the hatch lift that need to be resealed with some weather sealer.. does the Yaris have this issue also that anyone knows of?

[dj92]

A lot of water came down here in the last days, but mine stayed dry inside...
Maybe it comes in near the lamps?

[bronsin]

Pressurize the inside of the car with a shop vac set on blow.

Go around the hatch area with a cigarette and watch for the smoke to blow.
(you should hear how I retrieved the dip stick for my in ground oil tank with a carrot and a piece of 1 and a half inch pvc pipe!

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by bronsin

Pressurize the inside of the car with a shop vac set on blow.

Go around the hatch area with a cigarette and watch for the smoke to blow.
(you should hear how I retrieved the dip stick for my in ground oil tank with a carrot and a piece of 1 and a half inch pvc pipe!

To do that you would have to plug the two vents that are hidden under the bumper, just below the taillights. The vents allow air to escape when you close the doors, so they have a pretty significant vent capability that would prevent a small leak from being visible during pressurization.

If the hatch seal shows no sign of moisture after doing a spray down, I would pull the tails and check their gaskets. The two places to check if it is not the tails is the antenna gasket and the body seam seal under the black rubber roof strips. (But, my bet is on one of the tail gaskets being the culprit)

[ilikerice]

Ahhh.. I do believe it could be the tails. Didn't think of that.. I know they don't have any type of gasket foam so I'll makeshift one this weekend if I got time.

The carrot and PVC pipe thing.... curious if there is a rabbit involved. Prob not. But would be cool to have a trained rabbit to get that. Lol

Thanks for the input guys

[bronsin]

I put the pcv pipe over the stick down in the 550 gallon tank. It was still upright.

Then I dropped a carrot down the pipe that I knew was a close fit in the pipe. I pushed the carrot down the pipe so it wedged the stick against the pipe.

Then I pulled up the pipe.

QED

[ilikerice]

HAHA.. clever

[mattymo]

I'm chasing hella leaks. Fixed tail gaskets. But now water is comin in from the 2 layers of sheet metal forming the lip that tge trunk weatherstrip goes over. They're not fully welded together. I also have mystery leaks coming down the rear strut towers. I think it may be the hatch lid wire grommett, and/or the antenna. Leaky bitch. Frustrating. Weird smell...not the typical wet dog mildew smell i would expect....more like old hotdog water????

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[El Kapitan]

Originally Posted by ilikerice

Ahhh.. I do believe it could be the tails. Didn't think of that.. I know they don't have any type of gasket foam so I'll makeshift one this weekend if I got time.

The carrot and PVC pipe thing.... curious if there is a rabbit involved. Prob not. But would be cool to have a trained rabbit to get that. Lol

Thanks for the input guys

did your leak stop when you tried this solution? i also have water build-up in my spare tire area.

[CoryM]

My 09 hatch has just suddenly developed a leak in the hatch. Hatch rubber is fine, so will have to tear it apart. I'll post results when I find them.

Cheers.

[El Kapitan]

lol, we're both in the same area. it sure has been wet around here recently! let us know if it turns out to be your tail lights. i'll do the same. btw, just to save some time and let you know: no local parts stores sell replacement gaskets. you'll either have to do a dealer search or try the DIY approach that most others here have used with various types of sealant. (btw, one of the guys at a parts store where i went is also having the same problem. crazy!)

[Kar98]

Just to pile on, we had one of these events were water is falling from the sky for several days for reasons unbeknownst to me here in Texas, and once it stopped and the ground wasn't wet anymore, I could see some fluid dripping from the area where many cars used to have the gas tank.

Kneels down, look puzzled at the drips, jiggle that stop, dribble turns into a gush, now concerned I dip my fingers in and give it a lick... hmmm, neither gas nor brake fluid... Pull the stop and blah blah blah, sure enough, there was water accumulated in my spare wheel well too. And the spare is flat.

[ilikerice]

I changed out my Tail light gaskets and I still have leak inside my spare tire. I gave up. I just pulled the drain plug and leave it open. Water drains out from there now so i no longer worry about hitting the brakes too hard and water rushing to the front of the car.

My car is now in the garage, but I may tackle this mystery after I get it back on the road.

[thestranger]

Mine does the same thing. It accumulates in the right corner of the hatch, so it definitely looks like it's coming through the tail light. Smells up my car like mildew (Louisiana).

[mattymo]

Check tailight gaskets...i added foam/aluminum insulation to mine. Check sheetmetal seems at all edges, especially the ones the trunk gasket covers.....i quicksteeled these gaps....much improvement. I still have a leak from up high somewhere....roof or window sheetmetal gaps probably.

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[bkrownd]

My 2010 hatchback has leaked from around the driver side corner of the hatch/taillight since nearly the beginning. I figured it was "just me" since I live in the rainiest city in the country, but apparently others are enjoying the occasional dribble down the hatch floor as well.

[El Kapitan]

for me, it was indeed the rear tail lights leaking, as with so many other people. after removing, cleaning, and sealing, the problem has been resolved.

[CoryM]

Just an update on mine: Definitely the tailights, and definitely a poor design. The sealing surface is far too small, foam too thin, and needs two more nuts to ensure it's pulled in tight.

For those trying to find a water leak, talcum powder is a good way to figure it out. Brush it over the areas you are wondering about, spray car with a hose and look for water trails.

Cheers.