QuestionDrew, I have a 2001 Mercury Sable with a trunk leak. Especially bad when parked in an inclined position. The whole spare tire was under water after the last heavy rain. Trunk seal was replaced after I purchased the car used. Is there a procedure to check and make sure the seal is making sufficient contact all the way around the lid? Some type of spray and powder? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Answer One of the main causes of a water leak in the trunk can be traced back to a faulty trunk opening weatherstrip. The weatherstrip may show signs of wear:tears,flat or shrunk and pulled from the body.
Most of the time I find that the weatherstrip had shrunk. What this does is allow water to seep into the weatherstrip (glue area) channel and follow the inside of the weatherstrip into the trunk area. This could happen at any time, and would have to be replaced.
The next thing would be a wheel well seam, a upper or lower deck panel seam or a rear roof panel seam. Sealers used to manufacture the car tend to dry out over time making them prone to splits. These splits will allow water to enter between the body panels and follow them into the trunk.
The last thing would be the rear glass itself. The sealer that holds the rear glass to the body could be loose and leaking. If that was the case, it would have to be removed and re-done by a auto glass shop.A water test of the area of complaint is always recommended to help identify any areas of concern.
If you would like to check the tightness of the weatherstrip seal against the trunk lid:
Open the trunk lid,clean the trunk lid sealing area with windex to clean the dirt off of it,take a cloth and spray it with a silicon type spray made for rubber,wipe the weathersrip sealing area with the wet cloth,close the trunk lid. Now,open the trunk lid again and look at the lid where the weatherstrip comes in contact with it. You should see a nice wet mark on the lid showing you how much of the weatherstrip contacted the trunk lid. If this explanation helped you,please take the time to rate my answer.
I hope this helps,
Drew Young
Auto-Water-Leaks.com
c/o Rainchaser
