Opening rear hatch
Opening rear hatch Anyone know the best way to open up the rear hatch plastic molding to check the seams inside. I have a real bad water leak and I think that it is in the hatch because when I open the hatch in the rain water pours out of the holes where the struts connect into the hatch.
Also once inside, if I do find leaks, what would be the best way to seal it off.
HELP PLEASE...I had 4" of water in the floorboard of the back seat yesterday and this morning I have 2" there after I had it all dried out yesterday.
Also once inside, if I do find leaks, what would be the best way to seal it off.
HELP PLEASE...I had 4" of water in the floorboard of the back seat yesterday and this morning I have 2" there after I had it all dried out yesterday.
Teching In
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 41
Likes: 0
From: North Alabama
I have had a very similiar problem which I think I have corrected. When I bought my car back in December I didn't know it but the back passenger floorboard was wet. After a lot of rain, even without driving the car, I could open the hatch and water would pour out from under the plastic interior molding of the hatch. It poured from the general area where the two pieces of molding meet at the strut connection to the hatch, on the passenger side of the car. After some experimenting with a water hose I found that the water was getting in between the top and bottom layers of the hatch. I took the car to a glass shop and they assured me that the window seal was not leaking. I noticed that on each side of the hatch, down where the bottom of the window turns from horizontal to vertical (if the hatch were in the closed position), there is an area of about 2 or 3 inches where there are 4 layers exposed and some sort of sealer applied at the factory. The 4 layers are the top and bottom fiberglass panels, the window, and a thin strip about an inch wide, probably a strip of metal added for support. I noticed that the passenger side did not have as much sealer as the driver (non leaking) side so I applied some black sealer to it. It just got through raining for a few days here and I popped my hatch and no water came out, so I'm hoping this mysterious leak is stopped.
Have you guys had any luck with the hatch leaks? I've had this issue since the car was new and the dealer has had it 4 differerent times while it was under warranty and never figured it out. I removed the spoiler and sealed every hole and seam and even made rubber gaskets to fit between the spoiler and hatch, no luck. I recently left the car at a friends glass shop for a week and they couldn't figure it out. He says it's not coming from the glass or weather stripping but seems to think it's coming from the seams of the hatch layers. You can actually hear the water inside the hatch sloshing around. I'm to the point that I've been pricing replacement hatches. I'm getting ready to install an amp and a sub back there won't do it until I find this freaking leak.
