More water

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 02 Mar 2010, 09:37

After some heavy rain last week I noticed some water pooling in my rear passenger foot wells. (Thank god I didn't put the carpets back in after I repaired the scuttle panel leak! The car hasn't fully dried out yet.):evil:

On inspection, I found water under the rear seats and in the boot.

I have tested the light clusters and no water ingress there.

I pealed the roof lining back to reveal the sun roof drain, as in Jim's blog. And found all to be OK.

I found the seal on the rear windscreen to be slightly perished in a couple of places. Would this let water into the boot? Or would it be channeled out somewhere?

On inspection, it looks like water may get in past the rubber buffers on the underside of the hatch, if water gets past the screen seal.

Hose pipe test is looming.

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 02 Mar 2010, 10:10

It will be a blocked sunroof drain..

The drain exsits out the rear wheel arch above the rear wheel, so typically, it gets all the crap off the wheel thrown at it..

Put the car on high, prod the pipe out when you find it under the crap and then run some water in the roof channels.. you should find this will cure it!

This happened on mine, and after this excercise it cleared it, and no more water!

Paul

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 02 Mar 2010, 10:26

Hi Paul,

I'll give that a go. Is it possible to replace the sun roof seal? Or would I make things worse?

Just a thought.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 02 Mar 2010, 12:03

There is no sunroof seal Martin. The sunroof is designed to leak and have the leakage captured by the gutters..

Paul is spot-on when he mentions the drains. The pipes from the sunroof gutters go through holes in the tops of the rear wings and this is a real mud-trap. You can reach high up in the wing and find the end of the pipe or you can do it from within by removing the C piller trim, removing the rear seatbelt spool and feeling in behind the seatbelt spool recess for the drain pipe.

If there is any sort of impediment in the drains, the sunroof gutter will be overwhelmed and burst it's banks. Also check both drain pipes are free of kinks; the material the pipes are made of make them very easy to kink.

Also, are you 100% sure the gutter end is OK. Visual checks are not enough. You need to tweak the end where the drain pipe slides on and check it is tight in the gutter else water can just run underneath it and out onto the headlining.

Unread post by **RichardW** » 02 Mar 2010, 12:07

Is it an estate? These have a particular issue with the boot door lining coming unbonded and allowing water to leak into the car. If it's not, I'll shut up

Unread post by **citroenxm** » 02 Mar 2010, 12:48

its a hatch..

im sure it is.

P

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 02 Mar 2010, 13:09

Yes it is a hatch.

Thanks for your help, I will be checking the gutter ends further.

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 05 Mar 2010, 18:59

I checked the drain pipes this morning, and all OK.

I pealed the roof lining back to expose the pipe and connector to the gutter of the sun roof. All OK there too. I even blew down the pipe and felt no resistance at all.

I finally checked with a jug of water, front and back drains work and no leaks into the car...

It must be getting in via the window seal that is perished.

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 05 Mar 2010, 21:07

That's a good test of the sunroof Martin

I'm actually wanting rain to test the watertightness of mine now..

I can wait though...

Did you say your boot carpet was wet too?

Unread post by **myglaren** » 05 Mar 2010, 21:20

CitroJim wrote:That's a good test of the sunroof Martin

I'm actually wanting rain to test the watertightness of mine now..

I can wait though...

Did you say your boot carpet was wet too?

Can't you buy some fake rain and put in a watering can Jim?

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 05 Mar 2010, 23:14

CitroJim wrote: Did you say your boot carpet was wet too?

Yes Jim, absolutely soaking. I took the carpets out and dried them. I'm not putting them back until I've found the leak.

Not light clusters or sun roof for sure. I have a badly perished rear windscreen rubber seal, It has deformed in places leaving gaps. I'm now thinking that it is letting by into the hatch skin and into the boot space...

Food for thought, eh.

addo · Unread post by **addo** » 06 Mar 2010, 03:08

I believe the rear screen is bonded like the front; the bead of polyurethane sealant should be continuous and therefore waterproof. Is it possible the hatch was repainted early in life, and the outer "rubber" trim refitted?

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 06 Mar 2010, 07:55

Yes, that'll be the hatch then Martin. Although mine had leaked so much from the broken sunroof gutter that fish were living in it, the boot carpet remained (paradoxically) the only bone-dry piece of upholstery in the car.

A lot of water cascades down the tailgate. The rubber is first suspect but do also check that the tailgate drain holes are all clear. There are ones on the side and underneath. The tailgate is not intended to be fully waterproof and so the drains are critical.

Also, remove the rubber and check the flange it sits on is good and intact. Should there be any rust holes in it, these can set up capillaries and channel water to where it should not go. Rust on the flange is very unusual though.

Sitting inside the car watching during a rainstorm can be very revealing...

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 06 Mar 2010, 09:06

Cheers Jim,

I'll have a good look at it today... Come to think of it, all was well until I fitted new light clusters. I have checked them with the same jug o water method and all OK. I can only think I may of disturbed the rubber hatch seal when I was sitting in the boot practicing the Kama Sutra doing said job.

Being an impatient fellow I will go to the car wash.

Martin Beevers · Unread post by **Martin Beevers** » 06 Mar 2010, 09:36

addo wrote:I believe the rear screen is bonded like the front; the bead of polyurethane sealant should be continuous and therefore waterproof. Is it possible the hatch was repainted early in life, and the outer "rubber" trim refitted?

Addo,

Yes the screen is water tight, but if the rubber round the screen is letting by, then it will be getting in between the double skin of the hatch. And somehow finding it's way into the boot area, I think it may be getting through via the hatch rubber buffers on the underside.

I'll see when I get it wet.