Rain water below rear seats - Xantia

juraj · Unread post by **juraj** » 23 Apr 2008, 10:25

Hi all

My xantia estate - ***** NO ***** SUNROOF - has got puddles of water under the rear seats! where could the leak be coming from?

bye all

Unread post by **RichardW** » 23 Apr 2008, 10:35

The membrane in the tailgate. See: Boot leak for example.

Well, known, and easily fixed - for a change

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 23 Apr 2008, 10:38

The tailgate has to be the first check. A common problem on estates.

The heavy plastic mambrane often comes adrift from the frame and allows water to run in and under the cargo area carpet to the rear seat pans. You'll most likely find the bottom of the ttailgate trim damp and signs of water damage on the rear of it when you remove it.

Remove the carpeted trim on the tailgate to get to it. It is only held on with a handful of Torx screws but do disconnect the ribbon cable embedded in the trim connecting the tailgate light clusters from the lamp units before removing the trim.

The membrane is fixed with mastic and similar stuff can be used to reseal it. B & Q gutter seal works pretty well.

Take an opportunity to lubricate your lock linkages whilst you're in there...

The good thing is that water ingress in a Xantia rarely causes rust

EDIT: Sorry Richard, I did not mean to say exactly the same as you

We must have been typing at the same time

juraj · Unread post by **juraj** » 23 Apr 2008, 10:42

as usual

informative, fast, friendly replies, this forum is great

thanks all

j

juraj · Unread post by **juraj** » 24 Apr 2008, 13:59

just a follow up

so why does water get into the tailgate? sounds like they planned on seeing water there hence gluing a membrane to be the seal, why not build a tailgate which is waterproof on the outside? what about all the electrical components in there and the lock surely they would be better in a dry environment,

bye

np · Unread post by np » 24 Apr 2008, 19:47

Water gets in around the rear wiper hole.There are drain holes on the bottom of the tail gate,but over time the membrain comes away.I had it twice on mine untill i cured it with caravan sealant mastic strip.

leepasifull · Unread post by **leepasifull** » 24 Apr 2008, 20:19

I noticed another place it can come in on mine* is where the bundle of wires / washer pipe runs from the rear pillar to the tailgate.

The rubber shoe/extended grommit wasn't seated properly in the pillar along its top edge - letting water in. This then ran down the loom in the pillar, and popped out just at the trailing edge of the rear side window.

I presume on other cars this might go a bit further and cause water under the seats as well.

Mines an estate, so might not be the same for a hatchback version.

* - as I stood in the driving rain fixing the boot catch

Unread post by **CitroJim** » 24 Apr 2008, 20:48

I guess the tendency for the tailgate to leak around its various orifices was the reason it was made of plastic. At least it won't rust

Good point on the cable boots leepasifull

You'd be surprised how often the wires break in those as well. Citroen were a little mean with wire lengths when assembling the tailgate