Water, now, in boot area. How?

**HHGTTG** · 05-12-2012,05:00 PM

After 3+ years of practically no problems apart from creaking doors and ticking external trim, I now find that I am getting water into my boot area. First discovered this on taking out some stuff from the boot prior to taking my car into the VW dealer's bodyshop to get my plastic bumper apron undented and resprayed after being attacked by a BMW in Sainsburys' car park three weeks ago.
I removed my 'stuff' and found that in the right hand corner, where the spare oil storage slot is, the carpet was wet and the ledge that support this part of the carpet was wet also. Of course there was some water in and around the spare wheel and this was mopped up and everything eventually dried out by bringing it indoors.
I picked up the car last Friday from the bodyshop where they'd obviously washed the car down and when I got home found quite a lot of water again in the spare wheel hold and in the same area of the boot carpet ledge close to the spare oil holder. It was then dried and the car has been standing out on my drive and exposed to last night's sleet and snow and the car had not been driven for four days. This morning, the same area was wet again with a small amount of water in the wheel well.
I will have to go back to the VW dealership and ask whether this has been a commonly reported problem.
Does anyone here have any similar problems with leaks here and what has caused them?

**Rhigour** · 05-12-2012,07:13 PM

Perhaps the bumper knock was harder then you realised and has opened up a body panel seam joint .

**HHGTTG** · 05-12-2012,10:16 PM

Originally Posted by Rhigour

Perhaps the bumper knock was harder then you realised and has opened up a body panel seam joint .

It's possible I suppose but difficult to prove in a way. Anyway water can enter from above when car is stationary and I was wondering whether it might be entering from a faulty rear light cluster seal if there is one. I have chatted this evening with the Service Dept at my dealers and they say that a light cluster could be a possible cause in view of where the water is seen. The water could be flowing down the channel outside the hatchback's door seal and then over the cluster and entering there.
Obviously, they want to have the car in for a few checks, which makes my heart sink, to be honest. Will do a bit of detective work myself prior to any garage booking.

**JimC64** · 06-12-2012,03:16 AM

The light clusters could be the culprit I guess....

If you decide to do the detective work on your own, I read somewhere as follows......

Firstly empty the boot, then ( after thoroughly drying ) douse liberally over the channels, floor etc ( basically anywhere you think might ne an issue ) with talcum powder then give it a good hosing down with a garden hose or similar, then open the boot area to see exactly where the leak is.

Hope it helps...

**Guest 2** · 06-12-2012,07:45 AM

Does your rear wash/wipe still work?

**HHGTTG** · 06-12-2012,09:36 AM

Originally Posted by A6_Chris

Does your rear wash/wipe still work?

Yes. I'm aware of detached tubes, here etc. Water isn't coloured, frothy or perfumed at all. I appreciate your thoughts, however.

**The PM** · 06-12-2012,02:18 PM

Originally Posted by JimC64

Firstly empty the boot, then ( after thoroughly drying ) douse liberally over the channels, floor etc ( basically anywhere you think might ne an issue ) with talcum powder then give it a good hosing down with a garden hose or similar, then open the boot area to see exactly where the leak is.

I'm sure "in the old days" the suggestion was to actually get into the boot with a torch and get someone else to spray water on it... You'd have to be confident they liked you and didn't play practical jokes, though!

**javsta** · 06-12-2012,02:33 PM

Originally Posted by The PM

I'm sure "in the old days" the suggestion was to actually get into the boot with a torch and get someone else to spray water on it... You'd have to be confident they liked you and didn't play practical jokes, though!

sound like a good idea

**HHGTTG** · 06-12-2012,03:53 PM

Originally Posted by javsta

sound like a good idea

Not so good when you're nearly 75 years old! Anyway have just come in from giving the car a good wash down with a hose and hose-fed brush, to remove all crud and salt from yesterday's dirty roads. I went thoroughly around the hatchback door area and bumper and lights etc. and then leathered off car. I then opened hatch as I always do, to remove water from the recess around the hatch and examined wheel well and carpet ledge on right hand side and everything is dry, at the moment, which is a bit strange.

**HHGTTG** · 07-12-2012,04:09 PM

I have washed car yesterday, thoroughly, using a hose-fed brush all over including the hatchback area and then leathered it off and there was not a drop of water to be seen in the trunk/boot area. It then rained overnight with strong winds and rain and again no water in spare wheel well.
The road dried out to just barely damp and with just a bit of spray up on the windscreen and yet when I got home from a ten mile drive there was now some evidence of water in the wheel well and on th ledge supportinge the trunk/boot's carpet. Seems to being drawn in from somewhere when car in motion but not when stationary.