Water leaking into the trunk jack well…what I learned

[tomstin]

I was struggling with water in the trunk jack well. I ended up chasing several issues. My list in no specific order:

My trunk lid was not aligned properly and the gasket ridge had been bent over. Straighten that up, properly centered the lid itself and adjusted the latch

Antenna gasket and, on my after marked antenna drive, the drain hose for the drive itself

Sunroof drain hose

There is an O-ring around the trunk vent housing

The gasket for the tail light housing needs to be carefully installed and ensure it covers the outer edge of the housing.

On my (early) car there are three nuts and/or bolts that hold the exterior plastic trim. I had removed these when I had the bumper off and neglected to replace the rubber washers that seal the holes between the trim and the body. These were the biggest contributor to the leaks.

I ended up taping pieces of paper towels all around the truck to trace one leak at a time.

After an inch of rain last night, the trunk was finally dry!

[monty23psk]

Congrats, a dry trunk is always a great accomplishment. Also, check the lead welds where rear panel meets the quarters. They will crack with old age. Also, if you have a late model (probably the same for early models), the rear side markers wiring goes through behind the bumper under the tail lights into the trunk. If broken, water can leak into the trunk jack/rear battery section. These two were the last I found to be 100% dry.

[tomstin]

Also, check the lead welds where rear panel meets the quarters. They will crack with old age. Also, if you have a late model (probably the same for early models), the rear side markers wiring goes through behind the bumper under the tail lights into the trunk. If broken, water can leak into the trunk jack/rear battery section.

Thanks monty, I knew I was going to forget something. I proof read my post a few times. I didn't have any cracks in the seams but where the side marker wire came through the body, that grommet was bad and I couldn't find the part number. A little sealant seemed to stop that leak.

[monty23psk]

That is what I did with the grommet. If the underside of where the sealant has a little rust, then for sure the seam sealer has some cracking even if you dont see it, that is how I noticed on my, the only rust on my car because under the battery tray in truck.