Trunk leak

[Digitalwave]

Getting large amounts of puddles down in the area where the jack and wheel chock sit. After it rains I go to check to see where its coming in from and the surrounding area is all dry. The top of my battery tray cover had a couple drops on top of it after a bad rain the other day too.

I am trying to find the source so I can fix it next week over spring break.

The first things I am going to try to do is loosen the 2 stoppers that control how tight the trunk lid fits. I set these farther out to the point where its hard for the trunk to engage the latch so that I had a little less rattling from my sub.

I am also going to crack down my tail light nuts to make sure they are on tight since I remove them often enough that they may be loose.

Any other suggestions? My tail light gaskets looked to be in great shape last time they were out. I looked at the tube going into the sunroof drain and it looked clear. Maybe the drain itself is clogged? If so how do you clean it out?

How much are tail light gaskets new?

[Dave]

tail light gasket is a likely source, as is the antenna grommet.

[Digitalwave]

The gasket on the trunk looks good too, we don't get rubber rot much in FL. Maybe its because the seal is looser when I backed out the 2 stops on the trunk like I mentioned.

The antenna grommet is about 4 months ago, the other one fell out

[Dave]

I dunno - I'd check the taillight and its gasket then. When I had water in my trunk, it was the taillight - it had a crack in it - and the gasket was messed up a little as well.

[Scott314]

My car had the same problem when I bought it. The antenna grommet was the main culprit. The tail lights nuts were the rest of the problem.

[NickP]

I know you mentioned the sunroof drain tube - is it connected to the side exit firmly? Not sure if you checked it from here or from where it enters the trunk area.

[Digitalwave]

I poked around today when I was drying out the spot again and ended up taking the tail lights off. The gaskets on both sides were only glued to the car about half way across. The gaskets themselves are perfect they had just become separated.

I ran a thin bead of Gorilla Glue across the gaskets and tightened the tail lights down tight. I am washing my car this evening so I will see if it helps at all.

[Digitalwave]

So while washing my car today I found the culprit. The water enters the top of the tail light, drips through the inside part, then lands on the bottom trunk carpet and trickles over into the jack storage area.

Looks like my gorilla glue didn't work.

Is the gasket the same on both sides of the car? I could only find one part number on the ETK (61 21 1 380 419). How do they attach to the car, do they come with adhesive backings?

[permit]

Silicone seal might work as a quick fix, seeing as the Gorilla Glue did nothing.

[nando]

the tailight gaskets basically fit into a channel on the lights, no glue is required. they are the same on both sides. I'm not sure I'd want to make a sillicone mess on my tailight area, but do whatever you need to.

also make sure you have them on right when you put them on, I had new ones that were leaking because they weren't quite on the lights all the way.

[Digitalwave]

Wait, the gaskets go on the tail and then you mount it to the car? I thought they mount to the car for some reason... at least mine are stuck on there. I don't think they are sealing correctly when I put the tail on the car.

[arsevader]

So while washing my car today I found the culprit. The water enters the top of the tail light, drips through the inside part, then lands on the bottom trunk carpet and trickles over into the jack storage area.?

Common problem. On my 85 325e I fixed the issue by sealing the seam between the two halves of the taillight with some silly cone. I was glad when I got my newer car that it had no such issues....

Well now apparently it does. My passenger side tailight is now a fishbowl. Guess I'll have to do the same fix. My advice is to fix it soon as the water tends to eat away the reflective stuff inside the tailight.

Is the gasket the same on both sides of the car? I could only find one part number on the ETK (61 21 1 380 419). How do they attach to the car, do they come with adhesive backings?

Haven't looked at my '90 but on the '85 it was a piece of neoprene like material. No adhesive. Just gets sandwiched between the body and the light.

[Digitalwave]

Thanks for the info :up:

[silversleeper]

my trunk, in the deep well where the jack goes, gets filled with water when it rains... but thats because i have no antenna nore did i plug the hole. :)

[royalflush313]

Wait, the gaskets go on the tail and then you mount it to the car? I thought they mount to the car for some reason... at least mine are stuck on there. I don't think they are sealing correctly when I put the tail on the car.

There's a groove on the taillights where the gaskets can be pushed in. You shouldn't have to use any glue either.