Lots of water in my spare tyre well

[IDontKnowCars]

I noticed mould growth in my boot recently and when I listed up the carpet of my tyre well (Well, actually not a tyre well in my 2008 Honda Civic - just an extra hidden boot) I noted lots of water just standing there.

I cleaned it all out and came back this morning to find most of it back again (We have had some rain overnight).

I bought this car a year ago and noticed the boot was damp when I inspected it, but the dealer (Vantage Select, Morecombe) claimed they have just washed it and it was just a little damp from the cleaning solution they used). It seems like this is an old known issue that they lied about.

Any idea where this is coming from and what I can do about it?

[Levin]

Possibly a water leak.

Take as much out of the boot as you can (carpets, etc.) and sit inside the car as someone runs a power washer over it. Listen for any water sounds and look around the interior to see any water ingress as it happens.

[designforlife]

It's a honda, renowned for perished rear light seals letting in water on various models...that's where i would start.

easiest way to know for sure is to strip back as much trim as you can, then get a friend to run a hose over the car while you're inside it so you can see where it's coming in.

[fizz47]

Do your rear lights have any condesation in them?

Likely some of your car drains are blocked or a gap in your window seals

oincidentally i want to llok at an an 07 plate Civiv at the weekend - everything looked good until i opened the 'extra' boot and saw a big puddle of water there...


UK civic forums will have a lot more expereinced nfo on this...

http://www.civinfo.com/forum/bugs-faults-irritatio...

[littleredrooster]

Drill a hole in the wheel well so it drips out as fast as it comes in...

[designforlife]

this might help-

http://www.civinfo.com/forum/bugs-faults-irritatio...

[designforlife]

wow i'm just gonna stop posting haha...everyone else has the right idea

[Pica-Pica]

I had that on a E36 once. I can’t remember if I verified the source, but I replaced the boot shut rubbers, and drained the well (there was a drain plug, which may have also acted as a drain for body dip at the factory). Wiped dry, and used hairdryer to dry off. No further issues. In my last place, I had a lot of issues with autumn leaves blocking vents, bonnet scuttle etc.

[IDontKnowCars]

I've cleared it of water again and placed paper towels all along the perimeter of the boot so that I can check if after rainfall to see which areas are immediately wet and are thus the entry point.

I don't have access to a hose for now so this is my mini-initial-check before I can do the other way.

[anonymous-user]

littleredrooster said:

Drill a hole in the wheel well so it drips out as fast as it comes in...

I have done this on a couple of cars when the light seals have failed and left me full of water. And when a 50 gallon water drum split in the boot.

[manmaths]

IDontKnowCars said:

I've cleared it of water again and placed paper towels all along the perimeter of the boot so that I can check if after rainfall to see which areas are immediately wet and are thus the entry point.

I don't have access to a hose for now so this is my mini-initial-check before I can do the other way.

Just had the same problem on my 2016 Insignia. As others have suggested the only sure fire way to locate the leak is to completely strip the boot area of interior linings, dry everywhere very well, and then have a friend pour water over the rear of the car while you sit in the boot (I also had a small LED torch with me).

Your paper towel idea won't work IMO as it will quickly absorb water from wherever it's coming in and will distribute it along the length of the paper towel. At best it will let you know whether it's an issue with your driver-side or off-side, but won't pinpoint the issue.

In my case it was a broken grommet, which sits in the body of the car, underneath the rear light cluster. A locating pin in the rear light assembly push fits into the grommet. Then there are 3 separate wingnuts that need tightened to secure the light in place.

Such a simple issue, but with major consequences. Water was filling my spare wheel well but also running forward and being sucked up into the rear seat base, by the insulation underneath.

Anyway, £2.30 for 2 new rubber grommets at VX and the nice chap on the service desk gave me them for free when I called past.

[j4ckos mate]

Draw a line with chalk see where its missing

[IDontKnowCars]

manmaths said:

Your paper towel idea won't work IMO as it will quickly absorb water from wherever it's coming in and will distribute it along the length of the paper towel. At best it will let you know whether it's an issue with your driver-side or off-side, but won't pinpoint the issue.

Yeah I don't have much hope either. Better than nothing for now though. Will do it properly at the weekend.

[J4CKO]

Its a rare JDM market only option of a Koi Pond.

[Oilchange]

Happened on my wifes old car, on a warm dry day I drilled a hole in the boot floor where it was already rusty, then sprayed some galvanizing spray on both sides.

[thebigmacmoomin]

Levin said:

Possibly a water leak.

Take as much out of the boot as you can (carpets, etc.) and sit inside the car as someone runs a power washer over it. Listen for any water sounds and look around the interior to see any water ingress as it happens.

I had a water leak in the boot of my Focus (Mk2.5 2010). After doing the above, couldnt see / hear / feel any ingress of water but it was still came in. After online research, I sealed up all of the seams around the boot hinges & boot area & it has stopped.

[droopsnoot]

It must be that time of year - I'm currently trying to fix the same issue in my two classics. Annoyingly, in one of them, I was using the spare wheel well to store various spares including a spare distributor, which is now U/S down to being soaked in water for what seems to be several years. On the plus side, it says a lot for the quality of seam sealer the restorers used.

Rear light seals are a possibility, also the window seals on the tailgate and rear quarter glass if you have them, and the boot seal itself.

Not having a hose is no problem - get a watering can and pour water on the back of the car, that will be similar to rainfall. You can get some masking tape and cover up various parts in turn to see if it temporarily fixes the issue - if you put masking tape over the rear light where it joins the body and the water ingress stops, then that was it.

[foggy]

Had a similar pond-in-the-spare-wheel-well car a few years ago. Watered the car with a can to find there was a tiny gap/crack in the seam sealer between panels on the rear corner. Once dry I dropped a little bit of super glue into the offending seam and then it was fine.

[Pie-n-Peys]

I had the same issue in my civic. I took out lower boot trim and carpet under the hatch (which absolutely stunk rotten), threw away the sponge packing pieces as they were rotten. Dried up the water with a rag and then used a small electric blower heater to dry out the other boot carpet that I didn't want to faff around removing (up the side of the lower hatch area).

Eventually worked out it was a crack on each side of the roof where the roof rails end by the hatch opening. I dried off the cracks and used clear bathroom silicone to seal the gap haha.

I think it worked. Not had any more water in the boot.

I've had the car 12 month and id imagine this was an issue long before I bought it judging by the smell and sticky stagnant state of that water.

The boot trim took ages to dry out and stop smelling.

Edited by Pie-n-Peys on Wednesday 11th April 13:09

Edited by Pie-n-Peys on Wednesday 11th April 13:09

[joropug]

My civic of this era absolutely pissed water in from the seal between the glass and the plasti-glass spoiler section.

After it rains open the boot and see if you see it coming out of the plastics of the bootlid.