Trunk - water leak (not rear lights)
 

This is a 1 year old BRZ 2.5k miles owned for < 1 month. I've tried searches for trunk, hinge and water and found nothing.

After heavy rain there is a wet patch in the area below the hinge on both sides of the trunk. If the car is parked across a slope then only the downhill side is wet. If the trunk is opened when wet then the run off from the lid causes drips into the trunk (not over the lip) and I cannot locate the source.

Before I make the 2.5hr round trip to the "local" dealer I'd like to do some basic checks.

Does anyone know a source of an exploded hinge to body assembly ? - I think the bolt heads have "seen a socket" post delivery and I would like to know if there is a gasket between hinge and body.

Unconnected to the above. Is there a seal between the spoiler and the trunk lid or should there be an air gap? - I get a small lake forming.

There should be a gasket around the trunk..are you getting water INSIDE the trunk?

I know some water around the trunk lid is normal because the gasket does not seal the entire trunk. The edges will get wet.

As you can see from the following picture...there are water spots. I'm assuming that's where it is getting wet.

http://i.imgur.com/1yKRy.jpg

The hinges are not sealed so water WILL get to them.

^ What he said.

The spoiler should be sealed around the holes, which are not really visible. There should be a foam cushion strip to prevent the spoiler from marking the paint, but it's not a seal. About a 1mm air gap is normal.

If you have water intrusion when it rains, it should be easy to reproduce with a hose. Since you're so far away from your dealer, I'd flip the rear seats down and run low pressure, high volume water over the rear window and trunk area while sitting inside the trunk with a flash light.

There should be rubber grommets that plug into the tie down holes in front of the rear wheels. They are in the glove box and should be installed by the dealer during PDI. There was a TSB or a service bullet about this.
Mine were missing too and I had to go to the dealer and get mine since they were not installed at PDI..
Check here. I remember someone saying water got into his trunk until he used these
http://www.ft86club.com/forums/showt...ht=Rubber+plug

Unless he parks his car upside down in the rain, I don't think that's where his water is coming from. :lol:

maybe hes from Australia.. :)
I saw water in the trunk.. and posted some info that might be helpful to some

If you zoom in to the yellow diamond you will see a drip where the water emerges. The bottom of the picture shows the water on the carpet. I still have no idea where the source of the leak is.
(I'm not called Bruce and therefore not Australian. I'm from where English is spoken like this http://sounds.bl.uk/Accents-and-Dial...X0007XX-0100V1 )

I can't zoom in - will try again later

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-I...-h623/drip.JPG

This looks to work
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-I...0-U-I/drip.JPG

based on the trunk light, I would say that is right up near the back windshield. I have a similar leak with my 240. If you follow that edge in the yellow diamond up and to the left, It looks like there is lap joint that folds up to form a raised lip that the trunk seal slides over. The rain is supposed to channel down the back windshield, around the trunk lip, and down the back of the car. In my 240, that lap joint is just spot welded with some seam sealer to cover the edges, If the body flexes it can crack that sealer away from the body leaving a path for the water to just go through the overlap. Also, If you have any leaves or debris in the drainage trough, it will clog, allowing the water to stand next to that trunk lip, making the leak worse. The trunk seal most is probably just pushed down over the sheet metal lip with no sealent, I would try pulling the seal off (straight up) and checking that lap joint for cracking or seperation. If you see any, just grab some clear silicone calk and try smearing it in/over the joint and see if that fixes your problem.

good luck

*edit. I just went out and checked on my car. There is a lap joint that runs from the back windshield opening, to the trunk opening.(on both sides of the trunk) Unless your body is cracked, that is the only place I can see any way for the water to get in. I pulled my seal up, (it comes up easy), but is does have that black accustical sealent on it, which always stays wet/soft, I think it is the same stuff they use on the windshield. Anyway Be careful around it, it's like sticky grease, and a little smudge will get everywhere. My paint completely covered the lap joint up to the seal, but under the trunk seal, they could have added more sealent.

also re reading your post, It looks like the hinge bolts are lower than the drip point so they are most likely not to blame.

do you park on a slope with the nose pointing down?

there is one other possibility I can see. If you look at the picture in the second post, you can see the two lap joints under the window on either side of the trunk. Next to the left one is a wiring harness/rubber boot. If it is damaged, or out of place, water could be leaking into the structure, where it pools, till it over fills and causes it to drip off the lowest hanging point, like the area you have highlighted, on both sides

I couldn' believe it when I "probed" the two seams below the rear window with a cable tie, expecting to hit seam sealer 1mm in. Pictures say it all.


https://w02.asuswebstorage.com/webre...&fi=1221725004

https://w02.asuswebstorage.com/webre...&fi=1221724635

The absence of seam sealer may or may not be the issue. Has this vehicle ever been in an accident by any chance? Are you the original owner?

Since you can see where the water is coming through, if you have access to an air compressor you can use soapy water and an air gun to find out for sure where it's getting in. Spray soapy water on the outside and force air through the seam on the inside and look for bubbles.

Or you can just buy some clear seam sealer and a caulk gun at a local auto parts store and seal everything you can get to, let it set, then recheck. :)

hum, this is supposed to be sealed, it's obviously wrong. The area around the trunk gasket acts as a gutter. Water runs down there big time. If this car is covered by the warranty, ask your local dealer or body shop.

Is there somebody that can provide a picture of this exact same panel is there is sealant on other cars? I'm sure my BRZ has sealant or something.

His problem is that he doesn't have a local dealer so it's a big inconvenience to visit the nearest one.

I thought that was the cause, but @%!$, that's a hell of a gap. looks like the assembly line missed a spot.. or 2. The seam sealer should be under the paint. To fix it correctly they would need to sand it down to the metal/primer, seal it, then repaint. I would at least contact the dealership, send them some pics, and see what they advise. You may be able to have it fixed locally, and have corporate cover the bill. At least you located the problem.

Good luck