Water Leak

[NZoddy]

Hi, I've got a pool of water sitting in the trunk (left side). Seal around the tailgate looks fine, but I removed the left side light cluster access panel and found the sound proofing was damp there as if the water had run down from above (maybe the roof bar fittings?) My first mail to this site, just wondered if it's a known problem. Having said all that we hav ejust had some exceptional rain here in Wellington, New Zealand.
Model year 1995. Thanks

[kdw7020]

I'm not completely familiar with the '95 but on my 2001 EX I had the grommet in the rear hatch opening for the rear washer fluid come partially out or unsealed fromthe main body panel and water then ran in and dripped from the headliner, actually the ceiling mounted light when it rained. Something that may be applicable...

[NZoddy]

Thanks for that, I'll take a look.

[MonyB]

I have been having this problem for quite some time now. As of today we pulled off all of the rear plastic side pieces (interior), removed the rear seat and carpeting. Only the trunk area was wet (where the back seat folds into the floor). We could clearly see that water was dripping down right in the center, where the metal piece for the door latch is mounted. It doesn't look like the weather stripping is bad. We are going to spray a black (almost looks like spray-on bed liner) sealant over the whole area inside and under the car near the trunk area and use a caulk like sealant on all joints. We will leave the carpets and panels out until we are sure that the leak is stopped. What a pain!

[NZoddy]

As you say "What a pain!". My current thinking is that my leak originates from around the left side rear light cluster having taken a look at the grommet that kdw7020 mentioned earlier in this thread, which appeared OK. But I'll investigate the door catch too. Let me know if you crack it!

[MonyB]

I did find a loose nut on the tail light (easy to see without the plastic panels). I tightened them all and drove it in the rain. No leak. I'll leave the panels off for a while and see if that really is all it was. I live in Seattle, there will be plenty of rain to test with!

[thcokman]

This problem has been described before in this forum. Try reviewing this thread:
Standing Water in Magic Seat Well

I had the water leak problem in the trunk about 1 year after purchase. I took it to a Honda dealer and showed them the messages in this forum about the bad sealant. They resealed the entire back wall area and I have not had the problem since.

Negative cabin pressure when the car is running also serves to pull water into the cabin.

So, have your dealer reseal the back wall area.

[NZoddy]

Thanks for that Tom, decribes my problem to a tee. Looks like I'll be busy this weekend!
Geoff

[MonyB]

Thanks Tom, I had read that post before. There are many things to check for in that thread. It seemed that they were speaking of second generation Ody instead of first generation though, so not sure exactly how it related to my van. With the plastic out and the carpet out, I was able to seal and re-seal the joints with caulk, spray with a bedliner-sealant spray, tighten the nuts on the tail lights and check the rear windshield washer hose for leaks. I hope the problem is permanently solved. You really need to take the plastic, rear seat and carpeting out to see what is going on. If the car was still under warrantee, I would have taken it to the dealership, but they wanted to charge a bunch just to do a "diagnostic".

[dragonwagon]

I also had a leak from the taillights which I resealed and tightened. It worked at the time. The latest leak wasn't as simple. The well kept filling up parked in the rain. No visible trace of where it was coming from but the rear edge of headliner was damp. Weatherstripping was fine. Ended up stripping out carpet, side panels and trim, and headliner, and roof rack.
Viola! water was dripping from BEHIND sheetmetal at the rear right pillar. but where was it coming in from? the sheetmetal that was hiding the source of the leak opened up at the roof. I looked as far as I can see. nothing. I stuck my finger in. RUST! WETNESS! It was directly below the rain channel where this inner sheet metal made contact exactly at the point where it may have had a weld. I went outside and inspected the rain channel above where this wet rustiness was. There was a hairline crack in the paint. I don't know how that got there. The van was never wrecked. I poured water down the rain channel. Water started streaming in behind the inner sheetmetal, ran down the rear right panel past the taillight opening and into the well.
Source of leak: solved (I hope). I siliconed that area in the channel. Try the water test tomorrow.
I got lucky that I didn't have the bench down in the well. From now on I'm keeping the bench up regularly and down only when I need to.

[MonyB]

Well, it's been raining cats and dogs this past week and it is safe to say it is no longer leaking. So, what I did was tighten tail light bolts. I used a sealant around the seams in the sheet metal and I actually saw light coming through near the rear passenger-side tail light at a seam and I filled that in. We sprayed the bedliner stuff inside the rear seat well. So now it doesn't leak.

[NZoddy]

Well, as I started this current thread about leaks, I thought I should just thank everybody for their help and comments, I think the main leak was from the right hand taillight. I resealled it but also did the back panel, the window washer grommet hole and just about anything else I could find to seal up to be on the safe side. All seems dry and OK now.
Thanks again and good luck.

NZoddy

1995 2.2 (jap import)