92 Accord Trunk Leak

I have just replaced the foam Tail light seal around one of my tail lights
because water was getting into the trunk because of it. (It was torn and
ripped). I though that fixed it until we got all of this rain here in
Indiana the past few days and something still isn't right. There is not as
much water as there was before, but there is still something wrong. Any
ideas on where the water is coming from?

Ted

 

Does the car have a sunroof?

 

No, but why does it matter?

--




If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger.
- Frank Lloyd Wright

 

On cars that have a sunroof, there are two drain hoses that come down
the roof pillars and dischage water that has leaked past the sunroof
seal out under the inside of the fender just behind the tail lights.
Sometimes these hoses pull off their elbow fitting and drip water
mysteriously into the trunk. This water is often blamed on leaking
tail light seals.

 

Ok. Well it is too bad that I don't have a sunroof, that would make things
easier. But, now, I still have to find where the water is coming from. Any
Ideas?

Ted

--




If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger.
- Frank Lloyd Wright

 

The only thing I can think of is the use of poster paint tell-tales.

Get some paper towels and apply to them an even coating of water
soluble poster paint and let it dry. Then tape the towels behind the
tail light assembly and in other areas where you suspect leakage.
Water passing through will leave obvious signs.

Or if you don't mind cleaning up afterward, just poster paint the
inside of the trunk. Where the water is coming in should be obvious.

 

Sorry, but, Poster Paint? I don't know what that is. I know, I know, I'm
an idiot. But hey, I'm a newbie.

--




If it keeps up, man will atrophy all his limbs but the push-button finger.
- Frank Lloyd Wright

 

Thus spake Ted Bealmear on 1/7/2004 8:41 PM:

The antenna also has a drain that is supposed to drain above the drivers
side rear wheel.

Poster paint--any arts and crafts store should sell water soluble poster
paint. It's kinda like finger paint. Just make sure it's water soluble
or you might end up with an Accord reminiscent of a VW from the early '70s.

-moitz-

 

I had a similar problem on my 90 accord. The tail light would not
seal off and water would collect in the tail light and when you lifted
the trunk it would spill out into the trunk. Used to keep a towel in
a certain spot in the trunk. Tried replacing the foam gasket but it
did not stop. Finally set the gasket in and and sealed the top edge
of the taillight module with gap seeking silicone. Fixed the problem.

 

I've had the same issue on my Integra, I took off the taillight and
gasket and then used silicone to re-enforce the seal between the
gasket and the taillight. I had no leaks since then Also since you
have no sunroof the only other place that water can leak in is what
another poster had said, the antenna, you may also want to check there
as well or wrap a paper towel around the rubber drain and see if it
becomes wet.

Hope this helps and good luck finding the cause of the leak

Nick

 

I sealed the gap between the tail lights and the body of my '93 Accord
with black electrical tape. I intended this as a temporay fix, but I
did this over one year ago and the tape has remained in place and my
trunk has remained bone-dry since. The black tape matches the black
body, so it's barely noticable.

Andrew