Water in the trunk

[cwest94]

I just have a question to see if anyone can offer any suggestions. My dad has a 98 Malibu and over the past couple months the car has had a mildew smell that has been getting worse. Last night I took the stuff out of the trunk and ran my hands under the carpet and it felt damp, so I opened the spare tire cover and it was soaked and there was atleast 6 inches of water in the tire well. I can not for the life of me figure out where the water might be coming in at. I got all the water out and dumpted watar all over the back and layed inside the trunk to see where water might be coming in at, but was dry. I then drove the car about 15 miles last night and when I got home, there was water in the tire well again, and it was raining while driving.

 

Could there be a place under the car or behind the rear bumper that water could get in at while driving? The weather strip for the trunk is fine. I just wanted to see if anyone can offer any suggestion as to what to look for, or how to do more testing on my own to find the leak.

[StealthSS]

If it has a factory or dealer installed spoiler, theres a chance someone could have used it to close the trunk lid---big no no.

 

Because they use such small bolts to hold it on, using the spoiler to close the trunk naturally would 'round out' the mounting bolt holes after a period of time, allowing water to get around them, into the trunk. Also, going through automatic car washes which use rotating brushes could also cause this problem. Quick way to check for it would be to wet down the outside of the trunk lid really good, then open the trunk and feel around where the bolts come through the lid. If it is wet right there, then that is where your problem lies.

 

My only rule with my 98 Boo was 'do NOT touch the spoiler!' Never had this problem with it.

 

You should be able to fix this yourself. One option is to seal around where the nuts attach to the bolts , on the inside, with some good silicon or weatherstrip adhesive. It may or may not work this way. Your other option is to take off the spoiler and seal it up really good on both sides of the trunk lid.

 

Hope this is your fix. If not, I would look at where the mounting bolts for the taillights come through into the trunk---this is about the only other place it could get in at.

Edited May 25, 2005 by StealthSS (see edit history)

[tawss04]

I had this problem when I worked at the dealer. Check the tail lights, they tend to leak around the seals where the they screw thru the rear panel. Also check the weather strip and trunk alignment, these were common on the Malibu's

[cwest94]

It does not have the rear deck spoiler, so that leaves that one off the list. I'll have to pull the lights out and see if I can find anything. If water is coming from where the lights are, can I go to the dealer to get a new seal? It seems like the water is coming in on the passanger side of the trunk, runs under the carpet. I see there is some kind of a vent that is behind the carpet and the outside bumper, I was woundering if the water could be coming in from there? I wounder this because the carpet seems more damp there.

Edited May 25, 2005 by cwest94 (see edit history)

[bgdsub72]

I had the same issue on my 96 Impala SS, it was a problem with the deck lid alignment and it was not making contact with the seal. I played with the lid alignment and I got it pretty close but I could not get it all the way down. I would get a little bit of water in there when it was raining and when I washed the car so I just kept a few extra towels in there to soak up the few drops.

[cokedrvrbjw]

drill a small drain hole so it wont fill up 6" again!

[cwest94]

drill a small drain hole so it wont fill up 6" again!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought about doing that, but that still doesn't stop the carpet from getting wet and the car smelling like mildew.

 

It's strange how the carpet on the surface is dry, its when you lift it up is where its all wet.

[bgdsub72]

carpet dries fast, but it is hard for it to dry where there is not too much air circulation (ie- under the carpet) I would drill a small hole as a temporary fix to the water build up. I had to do that in my suburban's spare tire carrier.

[StealthSS]

Im going with where the taillight mounting bolts come through into the trunk-unless there has been body work, the Boo trunk lid is usually small enough to make a good seal, and it has good drainage from the outside of the weatherstrip (deep channels).

 

4 reals about that spoiler being a common water leak a lot of ppl dont think about...

 

Ck those lights, and then scope out your trunk lid alignment.

Edited May 25, 2005 by StealthSS (see edit history)

[cwest94]

How can you tell if the trunk lid does have an alignment issue? It looks even all round when closed, and there is not type of rubbing. I am starting to think the car was rear ended before I came into this car, the inside walls in the trunk are covered in some kind of black spray.

[bgdsub72]

that could be another issue, on my Impala SS the deck lid was misaligned from the factory as well as one of the rear doors. I unbolted them and I could see that there was no paint under the bolt so I am pretty sure it was like that from the factory. I would open the trunk and look at the seal, there should be an indentation on it from where the deck lid sits againts it. If there is a spot that is not indented thats where you leak is from. Also make sure the seal is sitting properly, if it is loose it might cause leakage issues.

[GEMINIWHEELS]

Try filling the trunk completely withy water. Where it leaks out is your problem.

Edited May 25, 2005 by GEMINIWHEELS (see edit history)

[Maximus]

Have a pump installed in the trunk and then get some fish!!! But on a more serious note try checking the seal around the tail lights, they are known to leak!!

[cwest94]

Okay I found the leak, it is coming in in two places. The one place is the trunk seal right above the lock/latch, there is a 1/4 size opening that is allowing the water to get it. I ordered a new trunk seal from the dealer last night ($63??), but the other place is that vent box thing in the side wall. I dont know what that vent thing is but it is inside the steel wall but behind the bumper. I looks like you have to take the bumper off to get to it. I was going to see if just putting a bead of silicone around that thing inside the trunk wall would stop the water. I asked the delaer if water can leak in there and he said he never herd of it happening before and said to bring it in.