MVS Contributor extraordinaire jreed noticed water getting in the cargo area of his 850. This is his account of finding the leak, sealing it, and following up a few years later. Many thanks to jreed.
description OF THE lEAK
jreed »
After rainstorms, we started noticing a few drops of water coming into the left hand side of our wagon near the tailgate. The water drips down the plastic trim on the inside of the back pillar.
I put a plastic bag on the outside of the car over the roof and back left corner of the tailgate during the most recent storm, and that was effective at stopping the drops from getting in, so I’m pretty sure the source of the leak is near the hinge seal.
I removed the two plastic screws and clips that hold the left end of the rubber seal and gently peeled the strip up to get a look at the body parts underneath. There was a strip of rubber tape (not shown in photos) underneath the end of the rubber seal that came off.
There are some cracks visible in the sealing putty between the hinge and the body. Could the water be entering the crack and dripping into the interior of the car?
The seal itself is marked EPDM with part number 9154130.
The Fix
jreed »
I cleaned up the seam area between the hinge and the body, where there were lots of cracks in the putty due to age.
I used a wire brush to abrade the area and then cleaned it off afterwards by wiping and then by spraying a very little bit of acetone-based brake cleaner and wiping some more.
Then I applied some two part epoxy to the cracked areas all around the hinge.
I will reassemble the rubber seal and test out the repair after the epoxy sets up.
tHE fOLLOWUP
jreed »
I found a new way that water can leak into the back of the wagon, and fixed it. Took some photos along the way in case anybody else finds water dripping down the trim and wetting the carpet in the tailgate area.
After removing the interior side trim, water drop visible after splashing a little water on the rear roof of the car (red arrow shows droplet hanging from metal).
Interior view, water drop above rear window
Close up of droplet
Once I understood where the water was coming in, I started searching for how the water was entering from the roof. I removed the little plastic end cap at the end of the trim and pried up the trim strip: About to remove the end cap and pry up the trim. Red arrow indicates the location of the water entrance.
I found a black rubber strip next to the yellow clamp: Black rubber strip covers thru-hole. Water leaks past strip and enters car here.
I removed the rubber strip, revealing the hole: Hole
Over the years, the rubber delaminated a bit and failed to seal the hole completely, allowing water to get in.
I sealed the hole with a sealant, reinstalled outer trim strip. Hole sealed with sealant
We had a couple rainstorms since I sealed the hole, and I verified it’s stayed dry.
Just thought I’d describe the leak-hunt and repair in case anybody else is having the same problem.
