E320

[kevin288]

Hi I am new to site.
E320 water in the boot 2009 saloon. So the carpet is bone dry and all the boot interior panels are dry but in the base of the boot under the spare wheel is standing water. I dried it out and poured seven or eight watering cans over the backend of the car still no water in the bottom of the boot so I drove to my local car wash prior to spraying it I checked the boot and low and behold now there was water there! I've sat in the boot with the interior panels missing and there was a slight weep through the drivers side rear light unit I have cleaned and petroleum jelly and rebuilt there are also two vents flaps to the right and the left hand side lower rear quarter panel looks like a slight bit of water might be getting through there but doesn't seem to be leaking badly enough to create what is sometimes a pint or two of water in the boot. It couldn't be the boot lid seal because the carpet would be wet and it couldn't be the brake light in the boot lid because once again the carpet will be wet. I have tipped water carefully down the fuel overflow pipe but as quick as I am pouring it in I can see it's running out under the back of the car so I can't imagine this is leaking within the boot. Any other areas I need t be looking at? I am leaving the wheel and the carpet and the interior panels out of the boot until I have solve the problem. Thank you in advance if you can help

 

[DanE350cdi]

Water can be a right pain, I had a problem with a Honda once. I had to get in the boot with a torch and get somebody to pour water with the hosepipe over the car to find out where the problem was. With this car it tuned out to be a hairline crack in the body sealer along the roof gutter between the roof and rear quarter. A common problem it turned out. Good luck.

 

[kevin288]

Thank you for that Dan. I think this is an inherent problem. The weird thing being none of the boot carpets are wet or even damp. Even the underneath is completely dry. I have just purchased this car which has had a tow bar fitted very recently as it looks like it has never been used and the nuts and bolts are rust free so I am wondering if this could be the problem.

 

[DanE350cdi]

Possibly water can track down cables etc

 

[kevin288]

I think I have sorted the leak.
At the bottom of boot floor (plastic floor well) there is a large grommet which has a small hole in it, presumably for draining or air circulation, anyway I blocked the whole with a Araldite and since then the boot floor has remained completely dry. Albeit I haven't driven through torrential rain as yet, only light drizzle.

 

[tygertyger]

I have seen myself stuff blue paper around various places on previous cars to see which paper gets wet first!!