Stoatmaster

Afternoon all,

I stripped the rear on the S today to confirm that I have a bit of a water leak going on. (About an inch worth in the bottom of the boot/trunk) I've confirmed where the water is getting in, and it appears to be coming through between the body work and the roof.

It seems to me that the roof is not sealed correctly between the bodywork and fixings, how easy is it to remove the black plastic strip running around the rear of roof to see if there is a gap or hole? Seems to be apushf it, but don't want to break something without being prepared.

For the moment, I have a small bucket in the boot to collect the rain water coming in!

zeroptzero

a common source of leakage is the vent that goes between the trunk and just behind the rear bumper. I sealed mined up as a precaution when I had my bumper off recently. There is a post on here about this issue
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If the roof is leaking it might be clogged drain lines, there is one drain line on each side of the rear vehicle, some people have cleared the lines by running a wire through them. If the drains work properly the roof shouldn't leak into the trunk

Doing either of those repairs is easier than having to remove the parts you are looking at. Are you sure it is leaking from the roof area, are you seeing leak stains from that area or any other area. Might want to do a leak test with a hose if you can.

Stoatmaster

Yes, it is roof. I can even see where. Any water that gets to the seam of the roof immediately starts dripping down into the boot and I can trace it up to the fabric.

This image shows where;



The problem is on the nearside on my car.

humbucker87

Stoatmaster, have you had any luck fixing your problem?

I have the exact exact exact same leak!!!! Doesn't seem to be the gutters, like others have had trouble with.

Looking from the front seats it seems to drop down right where the two retainer plates meet.

I'm wondering if we can take off all the grommets holding the retainer, put the top half way down, and just slide out the rain rail to take a look for any leaks. I haven't been brave enough to try this, and I don't have a garage in case it rains.

Anybody who can help us I would greatly appreciate it!!!

MatteQban

has anyone found a solution ?

the other night I found a puddle of water in the trunk

probably have to remove the hood ?

Slows2k

OEM or Aftermarket top?

If not an OEM top you'll need the molding that goes around the rear opening of the top on the body. several aftermarket tops do not put the rear window seam in the correct place and allows water past the molding behind the rain rail.

W0Pdego

I just went through this after going crazy for a year looking for places that water could possibly be leaking from. After sealing every crack and seam in the trunk, I determined that the water was actually coming from the rain rail. It turns out that when I had the top replaced, the installer did a piss poor job reinstalling the rail. No new rivets were used to attach the rail to the top, the old ones were loosely put back in. First, I installed new rivets, with properly sized washers so they didn't pull through the rubber rail. Next, i sealed all of the rivets with 3m weatherstripping sealant (sealant). I noticed that the black plastic strip that goes along the body around the top cutout was missing the weatherstripping that is supposed to be up under there, and wasn't about to pay Honda 200 something for a new one. To avoid heavy rains simply spilling over the rail and into the trunk, I sprayed a coat of Rustoleum rust proof clear enamel on the surface that the rail bolts to. (more for piece of mind, might not be necessary). Next, I squeezed a large bead of GE waterproof silicone (the 3 hr rain ready/sun/freeze proof one) close to the top of the rail so that water could not get behind it, and reinstalled the rear of the top. Make sure you don't drop the top for at least a few days to properly let it cure.

Forgot to mention, but I did not need to remove roll hoops or the whole top or anything to get back there. I removed the spare tire panel as well as the other rear carpet panel in the trunk (to allow light in and make working easier), the windscreen (two screws into the secret compartment lid) and popped out the rear deck, two side pieces, and the slim plastic piece on the back that covers the metal brackets holding the rail on. These were the only interior pieces needed to be removed to have access to the bolts to remove the rail and rear of the top.

My1stS2K

Initially I thought it was the vent behind the bumper, so I took off my bumper and sealed it with silicone. After a downpour I found water in my trunk, again! I followed the water leak and traced it back to the base of the antenna. I've been searching for a thread that shows how to disassemble the antenna assembly so I can re-install it properly/tighter to prevent further leakage. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

My1stS2K

At the base of the antenna you will see a ring that has indents (around 5 i believe) use needle nose pliers to tighten that ring. I had the same problem, tightening that ring fixed the issue. If you need pics send me a pm.

Stoatmaster

Apologies, missed this. As with the poster above, I discovered that who ever changed my roof neglected to replace the rivets on the rail, the water was really pouring in. I purchased and fitted new rivets and the problem has cleared up. The bad news is you will have to remove a large portion of the interior to get at the rail.