Peter1972 Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 I was wondering if anyone else has this problem. I purchased a 2001 STS the car is loaded and I absolutely love this beautiful car I don't know who owned this car before me but the person or persons must have been maintenance fanatics like myself because this car looks like it came off the showroom floor and it has 73k on it. My only problem is that water is getting into the trunk and pools in the spare tire well. I've removed the spare and prop ted the rug up so every time I go through the car wash no touch only of coarse I can soak the water up. Also I beleive it's getting in when it rains but here in Ma with all the salt on the roads in the winter I find myself going through the car wash at least twice a week. Any suggestions Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyrez00 Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 The rubber around the trunk leaking? On my Eldo the previous owner layed some kit around the whole rubber, probably had the same issue. Good luck. Marc. If you are in complete control..... you are not going fast enough.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel812 Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 I have a 1998 SLS with the same exact problem - water is getting into the well. I have been having real problems finding the leak. I was once told its b/c of some seal being too tight, but so far I had no success finding it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter1972 Posted March 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 I have a 1998 SLS with the same exact problem - water is getting into the well. I have been having real problems finding the leak. I was once told its b/c of some seal being too tight, but so far I had no success finding it I went back to the dealer and he suggested I bang a hole in the tire well so the water can drain out. First I want to try to find the problem and fix it the right way. I not fond of the idea of baning holes in my Cadillac, if I have to I will drill a hole then prime it and put in a rubber grom to drain the water. I think I'm going to get in the trunk with a flashlight and have my wife drive through the car wash. I will tell you how it turns out. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Before you replace the rubber gasket, there are a few other possible water sources. One is the body seams behind the carpeting on both sides. Another is at the top directly behind the rear glass. Remove the black plastic & rubber trim piece and inspect the nylon nut plates that fasten the trim piece to the body. There is a rubber gasket under the four nut plates that can leak. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdossantos Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 i have the same darn problem with water getting in and literally "pooling" in the spare tire well, a shop vac has been my only line of defense and if anybody can find a solution..please post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Had the leak when I first aquired the car. Replaced the trunk seal...leak gone. This was 3 or 4 years ago. I have noticed the leak is now back. I will try the one behind the rear glass before I repalce the trunk seal again. I recall there was a lot of disscusion on this way back. Maybe try a search and see if there are other fixes. 2001 STS Mettalic Otter Grey, Black Leather, 213,000 kilometers - miles - ? Still running strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve6 Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 both my 99 sts's had these problems, i drilled a whole in the plug that is in the bottom to let the water run out. Replacing the gasket around the trunk should fix it I have been told , I personally dont care too much about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Had the leak when I first acquired the car. Replaced the trunk seal...leak gone. This was 3 or 4 years ago. I have noticed the leak is now back. I will try the one behind the rear glass before I replace the trunk seal again. I recall there was a lot of discussion on this way back. Maybe try a search and see if there are other fixes. I got my self in some hot water when I posted a response to "leaky trunks" on another forum... Appears that there are some pretty strong opinions about leaky trunks...right up there with premium fuel and synthetic oil... But I'll give it a shot (please accept my apologies for any sensitivities in advance ). Lots of these trunks (maybe even all of them) leak. The leaks come from one of 4 places 1) Body seams 2) screw blocks under "rear" window trim 3) Sun roof Drain tubes and 4) Gasket. The problem is that when the dealer fixes a leaky trunk they will ALWAYS replace the gasket and they will tell you this. Sometimes they will also look at the other three problems, but this part they keep to themselves. Mine leaked at a body seam and at the screw blocks... Took the dealer 3 tries to fix it after the replaced a perfectly fine gasket (and like your's the fix was TEMPORARY!). What I discovered was the dealer knew about #2 on the above list and put a big blob of silicon sealant on each screw block. The problem with silicon is that it doesnt sick all that well to painted surfaces and with the opening and closing of the trunk and the vibrations of the car silicon sealant repairs will fail! Mine lasted about 18months. I talked with a auto glass installer friend of mine and he was shocked that anyone would use silicon sealant on a car, let alone a dealer. He guaranteed that these will fail. His solution is automotive grade butyl caulk. This nasty black goo, never dries and is a lot like the black tar they use as a roof patch. Under his supervision I installed a "big" blob over and around each of the 4 screw blocks on the rear "shelf" and then reattached the trim bit. A little goo oozed out and around each screw.. He sad that is the goal. That was about a year ago through one of the worst rainy winters in wet coast history and my trunk is dry. And fingers crossed... Rickster... Bet if you remove the rear trim you will find blobs of silicon. Peel them off and replace them with proper autmotive grade sealant. Oh and by the way, it is recommended that if you replace the gasket you need to let the gasket glue dry overnight with the trunk open. if you close the trunk with the glue "wet" the gasket will compress and it is likely to leak there. Good Luck. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter1972 Posted March 26, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 Had the leak when I first acquired the car. Replaced the trunk seal...leak gone. This was 3 or 4 years ago. I have noticed the leak is now back. I will try the one behind the rear glass before I replace the trunk seal again. I recall there was a lot of discussion on this way back. Maybe try a search and see if there are other fixes. I got my self in some hot water when I posted a response to "leaky trunks" on another forum... Appears that there are some pretty strong opinions about leaky trunks...right up there with premium fuel and synthetic oil... But I'll give it a shot (please accept my apologies for any sensitivities in advance ). Lots of these trunks (maybe even all of them) leak. The leaks come from one of 4 places 1) Body seams 2) screw blocks under "rear" window trim 3) Sun roof Drain tubes and 4) Gasket. I posted the orignal ?. Your answer was very helpful I'm going to try it thank you. The problem is that when the dealer fixes a leaky trunk they will ALWAYS replace the gasket and they will tell you this. Sometimes they will also look at the other three problems, but this part they keep to themselves. Mine leaked at a body seam and at the screw blocks... Took the dealer 3 tries to fix it after the replaced a perfectly fine gasket (and like your's the fix was TEMPORARY!). What I discovered was the dealer knew about #2 on the above list and put a big blob of silicon sealant on each screw block. The problem with silicon is that it doesnt sick all that well to painted surfaces and with the opening and closing of the trunk and the vibrations of the car silicon sealant repairs will fail! Mine lasted about 18months. I talked with a auto glass installer friend of mine and he was shocked that anyone would use silicon sealant on a car, let alone a dealer. He guaranteed that these will fail. His solution is automotive grade butyl caulk. This nasty black goo, never dries and is a lot like the black tar they use as a roof patch. Under his supervision I installed a "big" blob over and around each of the 4 screw blocks on the rear "shelf" and then reattached the trim bit. A little goo oozed out and around each screw.. He sad that is the goal. That was about a year ago through one of the worst rainy winters in wet coast history and my trunk is dry. And fingers crossed... Rickster... Bet if you remove the rear trim you will find blobs of silicon. Peel them off and replace them with proper autmotive grade sealant. Oh and by the way, it is recommended that if you replace the gasket you need to let the gasket glue dry overnight with the trunk open. if you close the trunk with the glue "wet" the gasket will compress and it is likely to leak there. Good Luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
raz Posted March 26, 2007 Report Share Posted March 26, 2007 2000 STS Dealer changed gasket no go. I got tired so i cut out the carpet below the spare cover drilled two holes under the spare. Problem fixed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wontgoslo Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I had the same problem. Mine was the gasket. But i used the free fix on the caddyinfo homepage,click on the ''how to '' at the top,then ''body'' under trunk leak.Its free and fast, about 15 minutes. All you need is a razor knife.Worth a try, might work for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daniel812 Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I cut out a small section under the spare tire well and watched all the water drain out. Its a small hole so nothing will enter the trunk while driving. So although it did let the water leak out, I still do not see where it is leaking in. I removed the moulding from the trunk and ckecked all around the rear lenses to no avail. I think I will use RTV (gasket sealer) around the main gasket and see if it does anything. I do not have other ideas but I'll let you know how it goes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Get in the trunk, with a flash light and with all of the trim out have wife/kid/friend hose down the back of the car... make sure the give the rear window a good spray... The leaks will be very apparent very quickly. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wontgoslo Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Closing the trunk is not necessary. leaving the trunk open will work too,then spray the rear glass with a hose . Peel the trunk liner back , if the gasket is your problem water will enter the trunk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 Closing the trunk is not necessary. leaving the trunk open will work too,then spray the rear glass with a hose . Peel the trunk liner back , if the gasket is your problem water will enter the trunk Good point. But it takes all the fun out of putting the wifey in the trunk. 2001 STS Mettalic Otter Grey, Black Leather, 213,000 kilometers - miles - ? Still running strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 If your goal is to test the gasket, the trunk needs to be closed ... The gasket seals against the underside of the lid... If the trunk is open the gasket will always leak. Easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a fine fox in front, I had three more in the back ZZTOP, I'm Bad I'm Nationwide Greg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted March 27, 2007 Report Share Posted March 27, 2007 I was wondering if anyone else has this problem. As you can see, everyone has the problem. A leaky trunk was not optional, it was a standard feature. I went back to the dealer and he suggested I bang a hole in the tire well so the water can drain out. Now there is some real professional advice. He should be shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter1972 Posted April 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 I lifted up the carpet an noticed three knock outs. I just knocked the center one out and I'm done with chasing that leak I have the carpet propped up with a Ice scraper to get some air circulation. Caddillac must know they all leak why else would there be factory knock outs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve6 Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 I lifted up the carpet an noticed three knock outs. I just knocked the center one out and I'm done with chasing that leak I have the carpet propped up with a Ice scraper to get some air circulation. Caddillac must know they all leak why else would there be factory knock outs. The knock out pieces are usually there so that IF moisture does get in there that they knock outs will be first to rust and you can replace the knock out. You will find the same thing under all 4 foot spots as well usually. most of the time it dosnt work that way though... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KHE Posted April 2, 2007 Report Share Posted April 2, 2007 Drilling holes in the trunk well doesn't solve the problem... the water still gets in there and mold/mildew will result. In addition, the corrosion resistance will be compromised. Kevin '93 Fleetwood Brougham '05 Deville '04 Deville 2013 Silverado Z71 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted April 3, 2007 Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Kevin is right. Let's try a series of water tests, one at a time and in this order. Note that all tests should be done with low to medium water pressure to prevent over spray and the car on a level surface. 1) Spray the back tail light assemblies for 1-2 minutes. Then pop the trunk and check for water. If trunk is dry then 2) With trunk closed, run water from just below the rear window (1-2 minutes) so that the water runs over and down along the trunk seam. Pop trunk and check for water. If dry then 3) Spray the fuel door for 1-2 minutes so that the water runs in behind it. Then pop the trunk and check for water. If dry then 4) Run water over your sunroof for 2-3 minutes. Then pop the trunk and check for water. Report back your findings so that the appropriate fix can be posted. "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter1972 Posted April 3, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2007 Drilling holes in the trunk well doesn't solve the problem... the water still gets in there and mold/mildew will result. In addition, the corrosion resistance will be compromised. Well from all the posts it seems like every one of these cars trunks leak and I don't have the time or care to chase this leak on a 5 year old car that I bought for ten grand to get back and forth to work 2 miles down the street. Don't get me wrong I love this car and am a crazy person when it comes to keeping cars clean and waxed and basic maintenance. But I got in the trunk and my wife drove through the car wash and I can't see where it's comming from so the hell with it I pushed the knock out out and sprayed some primer and thats that. In a few years I plan on buying a late model STS and if this car gives me too many problems like some people have in this forum I will take it down to my familys pit and Take one of the Cat D 9 s and crush it into the ground. Sorry I just had a bad day I love my STS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter1972 Posted April 4, 2007 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 Drilling holes in the trunk well doesn't solve the problem... the water still gets in there and mold/mildew will result. In addition, the corrosion resistance will be compromised. Well from all the posts it seems like every one of these cars trunks leak and I don't have the time or care to chase this leak on a 5 year old car that I bought for ten grand to get back and forth to work 2 miles down the street. Don't get me wrong I love this car and am a crazy person when it comes to keeping cars clean and waxed and basic maintenance. But I got in the trunk and my wife drove through the car wash and I can't see where it's comming from so the hell with it I pushed the knock out out and sprayed some primer and thats that. In a few years I plan on buying a late model STS and if this car gives me too many problems like some people have in this forum I will take it down to my familys pit and Take one of the Cat D 9 s and crush it into the ground. Sorry I just had a bad day I love my STS People that last part about the D9 was a joke if you couldn't tell hence the I love my STS at the end. People go read the last comment by Bodybyfisher in the thread ( Be afraid be very afraid ) [Please avoid personal attacks]. Don't joke or say anything remotely negative about anything to due with Cadillac or you'll be in trouble with him and this is his discussion forum. Listen buddy I work hard for a living and enjoy asking a few question about my STS so [Please avoid personal attacks] ok and maybe [Please avoid personal attacks] you're harassing me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rickster Posted April 4, 2007 Report Share Posted April 4, 2007 See ya 2001 STS Mettalic Otter Grey, Black Leather, 213,000 kilometers - miles - ? Still running strong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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