wiz6728 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I have a 98 sls my trunk keeps getting water in it any suggestions? Thank Wiz DRIVE IT LIKE YOU own it!!!!!! 1967 chevy II ( FOR SALE!!!!) 1995 Lexus Es 300 1998 SLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Nunnally Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 One approach to trunk leaks: How-to on Trunk leaks Bruce 2023 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Follow me on: Twitter Instagram Youtube Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 As a starter, carefully check the trunk seal for debris. Go along the entire trunk seal, starting at the upper back. Use a vacuum cleaner as you lift the seal to get out any compacted dirt and leaves. Continue down along the sides, again lifting the seal as you go. The bottom of the seal along the trunk ledge is just as important. The seal needs to clean and flexible to work properly. The surrounding trunk ledge needs to be kept clean at all times, or it dams up any water runoff, and makes it easier to overflow the seal and get into the trunk Make sure the drain holes in the lower trunk ledge are clear, and kept clear. One small leaf, the water won't drain, and water will try to backup into the trunk. Remove all of the carpeting from the trunk, it most likely needs to be washed and allowed to dry, to be rid of odors. Do not put back in until thoroughly dry. Carefully, using a light, look for any traces of water stain. This will aid you in finding out where the water is coming from. Look at any screw that may enter the trunk. The license plate, high stoplight, and any light attachments should be suspect. If you see stains, tighten the nut, and then apply a "blob" of silicone seal over the screw and nut. Remove the spare tire, for cleaning, and to be sure that all of the water is out of the trunk. The "terrarium" effect is very annoying. The trunk seal noted in Bruce's memo has worked for some, and bares merit, but I would do that last, as once it is done...... it is done. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gc_caddy Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 The best way to find the water leaks is to get into the trunk, close it and have someone flow water from outside. Of course you'd need to bring your flashlight. Remove all the carpets and trunk panels ahead of time. I did that several years ago and sealed all the leaks. There were many: corners where the rear window joins the trunk, the weather seal, nuts that hold the rear lights in place (seals had dried out). This is the best and only way to ensure that you'd catch all the leaks. The Caddy truck is huge and you should be able to move around fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted June 22, 2009 Report Share Posted June 22, 2009 The rubber trunk seal is almost never the problem... Save your money.. The first thing to check are the 4 plastic screw blocks at the top of the trunk that hold in the trim plate near the base of the rear window... Remove the four screws and apply generous glop of butyl sealant (do not use silicon sealant or you will be fixing this again in 6 months) screw the trim piece back down and if sealant oozes out around the screws you will have a permanent fix. There is a TSB to replace the weather strip... and there is a new part number for this part... but it won't fix the problem (I know of this first hand) Customers who had this work done and had their problem resolved had a dealer smart enough to ALSO fix the screw blocks... If you skip the screw block or if you use Home Depot house hold silicon you will be doing this again. 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...
growe3 Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 The rubber trunk seal is almost never the problem... Save your money.. The first thing to check are the 4 plastic screw blocks at the top of the trunk that hold in the trim plate near the base of the rear window... Remove the four screws and apply generous glop of butyl sealant (do not use silicon sealant or you will be fixing this again in 6 months) screw the trim piece back down and if sealant oozes out around the screws you will have a permanent fix. There is a TSB to replace the weather strip... and there is a new part number for this part... but it won't fix the problem (I know of this first hand) Customers who had this work done and had their problem resolved had a dealer smart enough to ALSO fix the screw blocks... If you skip the screw block or if you use Home Depot house hold silicon you will be doing this again. A silicone seal will work fine and not fail; if placed with any kind of care. I would use a black automotive silicone seal for this particular job. A household clear silicone seal, such as the type used to seal bathtubs or sinks, would work just fine. Most of these sealants are designed to work for 15-20 years. A car trunk is not a big environment issue to these sealants. If you have had failures of silicone seal, I would suspect that the surfaces that were covered were not cleaned properly. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 The area where you need to seal is painted in high gloss automotive paint. The Silicon will stick for a few months and then it will peel and separate... Butyl caulk is extra sticky and stays extra sticky for years... Same goo they used to hold in windshields... Also used to seal shiny aluminum gutters. Butyl caulk is usually cheaper then silicon sealants too. I paid $4 for mine. If you have a left over tube of silicon bathroom caulk sure have at it... But if you are buying a tube just for this project... I would recommend that you buy the stuff that GM and Dealers use. 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...
growe3 Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Guess I have had better luck. I checked the trunk of my 93 STS, and the silicone sealant is still tight and has pliability. I put it there about five years ago, when I was tracking down an elusive leak. I have also used it on my 1955 Chrysler 300, in many areas. That has been in place for over twenty years, and still doing its job. So silicone works, but as you note, a slick painted surface may be hard to grip. I simply made sure the surfaces were clean, and the painted surfaces were wiped off with a little spray electric cleaner on a rag. For the screw penetrations, I unscrewed the nut applied some silicon, then screwed the nut back on. This provided a mechanical as well as a chemical bond. Many of the automotive silicone sealants work very well, a few household types can work, if done with reasonable care. In any case finding the leak source(s) is often harder than sealing it. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OynxSTS Posted June 26, 2009 Report Share Posted June 26, 2009 Plus the 98-04 trunks leak in different ways then the 92-97's On the screw blocks on the 98-04 they are kinda at a low spot in the top gutter of the trunk lip... The water tends to pool and puddle there... You need a positive mechanical seal that remains tacky... any gap and the pool of water will seep through. Again on the 98-04s as you open and close the trunk you compress and decompress this area... This will action will actually cause the silicon to seperate in very short time. I don't know how the original design (which used NO sealant at all) passed basic design and quality control... When you look at how the 98-04 "parcel shelf" trim strip is attached there is NO way that any of then DIDN'T leak from the factory... My bet is that they all did. It is equally amazing the TSB does not recognize the design flaw of the screw blocks. I guess GM figured that most of these cars were destined for Arizona or will live in a covered garage. 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...
wiz6728 Posted July 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 2, 2009 Well I finally got time to seal my trunk.the weird thing iz that its been raining & my trunk waznt wet I sucked all the water out about a week ago. So I just went ahead & seal it anyway. Got my fingers crossed. Thanks again for the advise Wiz DRIVE IT LIKE YOU own it!!!!!! 1967 chevy II ( FOR SALE!!!!) 1995 Lexus Es 300 1998 SLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiz6728 Posted July 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 4, 2009 2 days of rain no leak yet :-) Wiz DRIVE IT LIKE YOU own it!!!!!! 1967 chevy II ( FOR SALE!!!!) 1995 Lexus Es 300 1998 SLS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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