95.5-2004 Tacomas & 96-2002 4Runners 4th gen pickups and 3rd gen 4Runners

Rear hatch leaking ?

Old Sep 26, 2011 | 01:52 PM
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Rear hatch leaking ?

This afternoon AowRS and I were modding up a rear-mounted driving light (a small Hella attached to the rear towing bar to help see through the dark back glass when backing up). We I pulled the plastic threshold up from the bottom of the hatch to run wiring I found that it along with my carpet and pad were damp and the small plastic caps under the carpet on each side had a bunch of water in them.

We've had epic rain this season but I'm 99% sure that I've never left my rear window cracked or my rear door not fully closed. Any ideas where the water is coming from?

Thanks!
Attached Thumbnails Rear hatch leaking ?-photo.jpg   Rear hatch leaking ?-photo2.jpg  
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Old Sep 26, 2011 | 01:55 PM
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I took a leak in your trunk area while you went inside to wash your hands. Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier.


Andreas
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Old Sep 26, 2011 | 02:10 PM
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Originally Posted by aowRS
I took a leak in your trunk area while you went inside to wash your hands. Sorry, I forgot to tell you earlier.


Andreas


As far as the actual leak, it's going to be tough to tell where it is coming from.

Are you opposed to ripping off a couple of the other interior panels to look for any other signs of leakage? If it has been leaking for a while, you should be able to see traces of it along the door frame, grommets, etc...

Good luck!

Fink
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Old Sep 26, 2011 | 02:28 PM
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Originally Posted by Fink


As far as the actual leak, it's going to be tough to tell where it is coming from.

Are you opposed to ripping off a couple of the other interior panels to look for any other signs of leakage? If it has been leaking for a while, you should be able to see traces of it along the door frame, grommets, etc...

Good luck!

Fink
I hate pulling those panels off... Those stupid "made to pop out" clips suck. Anyway, I felt along the carpet as it runs forward and it didn't feel like it was wet there but I know that water runs along the path of least resistance. Still I think the water is coming in somewhere around the back hatch area based on my searching forward. I'd love to get this problem taken care of asap as I don't think it will ever stop raining in the mid-Atlantic.

Surely there is another 3rd gen'r out there who has had this issue before.
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Old Sep 26, 2011 | 03:07 PM
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You got water in the fresh air vent?
You were aiming water between the tailgate and the bumper and the seal has been knocked off somewhere?
Your taillight wiring grommets are hosed?
Your wiring boot that leads from the top of the truck to the top of the tailgate leaks?
aowRS took a leak in your trunk area?

I dunno, mine doesn't leak. At least, not there. If you're not pulling panels then dry it off, sit inside, have someone hose it down in a rain-like fashion and hope you don't get a bath.
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Old Sep 26, 2011 | 04:48 PM
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Originally Posted by habanero
I dunno, mine doesn't leak. At least, not there. If you're not pulling panels then dry it off, sit inside, have someone hose it down in a rain-like fashion and hope you don't get a bath.


Fink
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Old Sep 26, 2011 | 07:27 PM
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I did run the sucker through a high pressure "Touchless" car was a couple of days ago (which I never do) so possibly that blasted water from some crazy direction that a drain hole or wiring grommet didn't like.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 04:15 AM
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I would do what hab suggested and sit in the back while a buddy blasts it with a hose and see what happens.

Fink
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 04:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Fink
I would do what hab suggested and sit in the back while a buddy blasts it with a hose and see what happens.

Fink
If you don't have access to a water hose, just sit in the back while a buddy takes a leak all over the back.

But seriously it could have been the car wash. One vehicle I had would leak at the drivers side door and drip on you in the car wash, but only in the car wash. They are fairly high pressure and can force the water in places it normally wouldn't go. you can always just dry it and see if it gets wet next time it rains.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 04:56 AM
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Yeah, I guess I'll try the hose thing. I would go back to the touchless car wash and sit in the back with the carpet pulled back to watch for spray but I just got a nice coat of wax on the truck and those touchless car washes use some kind of crazy chemical that "cleans" the wax right off of the car.
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 01:40 PM
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Originally Posted by avalonracing
I would go back to the touchless car wash and sit in the back with the carpet pulled back to watch for spray but I'm too cheap and those touchless car washes use some kind of crazy chemical that "cleans" the wax right off of the car.
^ This.


Andreas
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Old Sep 27, 2011 | 06:01 PM
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From: mo
Or....dry it off and check it next time it rains since the car wash seems a reasonable culprit... though I can't remember a leak in the back of mine either of the two times I've run my truck through one of those. Been awhile since I was able to use a car wash, though.
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