Wetness in the trunk

[ddstl]

PROBLEM I put my Bentley in the trunk, and the next day, it was wet, and looked like an accordion!

LIKELY CAUSES: Water in the trunk due to rust around license plate light assy. or antenna; dry, leaky taillight gaskets; leaking trunk seal; severe rust in lower portion of trunk.

Which one is causing my leak? One good way to test: Put a friend or your little brother in the trunk with a flashlight and spray the rear of the car in the suggested areas with a high pressure garden hose. When you hear yelling, you know water is getting in, and you've found your leak.

SOLUTIONS:

A:For trunk seal replacement:(excellent writeup by Jim Davis)http://www.firstfives.org/faq/trunkgask ... asket.html

Rust repair is fairly detailed, and the fix is obvious--remove the rust and fill the hole(s). There is plenty of info on the web on rust removal and repair.

As for the taillight seals: some have successfully revived old dry seals by soaking them in a light oil for a few hours, patting them dry, and reinstalling. Various parts sources including Steve Haygood, Brian at BMW of Chattanooga, BMW, and Bavauto, carry the seals--less than $20ea. (When I asked the lad at my local BMW parts counter about the seal, he told me I'd have to buy a complete taillight assembly--no thanks!!!)

To remove the seals, remove the rear trunk carpet that covers the tail lights. Disconnect wiring to the tail light assembly. Then, simply loosen and remove the 10mm nuts that hold the assembly to the chassis and lift the entire assembly away from the rear of the car and out. The gasket may come with the unit, or it may stay with the car. Clean everything up and reinstall in reverse of removal.

B: (from LouieLouie)

I had been plagued with a wet trunk after doing all the items in your FAQ for 5 years (Seattle, where it rains a bit...) and one day I pulled the C-pillar vent cover off and found that some of the plastic grommets holding the cover on were missing or broken and the water runs straight to the trunk. The part that I was missing can be seen here as #5. The #4 grommet is only at the bottom and while it looks like a Roundel grommet, it's not one.