please help. my96 sti ra vlimited is taking a lot of water into the boot. i've seen some threads that have indicated potential problems to be boot lid seal, lights and spoiler mountings (ariel is on the front).

Can anyone guide me through removing and resealing lights or a way to check where the leak is coming from?

 

Remove the carpet from your boot, fold down your rear seats and get someone to look into the boot with a torch whilst you give the rear of the car a good soaking with a hose, particularly around the boot lid, lights ,rear window. Hopefully you will then find the leak that is causing the problem-maybe more than one. Use some chaulk to pin point the leak by marking the point that the water comes in at.

There must be threads on the forum that describes removal and refitting of the rear light cluster as it seems to be a common prob,but i think it is a matter of removing 4? bolts/screws that secure the light , then CAREFULLY removing the cluster away from the gunk that it is stuck in with. then clean off the old crap from the light and body of the car and reseal with plenty of sealant (silicone i think?), replace the bolts, leave to set for around 24 hours preferably in the dry, then check that the job has worked. Also if it's coming though the boot seal,normally around the catch, then you can adjust the boot catch so that the boot shuts more tightly.

Spoiler mounting can also be a problem but is easily resolved by removing the spoiler and again resealing it, it's only held on with two bolts.

Hope this helps in some way, also there is a small rubber grommit under the spare, for the time being you could remove this so that you don't get floods in the boot - good luck mate.

[Edited by BigRed - 12/13/2003 8:12:42 PM]

[Edited by BigRed - 12/13/2003 8:14:32 PM]

 

FYI there are 5 bolts/screws, I know because I wasted a whole bunch of time wondering why the light cluster wouldn't come out.

 

thank you people. i think i will get the waders out and have a butchers.

 

Got the same problem with my UK Turbo. Considered getting neons in the lights, but the cold water meant I could only get goldfish...

But seriously, I had a back-aching session (no rude comments) lying in the boot one rainy morning, with a torch working out where the leak was - above the light cluster.

Still not sure if I have rectified the leak yet - light hasn't filled up with water again yet though.

Used some industrial-strength silicone sealant to plug the gap where the mastic had come away from. Will be checking later to see if it has worked.

 

Light cluster went on my then brand new MY00... That'd be my first port of call...

 

and again nick..
I (well TSL actually) swapped the lights for Sti units, and I left it in the garage for 24hrs, then it rained like a sod on friday whilst the car was outside and I have a wet boot

bugger.
will speak to paul on monday- altho its a pain as no time off work left before new year

 

so: funnily enough the light werent at fault!

its was the extraction vent in the bumper where the water was coming in.. and the channels were also blocked.. I had no idea this could have been the cause..


ya live and learn (nick- maybe it was this that caused the leak when you still had MY car )