common lumina problem?

[gw84]

I posted a thread about this a while back but didn't get many responses. Now I've got a photo! Is this a common lumina problem? Are there any solutions to this problem? I believe this is the probable cause of many of our wet floorboards and trunks. I was thinking of taking the car to someone and simply having the window re-installed. Hopefully the glass is fine, but the weatherstrip is clearly deformed.

[maxwedge]

Yes you can replace the strip but this is ornamental and does not seal the glass. If the trunk is wet it should be stripped out dried, then someone should get in the trunk with a flashlite while a helper sprays water around the back of the car and look for water intrusion.

[comet240]

i dunno if this helps u or not but i found i had same problem with stripping pealing but it wasnt leaking there to stop the leak i was baffled i have 2 luminas and they leak on different sides what i found after a very very long time is water was getting in there some how i still not 100% sure but it comes through the sealents they used on the wheel well on the inside so what i did was i took grit guard and sprayed the drivers back wheel well from inside the thing is it doesnt seem to dry on the that sealent gm puts on sstays tackey, and on other side i ssprayed grit guaard on where the back frames are put together under neath and that has stoppled my water in the trunk

[jeffcoslacker]

Like I said a while back, sometimes you can mix up a strong soapy water mix and close the car up running with the blower on high, vents set for fresh air, and throw the mix over the car and it'll bubble like crazy when it finds where the air leaks out (and water gets in)...

Like he said above, check for seperations or rustout in the wheelwells, and some models had problems with water coming in around taillights, I don't know if Luminas were one or not...

I've been thinking lately...Tide detergent is UV reactive (glows in blacklight)...I wonder if some Tide solution and a blacklight would point out the track of the leak?? I'm gonna try it next time I get a leaker...

[comet240]

i never tried the soapy style but i should try that next time car has leaks

and yes the damn lumina can leak from the tail lights my solution to that was remove the tail lights and put gasket maker on each taillight bolt cuz if u notice the seals are like paper or sometbing have have deteriated sometimes, so my fix was just some simple gasket maker u could use also silcone too

[gw84]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

Yes you can replace the strip but this is ornamental and does not seal the glass. If the trunk is wet it should be stripped out dried, then someone should get in the trunk with a flashlite while a helper sprays water around the back of the car and look for water intrusion.

thanks everyone for the great responses. Max, I had no idea that the strip shown was simply ornamental. Seemed like a sure cause for my [& possibly others'] problems. When I look in the gap I can see the edge of the glass so obviously I assumed... I think I will still try to have it re-installed for aesthetic purposes.

[jeffcoslacker]

Yeah the glass is usually laid down on a bead of urethane, the the rubber gets fitted around the edges, it's for looks and aerodynamics, less wind roar over edges, better drag coefficient, etc.

[1993LUMINATOR]

personaly, cant say l'v ever had/seen this BUT my old 93 didnt have it that horrible on the rear glass it was old dryed and starting to shrink but NOT bending up like that

[gw84]

perhaps this a good photo to use in an argument about NOT using armor-all. I just realized that I had used armor all on this car a lot! The black trim around the doors dried out after using armor all on them as well. I use products on my dash and it still looks almost new. It's not peeled up lilke 90% of luminas dashes are

[john51md]

Originally Posted by gw84

perhaps this a good photo to use in an argument about NOT using armor-all. I just realized that I had used armor all on this car a lot! The black trim around the doors dried out after using armor all on them as well. I use products on my dash and it still looks almost new. It's not peeled up lilke 90% of luminas dashes are

I would love to know why this is on my 91. First it has sat outside all its life. Its black so yes it gets hot. My headliner is perfect, no sags what so ever, also the rubber window trim on the outside at bottom of window is as soft and pliable as a brand new piece, every other GM i see this old its rotted, hardened up or gone.
Why this car is like this i have no clue, its never been really cared for out of the ordinary. And too, i live in western Md, and roads get plenty of salt,
The car has been here its whole life, there isnt any rust under car except surface on frame parts. And no it isnt undercoated except what the factory used, fact most of it is gone down to the paint underneath.
I have a Z24, a 89 that makes my Lumi look terrible, but the window rubber is totally gone on it, just dont make much sense when so many, even newer ones are in so much worse shape trim and rust wise.

[1993LUMINATOR]

ya funny how that works EH?
take car of a car rust seams to just come
just use a car and such rust hardly shows
my 93 my grandpa drove it allover canada for his job it was in the western provinces and up north most its live and they use shit loads of salt but it hardly has any rust at all