major moisture/leaking problem in hatch

89si · #1 06-30-2005, 01:57 AM

well today i started up my car and started driving (it's been raining a lot lately), and i didnt have my stereo in yet, went around a corner, heard a little kinda water sound.. then when i stopped to turn, i heard some serious splashing coming from the back of my car. so i pull over, pop the hatch, move my sub box back and lift up the little floor thing, and i see a good inch of water in the area where the spare tire would be...

NOT COOL!!

so i went to a carwash and vaccumed it all out..

i know i've had a moisture problem in there, but this is just insane now, it was like a pool in there. and this isnt good for the carpeting, the sub box, and it's trying to rust a bit in there now.

anyone had this problem or have some advice?

i cant let this keep happening whenever it rains. theres always some moisture even when its hot out..

any help would be great. thanks.

TheSilentChamber · #2 06-30-2005, 02:21 AM

Check your sunroof drain tube (if you have a sunroof), and the taillight seals. If those are both good then move on to the roof seam, it may need re sealing.

89si · #3 06-30-2005, 03:31 AM

i do have a sunroof. but whats a sunroof drain tube?

i doubt its the sunroof anyway tho, cuz theres never been a problem with it, and theres no signs of moisture around it.

however i do suspect the tail lights. i know that theres decent sized cracks in both of them (not the center reflective panel) and so i basically store a good inch or so of water in the orange section quite often. and when i was trying to get all the water out of there, i noticed these little kinda slotted vent things down in each corner of the hatch kind of by where the tail lights would be, and it looked like water had been coming in through there..

should i take off my tail lights or something to have a look? what should i be looking to fix? or should i replace my tail lights to stop keeping water in them, which could be what drains into my car..

or i could even just make little holes in the bottom of the lenses to at least drain that water to the outside of the car.. since they're already not perfect, i wouldnt mind.

i dunno. any suggestions i appreciate. i really dont wanna hafta worry about it anymore!

thanks.. i know i write a lot.

89si · #4 06-30-2005, 03:35 AM

by the way, while we're on the topic of leaking, i also get water coming through my front speaker grills over my type S speakers.. whenever it rains or i wash my car it comes through. not cool. im sure other people have had this problem.

turtlecrxsi · #5 06-30-2005, 08:58 AM

As for the back filling with water, you can drill holes in the bottom of the tail lights, but you're going to need a strong bit or use a table drill. Supposedly that's the trick used to get moisture out of headlights. I tried drilling the hole thing but I kept breaking the drill bits and I didn't want a huge hole so I just removed the bulb and used a blow dryer. Anyway, I had a problem like you described where water would sometimes collect. But after the fire burned holes in the floor of the trunk the water exits relatively quickly... I don't recommend having a fire though... GL

Kunundrum · #6 06-30-2005, 10:47 AM

http://honda-tech.com/zerothread?id=1276912

TheSilentChamber · #7 06-30-2005, 03:01 PM

The sunroof drain tube runs along something on the inside, if it gets stopped up the water will leak into the hatch area. To check your taillight seal take your taillights out and there is a foam seal beind it, if its dried up and cracked and stiff, replace it.

89si · #8 06-30-2005, 05:32 PM

so for the tail light seal you mean the foam gaskets? man i bet its something with the tail lights cuz i was messing around with them during the winter, and i remember the gaskets being kinda frozen to the lights, so they ripped off a little bit around the screws.. also as i've said, my lenses are cracked, so theres usually a good inch of water in the orange section of each light.

i guess i should get going on replacing my tail lights with those clear ones, even if it is illegal, i know a newer civic has pure clear ones around here, and they've been on that car for as long as i can remember, so i doubt he's been getting tickets for it, and i have red led bulbs so they should light up pretty damn bright red. i would really be pissed to get another stupid illegal lights ticket.. im going to court for my little blue corner lights on july 9th at 9 in the morning, and i have no shittin clue what im doing. stupid arrogant cop was eager to nail me.

but anyway.. im trailing off here.. back to the leaking.

im not interested in drilling drain holes in my hatch, i'd like to just eliminate the problem altogether. im not too concerned about the tails tho.. i dunno.

skotman · #9 07-01-2005, 08:57 PM

mine leaks and collects water in the spare tire area as well. it leaks in from the hatch somewhere and drips down through where the hydraulic lifts connect to the car. i can NOT find the hole anywhere.

it also seems to be wet near the light fixture in the cieling as well.

WRW · #10 10-26-2005, 06:52 PM

I have water and moisture everywhere. Last week it rained hard and I had 2 inches of water in my spare wheel well. I have towels all over the back to help soak up the moisture and rain that comes in. Help! I love my car and want to keep it for at least another 160k miles.

Any ideas as to who can fix it in the Northern Virginia area?

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