civicpapi

I have searched and come up with the typical stuff on this, I need a new approach.

I have 96 civic ex coupe, with a trunk leak.

I have checked the sunroof drains, and they are draining from all corners. I checked the tail lights, and even siliconed around the edges where the body meets the light itself. I have a fairly new trunk seal and moved the trunk latch down a bit. I have siliconed the edge of the left trunk where the quarter panel is (typical spot for leaks)

I have had the rear window resealed.

Anyone have any thoughts? It seems to be on the drivers side far left back corner area.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

check the side rear window trim seal. it just pops off with clips and there are holes in the body that water can sneak in from. seal up those holes with a rubber sealer before clipping the trim back on.

civicpapi

I had read your threads before so I understand what you mean.

Except I have a 2 door coupe, no trim in that area.

civicpapi

It rained yesterday still water in trunk. I have a question for civic coupe (96-2000) owners I know that the taillights are notorious for leaks. I sealed up my taillights and still when I open the trunk lid after it rains waters comes out from bottom of the lights (there is a channel right below the housing). Does this happen to anyone else?

For some reason I am thinking it is not from the light housing, anyone have an issue with the trunk license plate surround drawing water into the trunk?

dnice78

I'm having the same problem, but mine is pooling up by the fender wells, maybe if we all pull our heads together and figure this out, it can be a sticky? in the 6G

civicpapi

Mine is pooling by the drivers side rear left corner and then going into the spare tire well.

Have you replaced your tail light gaskets? Do you have water pooling into the light housing? I even sealed around the tail lights where it meets the body with silicone, so I puzzled how water is getting into that light area.

cb450sc

how about getting the flashlight out, put the seats down, hop in and check to see where it is leaking from the next time it rains?

civicpapi

I was out in the rain yesterday looking around, seems like a slow leak that just builds up over a few hours.

Acidsniper

Mine was from the tail light housing. The way I found it was I folded the rear seats down, pulled out all the trunk lining and laid in there with a flashlight while my wife soaked the car with my pressure washer. Found the leak real quick.

civicpapi

That is one of the first things I did was replace tail light gasket. One day I opened the trunk and still had water coming in from under the light when I opened the trunk, so I pulled the light again put in silicone and placed back in, sure enough leaked again. Finally I siliconed the space between the body and light housing, still water getting in. So, I am thinking it is not the light. Interesting if you look at the trunk tail light opening, there is a hole under water is collecting in there when you open the trunk it spills out. That is one area water is getting in. I do have idea, this weekend I am going to try.

dnice78

My trunk is gutted and i looked around for tel-tale signs of leaks i.e. streaks from water, I found nothing. Will have to sit in my trunk next spring when the civic comes out of hybernation and wait for some leakage.

ScottDR

I have noticed some water getting into my 96 coupe as well. It pools on the passenger side near the wheel well arch. Hmm, maybe it is from the rear quarter glass as previously mentioned from Gearbox. Anyone tried resealing the rear side window's?

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

you dont really need to mess with the window, just the trim around it which pulls off and clips back in.

civicpapi

Except that the coupes do not have that trim.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

oh okay, it could be the window seal i guess, it just doesnt seem like they would go bad tho. its a pain to take it out and reseal. also, i think this would only cause leaking inside the car and not in the trunk. with sedans, the trim holes are in the body framework and water gets in there and flows to the back where it empties in the trunk. you really need to spend time in the trunk with all the carpets removed when its raining, otherwise its very hard to find the exact problem area.

civicpapi

I was wondering 96 to 2000 coupe owners (I think sedan has them too), take a look at the bottom of the trunk lid when opened, right under the trunk tail light assembly, there is a stamped oval hole, do you think water can sneak up in there? I wonder if I plugged that hole with say tape what would happen? Any thoughts guys?

toy4two

my trunk looked like a bath tub when I opened it today (massive rain in So Cal). Soaked it all up and then put all my tools and jumper cables in plastic bags. I thought it was the holes from the spoiler (coupe) but sounds like the tail lights.

For the 10 days of rain I drive in a year its not worth fixing, just put towels down for those days.

civicpapi

What model do you have coupe or sedan?

Believe me if it was the tails for me, life would be easy.

kid1293

my 97 is leaking same place by the drivers side seems like by the speaker deck i have been inside with a flashlight with a garden hose on top seems like rear window corner under the seal has rotted away i keep a pan in my trunk and i get alot of water in it just dont want to pop out the rear window in 30 degree weather.

civic_si98

Hey guys, I just bought a 98 civic si and I also have the trunk leak problem. At first I discovered water dripping from the left taillight after I opened the trunk so I changed the seal. That was about a week ago. It rained again today and I discovered more water so i tore out everything from the trunk to discover water coming in from these little white plastic clips that fasten the plastic bumper to the body. The left side is the worst but even the one on the right leaks too. Boo honda. The drain for the moonroof is right beside it, also if you look from the outside where the crack is betweeb the bumper and the body you can see the square plastic clips. How the hell do you stop those from leaking? There punched right through the body. And also there still seams to be water dripping from my left taillight so I took it off again and it seems to be dry behind the seal yet there is water in around the opening of the taillight

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

for the clips, get a tube of black rubber sealer and squeeze some around the clip before popping back in. it will dry and shrink and block water from coming in. its strong enough to hold, but not permanent so you can always pull the bumper off.

civic_si98

Sounds good, thanks.

civicpapi

So you replaced the tail light gasket right and still getting water in there right? me too. Water is getting in there another way. Seems not from light section but the stamped section around it.

Do me a favor, open the lid and right under the tail light there is a stamped hole, I am wondering if water is siphoning up in there?????? I wonder if I tape them shut would it help?

Same thing for me, those clips, all I did was cover them with silicone, can be removed if needed.

I still have water dripping from the top left corner, I siliconed the hell out of the rear quarter panel and the trunk gutter, still water is dripping from the top to bottom of the left corner.

gearbox

iTrader: (95)

you guys have to remove everything in the trunk down to the metal. when i did that i also noticed a big hole the size of 2 quarters in the rear fender where the sheet metal somehow "tore" up. now thats prolly hard for water to get in since its above the wheel, but i sealed it up anyway with metal putty.

civicpapi

Yes, I checked the wheel well area, I patched a little hole in the seam sealer, but 1 of my leaks is from the top down, left corner, can't seem to stop it.

cb450sc

I siliconed in two plastic covers into those stamped holes. However, it was only one of the things that eventually stopped my leaks.

civicpapi

Where else did you find leaks?

civic_si98

Yeah there is definately water around the stamped area but there is suppost to be water there. I know the stamped whole you are referring to but I dont see how water would get up there. But there are 3 little black clips that run along the bottom of the trunk lid. Try popping them out to maybe let whatever water gets in there to drain out? It would drain on the outside of the weatherstripping so it wouldnt get in the trunk.

civicpapi

We think a like, I was thinking of popping at least one of those little black clips off, on the left side where it is worse.

civicpapi

You mean the trunk lid holes, what kind of plastic covers did you use?