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Tourer boot leak solved!

Kaput!

Active Member
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Location
BOLTON UK
Car
04 accord tourer 2.0
Rarther than bury my findings in another thread i started regarding this problem i decided to create a new one.Given the age of the pre facelift tourer i'm sure it will help others in future.
Having first looked at the roof seam along both sides i wrongly decided my leak originated elsewhere.I then moved on to testing for leaks on the rear windows,tailgate rubber seal,lights and bootlid hinges but i ruled all these out after much testing.
This led me back to the roof itself.I next did a check on sunroof and the four drain tubes but again no leaks.At this point there was nowhere else water could leak into the car other than from the roof area so i decided to return to the roof seams.
Now my tourer is a 2004 model with no rails although there are a series of bolts along both roof channels beneath the plastic trim.After previous inspection i found NO corrosion outside and NO visible signs of splits/cracks with sealant that bonds roof to side of car.
So with it pouring down today i decided to look again but with a little inspection mirror i made for viewing areas of engine i cant view direct.I eventually discovered a tiny weep half way along the left hand channel under a bolt weld.As it is not large leak instead of dripping striaght down it trickles along the underneath of seam above interior headliner and finally drips down at the back of car.The water then drops onto tailgate wiring loom and eventually down the back of tailgate pillar and into the little trough under the first aid cubby.This in turn fills and enters wheel well and of course if not emptied fills the area below woofer speaker.
This was a tough leak to figure out but now ive found it its an easy fix.I intend to reseal both sides as soon as the rain eases to prevent any further problems.
 

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Great find. Mine's the same age and the same problem so will have a look.....when it stops raining !!
I hate leaky cars,damp/wet interiors just lead to further problems.I would have pulled the entire car apart if nessessary lol Having gone over every inch of it have to say its in remarkable shape for its age so fingers crossed no more puddles.
Good luck hope it helps
 
I had something similar on an Avensis estate, I used Captain Tolleys creeping crack cure to fix it
 
If you zoom in to the first photo you can see the sealant line running upwards to 10 olock along the left side of the drainage channel, the sealant has cracked adjacent to the two spot weld divots.
The crack is only small probably 1mm in width but it is visible.
Polyurethane sealant would probably do a good job there unlike silicone which has no strength.
 
Appologies for the first image...as bounder said the seam runs along the left of the channel as you look from the back.From the outside even using a magnifying glass i could not make out a crack.As others have also previously stated the sealant fails allowing water to seep between join as reason why its a hard one to diagnose.
I can now report that after a deep clean and reseal of entire length of both sides i now have a dry car :)
 
Hi, I am new to this forum but I have had the same issue but it arose from other faults occuring and a final eureka moment, so I hope this helps your sanity.
Not driving as much as we used to, over the last 6 months I have had the odd battery & alarm issue and nothing a jump start wouldn't solve. More recently I have had intermittant alarm issues with it going off at odd time day and night as well as full battery discharge. By accident, I was driving when the tailgate light flashed on and off erratically. Two weeks ago I was surprised to find a 3 inch thich block of ice in the tyre well! Car was defrosted, hole driled in tyre well and all water removed, followed by all the rear door trim and then the boot trim etc. as I suspected a faulty door latch and possibly a blocked sunroof drain. Both were fine.
Continued to remove more and more trim chasing wet panels until I got to roof lining level when all became clear.
In cold conditions, moisture forms on cold surfaces which in this case is the inside of the cars roof. In normal circumstances, this is nominal and it falls onto a wadding on the roof liner and then evaporates. Not using the car much has led to this escallating and the wadding becoming saturated and running further down the car. As there are no drain points in the rear wheel arch cavity, the water runs down into these areas, over flows and then fills the tyre well. In doing so, it also drowns an electrical connector that feeds the rear door electrics, hence the electrical drain and alarm issues.
Solution was to run the car to remove as much moisture as possible and to drill 3 new drain holes, one in each rear wheel arch sill and one in the tyre well. These were then fitted with grommets and sealed with CT1.
Similar wet issue with an 04 Civic type S (but not in the wheel well) and it just drips through the headliner onto what ever is below. Solution is to run the car regularly to keep it from getting damp.
Having owned Hondas for 25 years, I have never come across this issue before and a quick chat to my dad uncovers he has the same issue on his FRV!
Hope this helps anyone elso having similar issues.
 
Hello and welcome.I am really thankful you joined and shared your findings here because this problem is driving me nuts lol.
As i previously said i thought id solved my leak but NOPE!
An inspection yesterday revealed i have a small amount of water in left boot cubby.So i removed trim and lowered roof liner and found condensation everywhere.Now i know 100% i have no roof leaks so we now know whats been happening.My tourer is my second car and as such can be unused for a few days.Its been a very wet few weeks but weve had some short freezing spells too.As soon as the air cools outside the moisture inside the car condenses underneath the roof and if not dried (either directly or through daily use) builds up enough to drip and/or run across and down.The position my car is parked most nights would enable the water to find its way to the area i find it and therefore makes tracing its path easy now.
It has not caused me any electrical issues yet but the moisture finds it way to the tailgate wiring loom before dripping down behind left tailgate pillar trim.
Not really any way i can prevent it other than getting the fan heater in the car every other day to try keep things dry.
 
Oh as i think you touched on in another thread there are alarm system wires around that area too.two run to sensor in boot and four are routed out through left cubby vent to another sensor on inside of rear bumper.Luckily for me all my wiring intact so although wet they are shielded.Anyone who has connecting blocks etc there surely would experience alarm/battery drain issues.
 
Might be a good investment to purchase a dessicant type dehumidifier and put it the car and run it for a few hours occasionally.
I have one for a campervan and it makes a big difference.
Dessicant types perform well in low temps unlike the refrigerant types which cease to function below 3-4 °C
 
Yes good call...i dried the roof area out today whilst i was working on the knock sensor.The lagging wasn't soggy like yours but the metal roof was pretty wet.I will look at options later and monitor it daily to see if the drip onto wiring loom stops.
 
Hi, just a quick update on my previous solution. The images show the connector hidden in the RHS of the boot showing corrosion. The new drains are working fine. I removed the harness from the lower harness mount and raised it. I also found that the cubby was still collecting water - forgot it is waterproof and collects anything that doesn't fall into the sill. Decided to remove it temporarily rather than drill a hole and allow it to keep getting wet. Rear door closer and alarm are all working fine so far.
Corroded Connector.jpgNew Drain & lifted Connector.jpgCubby hole still collects.jpg
 
PS - also considering a desicant type dehumidifier now the condensation level is no longer a 3" deep pool and a nominal bit of moisture.
 
Glad you seem to be making progress.Weve had snow here today so perfect conditions for moisture inside car...ill check it later.I drilled one 7mm hole in each cubby just incase.That way no water build up spilling over into main spare wheel well if i dont use car for a while.
Can i ask....Did you rule out a leak from either or both rear boot windows (left/right)? As the car body has an inner skin its difficult to see from inside.
 
When I first investigated, I thought there may be a window leak as I felt moisture across the whole panel but a quick hose down from the outside confirmed nothing getting in through the window seals. Usually the black painted area on the window becomes cloudy if there is a leak.
Problem has been fixed for a week now and I only get a bit of water present near the new drains and moisture level in the car is reduced.
 
A month further on and all is well. The odd signs of water in the rear sill but no alarm issues, 3" iceblocks or door issues.
 
I know this is a old post, just got my accord tourer with roof rails, has a leak same as post, what's the best way to reseal the leak, remove roof rails and seal from the top, or reseal under the headliner?
 
I know this is a old post, just got my accord tourer with roof rails, has a leak same as post, what's the best way to reseal the leak, remove roof rails and seal from the top, or reseal under the headliner?

I'm in the same position having only got my tourer a few days ago. Mine doesn't have the roof rails but I'm looking for a pair.
 
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