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Trunk Leaks?

By Jim Fogarty

Gentlemen:

I fixed both the water pump leak and the trunk water leak. The pump was easy, just water seeping past the mounting bolt.

The trunk seal seems to have a design flaw that I would like to explain to help others.

The trunk seal at the bottom seeps water into the spare tire well. This can be soaked and wet for a long time before detection.

The water gets behind AND inside the trunk seal from the top nearthe back window glass. The water runs along side and under the OUTER side of the rubber seal.

When it reaches the lower trunk lip, it actually accumulates underneath. The outer seal is such a good seal that it does not allow that water to drip out. When the water level gets higher
than the trunk's lower lip, the water seeps in....

To fix it:

I cut a one inch piece out of each lower OUTSIDE trunk seal about 2 inches in from the curve on each side. This is the side of the seal towards the bottom of the car. Since the center of the seal
(a round open tube) also had water in it, I also cut a smaller hole on each side of that to release the water in about the same place.

It worked beautifully....

Al, if GM redesigns the trunk seal as I have said, this will solve the problem. A local dealer had to do a buyback under PA's lemon law over this leak...
 
Hope this helps someone out there,
Jim Fogarty
99 Seville