Focus Mk 1 Water Leak Into Boot Area, With Pics

[RiffRaff]

@AliG3 and @PAPUMA, I have been having the same problem of water collecting in that small hatch either side of the boot. Much like yourselves I was determined it was coming through the tail light mounts. After sealing them up as best I could, which didn't help, I moved on to the vents and taped them up. Still no joy. Today I climbed into the boot with a torch and got a friend to spray a hose over the back of the car. If you look towards the back of the car from the vent you will see a vertical seam. It's basically directly behind the vent. For me the water is getting in just were the factory seal (sort of flesh coloured mastic or something) ends. I'm going to try sealing it with silicone or something in the next few days and will let you know how I get on. Hope this helps someone and hope you haven't went to all that hassle of replacing vents. I'd advise getting into the boot and getting a mate to hose the car to be sure.

[PAPUMA]

Thanks alot mate, really helpful.

I will do that on Sunday. I was convinced it was getting through the screw that holds the light as it was rusty, but thinking about it there is way to much water getting in for it to be coming in there.

Hopefully you have found the cause. :)

[RiffRaff]

I threw some silicone over the vertical seam behind the vent but still leaking so back into the boot today with a mate hosing the car. Water seems to be getting in further up that seam and because it's in that small hatch it's more or less impossible to get at. I turned my attention to the outside and found the seam that seems to correspond with that one. I reckon the vertical seam below the tail light may be guilty so I taped it up with insulating tape, put a hose on it and it seems to be working. I'll give it a couple of days of rain and see how it goes. Pics show where I first siliconed the seam from the inside (black silicone I had lying around) and other pics show the seam being taped up. If it works and the tape holds I may just leave it like that, when the boot is closed it can't be seen. Fingers crossed. Anyone wants to try the same let me know, I'll get back to you after some rain.

[PAPUMA]

If you look at the beginning of this thread it shows silicone being used in the same place as your tape, between the bumper and the body. I didnt think this was where mine was leaking as the water was pooling under the vent, not the other side of the lip.

But today i undid the two screws on top of the bumper and pulled down on it. I found a hole right on the corner of the body, where the bumper raps around, so i have filled this with sealent and also put some where you have the tape.

I was not going to let this beat me but noticed today that i am now getting water on the other side, this looks like its coming from the vent though.

So i think it can get in from various place:

Through the screws that hold the lights in place

Through the vents

Through the top of the bumper

Through little holes in the bodywork

I think i might just take the bumper off, and use fibre glass to patch any holes, remove the vents and fibre glass the holes left and then silicone every join i can find. I will also remove the roof trim and reseal that.

If it still leaks after that i will just drill some holes in the corner of each side of the boot and let the water drain away,

[RiffRaff]

The tape over the bumper was from a previous experiment. I was actually talking about the vertical seam going up towards the tail light. But this hasn't worked either. Mine is definitely coming from above inside the small hatch and can't be coming from the tail lights because they're at the back of the car and if you reach inside that hatch it runs up the side. I had thought maybe the small quarter windows but it's not them either. I'm just about ready to give up. I think your idea of drilling drain holes seems the best option.

[artscot79]

trust me the hatch leads to the tail light fittings mate fixed quite a few

[RiffRaff]

trust me the hatch leads to the tail light fittings mate fixed quite a few

I'm just judging by the bottom bolt with the plastic nut at the back which is behind the trim in the boot. Do the top screw and locating lug lead into that hatch? Do you mean you've fixed quite a few with this problem? What did you use? Any help would be much appreciated.

[artscot79]

the only way to sort this issue is to seal the lot in one go the boot interior will need to be stripped out all plastic trims under the light location internally the best stuff to use is marine sealant used on ships eBay sell it

[PAPUMA]

Well, i have finally fixed the leaking issue. I undid the top screws on the bumper, so i could push it down. I cleaned out all the gunk from in there and noticed on the right side that there was a small hole in the bodywork. It was on the corner where the metal folds around. I filled this hole with sealent and put more sealent on the top gap where the bumper meets the body. If you look at the very first post on this thread its where the arrow is on the pic but i sealed right into the corner. I then put the screws back on. Left it for a day then washed the car, purposly aiming the hose in the area that i had sealed. Opened the boot and it bone dry inside. That was three weeks or so ago and its still dry in there. Sealent is working as i notice that water pools on top of the bumper now.