Removing roof plastic trim to stop leak

[south_bound]

Hi, does anyone know how to remove the black plastic roof trim on a Mk 2 hatchback without breaking it, as I don't see anything about this in the Haynes manual?

I have had a leak in my boot for a while now and determined to find how the water is getting in and then fix it.  I thought it was coming in through the light fixings so sealed that up with grease but it carried on coming in.   Anyway, I have now taken off all the carpet and trim in that area and found that it leaks when I pour water onto the roof and it comes in through a small hole in the boot surround, near the higher of the light fixing screw hole and just above the electrical light cables.  If I pour water lower down just below the roof then there is no water coming in. That tells me that the leak is at a seam in the roof panel hidden under the roof plastic trim, but how to get to it to silicone it up?  I have attached photos which might help make sense of this description - where I was pouring the water and where it is coming into the boot. 

 

Any thoughts on the best way to do this would be welcome.

[Tdci-Peter]

2 hours ago, south_bound said:

how to remove the black plastic roof trim on a Mk 2 hatchback without breaking it, as I don't see anything about this in the Haynes manual?

I had a rear roof leak on my estate, and managed to squeeze enough silicone up into the ends of the roof trims / rack rails to stop it.

But to remove the roof trims, I think you have to drop the headliner inside the car. On my car all the bolts come through and can be accessed from below. Removing the headliner is not as hard as Haynes makes out. It is just held up by all the trim items that are screwed through it and by some of the trim panels that are clipped in place. I have dropped my headliner on one side, for access to above it to fit a light. The only hard bit was the A-pillar (windscreen pillar) trim, I had to break the clips to release it, but it still fits back ok. So it is time consuming, and a bit fiddly, but no real problem.

[Nathan Buffery]

I swear this is not a wind up, but when I had my boat, I used to buy a product called "Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure". It's a kind of resin that you apply to the top (say your roof trim) and it would penetrate along with the water and seal any small leaks. I used it around the deck fittings. A little easier than taking your headlining down. 

[south_bound]

Thanks both.  I found this other forum thread http://www.tyresmoke.net/forum/topic/125096-focus-boot-water-leak-help/ and the last couple of posts talk about water getting into the seam (they included a photo) but do not mention how they lifted the trim piece to get in there to seal it up.  I read somewhere it is stuck down with adhesive pads and will break the trim if you try to lift it which I hope is not the case.  

 

I guess that the estate version have the roof rails bolted through the roof because it needs to hold some weight, whereas the hatchback versions trim doesn't really do anything except hide the weld lines. 

[south_bound]

Just to report back  for future reference, the plastic strip lifts up very easily, almost as it it was held down just by the dirt that had accumulated underneath it.  There is a weld seam there and some of the filler looks to have become brittle and cracked, and it was damp in that area despite a warm sunny day (the other side was dry).  I am not sure how I will squeeze silicone sealant into that so it does look like it could be a job for Captain Trolley...

I will have to stick the trim back down as well, maybe using silicone or it will start flapping about and I will lose it.

[man10101]

Hi

Hope you read this!

Have just got a 2005 mk2 focus and found a swimming pool in the spare wheel well when i first opened it!

I have the EXACT same problem with water coming through the EXACT same hole as yours when i pour water on the roof!!

As you i found the roof rails are stuck down and ive also read that removing them will break them but i see you managed to remove / lift yours ok?

Im guessing by your pic you didnt fully remove it just only lifted it enough till you found a crack?

What did you use to seal it in the end - the "Captain Tolley's Creeping Crack Cure"?

And what did you use to stick the rail back down?

Hopefully youve got rid of your leak!

Many thanks

Matt

[south_bound]

Yeah, I lifted up just the end of the trim piece enough to see the seam that is likely leaking.  It came up really easily by pushing a screwdriver (wrapped in tape to stop scratches) from the end.  It stuck back down and held in place surprisingly well  afterwards, but I haven't got around to sealing it yet.  I think I will just get some builders silicone sealer and squeeze it into that area.  If the existing sealant comes away easily enough I will take it out and clean up the area first, otherwise I will just try to add the silicone over it as a first attempt.  Just haven't found the time yet.

[sucofdrof]

I did this not so long ago on my MK2.5 focus, the plastic trims are just stuck down with double sided tape, I used some picture wire remove the trim by feeding it through the end and pulling it back to remove the double sided tape (bit like a wire cheese board) then I used clear bathroom silicon to seal the gully and to also stick the plastic trim back down

[johnbrid]

Had the same problem and first thought it must be the light cluster but testing showed it was only when I sprayed water on the roof for quite a long time (half an hour) so I suspected something under the plastic trim strips on the roof. Did a Google search and came to this forum and the helpful advice. I used a big blunt screwdriver covered with tape and then slowly prised the end of the trim up and found a very fine crack in the sealant in exactly the same place as South_Bound did but much smaller. I am going to clean it out then let it dry then silicone it. The plastic strip should just push back

[Janner7859]

I had the same problem last year, leak in the boot. I sealed the lights, tailgate hinges, and under the ends of the plastic roof strips. Most of my leak was through the rear light fixing screws. But I found earlier this year that I still had a small leak after continuous rain, so I removed the rear spoiler and sealed around all of the holes where the bolts go through. No leak since, fingers crossed I've solved it.

[Alanbarney]

On 2/10/2020 at 7:42 PM, sucofdrof said:

I did this not so long ago on my MK2.5 focus, the plastic trims are just stuck down with double sided tape, I used some picture wire remove the trim by feeding it through the end and pulling it back to remove the double sided tape (bit like a wire cheese board) then I used clear bathroom silicon to seal the gully and to also stick the plastic trim back down

I have a leak above the drivers door where the roof meets the upright , for want of a better word I have removed the plastic strip but it doesn't bad, but I will clean and put some new sealant on .any other ideas .

[keepingitontheroad]

I have exactly the same problem on a Mk3 Focus estate.

Any folk can confirm that for sure the roof trim, the part which a roof-rack would fix onto, for the estate, is DEFINITELY held on with nuts and bolts and requires interior roof skin/material removed to gain access?

Adding some images below of where water is getting in and also of the tailgate hinge which is already re-sealed with rubbery spray (which rules out water entering from there). Water must be coming in from under that roof rail trim area. I don't want to try prising that roof trim off and snap the damn thing......

[keepingitontheroad]

1 hour ago, keepingitontheroad said:

I have exactly the same problem on a Mk3 Focus estate.

Any folk can confirm that for sure the roof trim, the part which a roof-rack would fix onto, for the estate, is DEFINITELY held on with nuts and bolts and requires interior roof skin/material removed to gain access?

Adding some images below of where water is getting in and also of the tailgate hinge which is already re-sealed with rubbery spray (which rules out water entering from there). Water must be coming in from under that roof rail trim area. I don't want to try prising that roof trim off and snap the damn thing......

Ahaaa....

 

Looks like somebody figured this out.....(not my vehicle - just from another website)

[Steve222]

My Focus Mk2.5 estate developed a leak two years ago which took the same form as keepingitontheroad's post two above, with water coming through the slatted ventilation grille. This happened off and on for a couple of weeks then stopped. No water came in again (despite the atrocious weather of late) but today I opened the tailgate after two days of pretty constant rain and found about three pints of water in the rubber boot mat. Fortunately it's the Ford one with the turned up sides and so it contained the quite impressive lake. Haynes wasn't as lucky and the copy I keep in the boot had absorbed probably another half a pint of water (now drying on a radiator). Removing the plastic trim and pushing down the headlining which was damp at the edge, I poured water in all the likely places and then when I poured it about a foot from the rear end of the black plastic strip a steady drip appeared inside the roof above the wet headlining.

     I Googled the problem for instructions on how to remove the black strip and was pleased to find this forum and the fact that I'm not alone. I've had many Fords since my Mk2 Cortina in 1978 and the common factor is that without exception they have all leaked, even when relatively new. The only two non-Ford cars I've had (Vauxhall Carlton and Bedford HA van) are the only two that haven't leaked! When we have the technology to put a man on the Moon, why can't Henry Ford build a car that is watertight? Surely that's not too much to ask! I've already cured one leak into the offside front foot well of the Focus, which was creeping in where the loom comes through the bulkhead.

     Thanks for the info on the forum, which seems to have a lot of useful, well-informed postings.