in February I thought I'd fixed the leak as I sealed around the rear lights and boot hinges but its leaking again. where are the main places these cars leak from? also my gutter sealant seems to peel off so maybe I didnt apply it correctly.ive read the main areas are the boot hinges and the roof gutter where the plastic trim is. I can't actually see any cracks but I've just added gorilla tape to see if this stops the leaks so I know where it's coming from.

where exactly do the hinges leak? the top or the bottom? 

8 hours ago, Jason87 said:

in February I thought I'd fixed the leak as I sealed around the rear lights and boot hinges but its leaking again. where are the main places these cars leak from? also my gutter sealant seems to peel off so maybe I didnt apply it correctly.ive read the main areas are the boot hinges and the roof gutter where the plastic trim is. I can't actually see any cracks but I've just added gorilla tape to see if this stops the leaks so I know where it's coming from.

where exactly do the hinges leak? the top or the bottom? 

No expert on where you might find the leaks as such, but I can recommend a brilliant sealer that will stop water leaking even when the surface is still damp or wet , ideally it does need to be dry . The sealer is called CT1.  It can obtained in different colours also in clear 

Hi, just wanted to make sure you know about this easy fix for leaking boot.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJpgZorpULM

Love this guy chastising Ford engineers. (:

I have exactly the same problem. I had a leak on both sides of the boot. I sealed the hinges, the ends of the roofrails, and around both back lights. This solved the problem until I just noticed after the recent couple of days of heavy rain, it's leaking on the drivers side again.

28 minutes ago, Janner7859 said:

I have exactly the same problem. I had a leak on both sides of the boot. I sealed the hinges, the ends of the roofrails, and around both back lights. This solved the problem until I just noticed after the recent couple of days of heavy rain, it's leaking on the drivers side again.

The only thing I can suggest how you might find the leak is you need someone to run water with a hosepipe or watering can over the area while you are sitting inside too see where the water is coming from

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm pretty sure it's leaking from the offside rear light again. I went to the boot the other day, after heavy rain, and I could see a couple of drips running down the carpet immediately under the light. I think I need to find a better, more permanent type of sealer.

4 minutes ago, Janner7859 said:

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm pretty sure it's leaking from the offside rear light again. I went to the boot the other day, after heavy rain, and I could see a couple of drips running down the carpet immediately under the light. I think I need to find a better, more permanent type of sealer.

The CT1 sealant is a brilliant permanent sealer , so I suggest only using it on something you don’t want to remove in the future because it has a very strong bond and you could struggle to remove the part without damaging it

CT1 could be a problem in this situation. The leak is around the screws that secure the rear light to the body, so it has to be removable to change the bulbs. I'll have to find something else I think.

43 minutes ago, Janner7859 said:

CT1 could be a problem in this situation. The leak is around the screws the secure the rear light to the body, so it has to be removable to change bulbs. I'll have to find something else I think.

You could perhaps use a gutter sealant, it never goes hard and stays pliable 

It's worth looking at. Whatever I use, I will have to make sure it doesn't damage the paint though. As you probably know, some chemicals react badly with paint.

24 minutes ago, Janner7859 said:

It's worth looking at. Whatever I use, I will have to make sure it doesn't damage the paint though. As you probably know, some chemicals react badly with paint.

I would suggest only putting any sealer where the existing seal is , not around the outside of the lamp where it can be seen

I'm still getting water coming in and now it's from both sides. could it be from the lights? I'm guessing I didn't seal the screw holes correctly previously? I've just sealed the screw holes as per the below pic, is this correct? its driving me mad.

 

7 minutes ago, Jason87 said:

I'm still getting water coming in and now it's from both sides. could it be from the lights? I'm guessing I didn't seal the screw holes correctly previously? I've just sealed the screw holes as per the below pic, is this correct? its driving me mad.

 

I can only suggest you try and find exactly where the leak is coming from with someone sitting inside looking in that area while someone is pouring water on the outside of the vehicle. 
 The only different ways water could come into the vehicle otherwise is when you are driving , perhaps the wheel arch seams or something like a rubber grommet has come adrift. Condensation can be a big problem also when the vehicle becomes wet and damp inside .

Probably no consolation (or help) but this is how I cured my own boot leak in my Mk2...

 

I can see droplets on the plastic trim above the lights from looking under. seems to be wet on the sponges so its coming from the light area

16 minutes ago, Jason87 said:

I can see droplets on the plastic trim above the lights from looking under. seems to be wet on the sponges so its coming from the light area

I have known the rear washer pipe to leak and water run down the rear quarter pillar, unless it’s leaking along the roof line 

if it is from the lights, Is how I've sealed the screw Holes correct? it's hard to work out how to make a seal as the rear light is a rectangle plastic screw piece

10 minutes ago, Jason87 said:

if it is from the lights, Is how I've sealed the screw Holes correct? it's hard to work out how to make a seal as the rear light is a rectangle plastic screw piece

I have just looked on you tube at water leaking inside the boot area.  There seems like there are a number of different areas and reasons water could be getting into the vehicle . 

I have the same issue with my 2005 MK2 estate. Roof liner is completely dry. I've got some water from the passenger side rear vent.

I've sealed the bolts and put some fresh gutter sealant around the square hole for the electrical connector.

After this change I'm still found water drops at the end of the upper screw and a cable holder next to it.

its annoying that I dont know where its coming from. I was hoping it would be a common fault that can be fixed easy

3 minutes ago, Jason87 said:

 I was hoping it would be a common fault that can be fixed easy

It is a common fault, just one with lots of causes!

I put gorilla tape on the other areas to try and isolate where its coming from I.e the hinges and roof welds

7 hours ago, Jason87 said:

I put gorilla tape on the other areas to try and isolate where its coming from I.e the hinges and roof welds

I have just seen a product called , clear seal spray. 
I don’t know how good it is, the write up looks good . It’s about £15 a can .     There are other spray cans out there mainly used for gutters etc but not clear.  I was thinking of hard to reach areas and perhaps around the tailgate hinges , also around the boot pan areas  and seams .

3 hours ago, Robhonda said:

I have just seen a product called , clear seal spray. 
 

I fear it will have the same issue - will only work if applied to the actual bit causing the leak!

This clear spray might be worth a look if it doesn't react with the paint on the car.