This will be the 2nd time in 6 months that I have run into this problem. I first found it when I went to change a flat tire. There was about 3" of water in my spare tire well. I bailed everything out and dried it out as good as I could. The interesting part was that nothing else in my truck was wet. It looked like the water had just appeared in that area. not even the hard foam around the edges of the well was wet. I figured it was a fluke until yesterday when I was detailing my car. Again the tire well was 3" deep in water.

I'm lost as to what to look for. The two rubber plugs in the tire well seem to be in good shape and I have no idea where the water is coming from.


HELP

 

In the short term, I suggest removing one of the plugs to let it drain, rather than collect water.
Check weather strip around the perimeter of the trunk, where the lid seats. With lid open gently apply water along outsideedge of weather strip starting from lowest edge & working toward highest. This should either help find the leak, or rule out weather stripping.

 

I will be checking this weekly at this point. I thought about removing one of the drain plugs but was worried about gaining more water. I will check the weather stripping this weekend. It baffles me becasue nothing else in the trunk is wet. I also have the factory rubberized tray thing in there that has the lip. I would think I would either see a water trail on the panneling or I would have water somewhere else in the trunk. With the volume of water that is in there it seems like a major failure point.

 

Well I tried the water test. I can't see anywhere that I am getting a leak.

Anyone got any other suggestions?

 

Bringing this back to the top. I haven't seen the problem but every time it rains I do get condensation in the tire well. No where else in the car

Would it be bad for me to put like a undercoating or bed liner in the spare tire well to seal it? Are there any drains in that section that I need to worry about?

thanks

 

I don't have a problem with mine, but since water flows downhill it would probably be safe to remove a drain plug (unless you are parking in deep water). I would suspect the trunk seal. Maybe mix up some koolaid (for color) and water and pour it around the closed trunk gap to see if it is coming in that way. If not, then possibly there is a leak by a wheel well and it is being splashed in. Any correlation between rain and the 3"? If it is just due to condensation, wow. You have a well sealed trunk and pulling the drain plugs makes a lot of sense.

 

It completly corelates with rainfall. I have tested the trunk seal a couple of times now and can't find the leak. The strangest thing is it's only the tire well that shows any evidence of water. I have even layed paper towels under the floor mat and they stay dry except for in the well.