Leaky 626

[jabailo]

I have a Mazda 626.

After a heavy rain, the floor wells on the passenger side are completely soaked...with almost a quarter inch of water.

Also, in the trunk, the passenger side well in the rear, where the jack is, was full of water.

Can you suggest where the water is coming from so I can plug it?

 

[SteveSter]

If you have a sunroof check the little holes on the sides and blow compressed air into it. Check and clean the rubber around the doors and around the side mirrors. Lastly take out your taillights make sure everything is sealed to that water doesnt get past them and maybe put some rubber sealant around them.

 

[jabailo]

I do have a crack in the passenger side tail light. I'll patch it up with some tape to see if your theory is right!

 

[SteveSter]

May just do the trick, let me know if it works.

 

[jabailo]

Well, it's rained a few times, but I'm still waiting for the current water to dry up completely.

Still it doesn't seem to have taken on more water...I'll report back in a few days.

This is the Puget Sound -- rain is something we got a lot of!

(rlaugh)(rlaugh)

 

[jabailo]

Back to the drawing board

No, the tail light wasn't it.

Tonight after a moderate rain and short drive, I found that the well in the passenger side trunk and the rear seat passenger side well had taken on water again.

I'm wondering if it's coming from the wheel well and spraying down both sides -- to the trunk and the passenger area...

 

[SteveSter]

Hmm if its in the trunk it has to be coming from a high point in the car. Is the trunk leaking in? Does the trunk carpet get wet of it just shows up in the well? Could also be the rear window.

 

[jabailo]

The trunk carpet near the well gets a bit damp, but not really wet. And the trunk seal is not above the trunk well which is to the far right side and very narrow (it's where the tire jack normally stays).

Yes, it has to be coming from a high point because it doesn't drain out when the rain stops. However, the metal wall near the tail light and on the fender side are dry.

That leaves the wheel well which is under a plastic cowling...I've been reluctant to remove that because it has those plastic rivets that seem impossible to reseat once you pull them out.

Or, it could be the trunk seal as you suggest, which would make a lot of sense except that it doesn't seem to be on top of the well in order to drip into it...

 

[kboutsider]

I had an old Pontiac Sunbird that leaked like that. It turned out the trunk and rear wheel wells were rotten along the weld seams. What was happening was the water being kicked up from driving during rain was running into the car. It was kind of a big job, had to remove all the trunk carpet and the rear seats. welded new metal along the entire rear of the car at the seams then put a couple cans of "rino liner" in it never leaked again.

 

[hotass6gt]

Since you don't list what gen of 626 you have, my first inclination would be the seal between tail lights and body sheet metal is bad. On mine, I ran a small bead of RTV along this seam. This stopped the collection of water in the trunk

Only other thing it could be is your sunroof drain, but you'll have to drop your headliner to check them.

and yes, I realize this thread is a bit old.