Water gets in the trunk when I open it in the rain

[Talax74]

I googled the problem and saw that is well known, but so far I haven't seen and DIY solution.

Problem statement: when it rains, if I open the trunk water gets into the trunk as if it is a gutter collector. Water is coming in not only from the trunk that is opening, but also from the water that slides from the rear window. When the trunk is closed no probelm

Has anyone been able to fix the problem?
Does anyone have a solution apart not opening the trunk or parking in a slope with the point of the car towards the bottom?

Thank you all for your help

 

[GolanB]

I googled the problem and saw that is well known, but so far I haven't seen and DIY solution.

Problem statement: when it rains, if I open the trunk water gets into the trunk as if it is a gutter collector. Water is coming in not only from the trunk that is opening, but also from the water that slides from the rear window. When the trunk is closed no probelm

Has anyone been able to fix the problem?
Does anyone have a solution apart not opening the trunk or parking in a slope with the point of the car towards the bottom?

Thank you all for your help

The issue you've described is likely something we're going to have to live with; it is not entirely uncommon in sedans - far less common in hatchbacks. I haven't seen any solution posted either. People have attempted to change the seals, and it still does not prevent water from jumping the gap and settling into the trunk. In most rain conditions, however, the velocity of the water runoff isn't high enough to jump the gap.

The experience in the video below is more usual, and here the Model 3 fairs reasonably well.

Snow is another matter entirely, and it is probably a good idea to clear it off before opening the trunk.

 

[Rottenapplr]

It’s bad design. I can imagine a lip can prevent this but that will also ruin the aero dynamics. I say use a rubber trunk liner and also a heavy towel to wipe any water.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Looks like the size of the gutter gap is critical. If it off by 2mm, it’ll be a problem. Also, in that video, it looks like the Model 3 is parked on a driveway that is slightly sloping towards the front of the car (as you would expect in a properly designed driveway). Presumably that makes a difference too.

 

[GolanB]

It happens to be raining now, so I went out to the car to take a closer look with my camera, towel, and squeegee blade. Most of the water made it into the drain channel, but some of it did not.

 

[Cosmacelf]

A squeegee isn’t a good test. The velocity of the water is different from gravity on the water droplets.

 

[GolanB]

One issue I didn't yet look into more deeply is where the water run off goes once it hits the drain channel. Some users have complained that the water will pool inside the rear bumper, eventually filling, adding weight, and failing. I'm going to take a closer look at this today. This is apparently an issue with some VIN ranges.

Tesla Model 3 rain troubles – Electric Vehicle Wiki

 

[GolanB]

A squeegee isn’t a good test. The velocity of the water is different from gravity on the water droplets.

Since its continuing with moderate rain, I took another video to demonstrate normal rain flow:

In higher flow conditions that short gap gets jumped - many of us have seen it happen.

 

[VT_EE]

I googled the problem and saw that is well known, but so far I haven't seen and DIY solution.

Problem statement: when it rains, if I open the trunk water gets into the trunk as if it is a gutter collector. Water is coming in not only from the trunk that is opening, but also from the water that slides from the rear window. When the trunk is closed no probelm

Has anyone been able to fix the problem?
Does anyone have a solution apart not opening the trunk or parking in a slope with the point of the car towards the bottom?

Thank you all for your help

Solution: Don’t clean the car. The dirt slows the water down so it won’t run into the trunk. If you wax or put on ceramic, you’re screwed.

 

[WolfHero]

Just get an all weather trunk mat.

 

[azred]

Move to Phoenix.

 

[Cosmacelf]

Since its continuing with moderate rain, I took another video to demonstrate normal rain flow:

In higher flow conditions that short gap gets jumped - many of us have seen it happen.

It is hard to tell, but it looks like your gap is smaller than in the first video by a tiny amount. It looks like your glass extends slightly further into the channel area. I suspect this small difference is what causes the problem is and why some owners see a problem and others don’t.

 

[GolanB]

It is hard to tell, but it looks like your gap is smaller than in the first video by a tiny amount. It looks like your glass extends slightly further into the channel area. I suspect this small difference is what causes the problem is and why some owners see a problem and others don’t.

I've taken a measurement, and at its shortest gap (towards the center of the trunk), it is approximately 20mm or 2cm distance between the edge of the glass and the beginning of the rubber seal. Across the sides as the glass curves, the gap widens a bit, but not by much.

Makes me wonder whether or not a seal couldn't be made that extends higher than the lip of the glass, and compresses back down again when the trunk is in a closed position. Over time, it may lose some of its height from compression, but it could potentially work.

 

[Leafdriver333]

Not only does the water fall into the trunk but also on dry days, the small things that drop from the trees spill into the trunk when I open it.

 

[SammichLover]

Clearly this is why Tesla designed the rear seats to open from inside the cabin.

 

[drdumont]

I realize this is an old thread, but indeed water ran off the rear glass into the trunk of my two Feb 2020 Model 3s (SR+). There were a couple of add ons promoted to relieve this. I took delivery of my 2022 Model 3 LR AWD and noticed that the gasket is bigger (longer from the glass to the rear), in the shape of a trough, and there are a bunch of holes to drain the trough onto the metal before it can run into the trunk. Thus far, it works!