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Water in trunk?

augkuo

Member
Apr 24, 2011
975
2,917
Berkeley
I notice that I'm getting water into the trunk area, particularly on the left edge. Anyone else have this problem? Maybe I just need new seals.

thanks

Augie
 

Sparrow

S105/ Roadster 189
Dec 14, 2010
754
239
Marietta, GA
I have had it in my 1.5 Roadster. The water does seem to come in on the left/driver's side of the car. I haven't figured out where it is getting in, but it seems to only ocur when I wash the car and even then it is sporadic. Normal rain even hard rain does not cause it to leak.
 

slcasner

Active Member
Feb 20, 2011
1,129
762
Sunnyvale, CA
I notice that I'm getting water into the trunk area, particularly on the left edge. Anyone else have this problem? Maybe I just need new seals.
Yes, my car had that problem. Usually when washing the car, rather than from rain. Tesla service fixed it for me under warranty. They don't need to replace the seals, just raise them and/or adjust the deck position.
 

tdelta1000

Active Member
Jul 19, 2009
1,667
12
South Florida
Yes, my car had that problem. Usually when washing the car, rather than from rain. Tesla service fixed it for me under warranty. They don't need to replace the seals, just raise them and/or adjust the deck position.

That seemd like an easy fix. Do you recall how any of the seals on that side looked like prior to the service?
 

slcasner

Active Member
Feb 20, 2011
1,129
762
Sunnyvale, CA
That seemd like an easy fix. Do you recall how any of the seals on that side looked like prior to the service?
I don't recall a noticeable difference. The seals slip onto the top edge of the bucket that forms the trunk. The way they can raise the seal is to take it off, slide some edging onto the edge of the bucket, then put the seal on back over the edging. Thus, it looks the same before and after. At least that is how I think the process went.
 

vfx

Well-Known Member
Aug 18, 2006
14,790
40
CA CA
I have had it in my 1.5 Roadster. The water does seem to come in on the left/driver's side of the car. I haven't figured out where it is getting in, but it seems to only ocur when I wash the car and even then it is sporadic. ...

Try talcum power on the seal before you wash.
 

augkuo

Member
Apr 24, 2011
975
2,917
Berkeley
Tesla service found that water was coming in through the bolts on the bottom of the trunk so they applied a sealant over it - hope that works!

IMG_0618.JPG
IMG_0619.JPG
 

PVG199

Member
Jan 4, 2017
5
1
Signal Hill, CA
Thank you for your post on this and for the pictures. My Roadster trunk has been filling up with water after every heavy rain and I couldn't figure out the source. I'm going to seal the trunk bolts as you suggest, but I'm just curious how water would be moving "up" from beneath the trunk? Did Tesla explain that at all?
 

Kerios

Member
Jan 4, 2017
81
114
Oxford, UK
I'd suggest getting a UV penetrant dye (the type used to find leaks in pipes etc, talk to a local garage where they do aircon/HVAC regasses), put that in a heavy duty sprayer and wash the trunk down several times. Then with a UV lamp see if you can see where the penetration is occurring - I've used this method to follow leaks into all sorts of things, from MG's to satellite assemblies.

Once you have the source there could be various solutions - either new seals, or if a crack (not impossible) in the epoxy trunk, then use some impregnated epoxy tape to seal the fracture - that will give mechanical strength in addition to sealing the leak.
 

Logticom

2010 Roadster Sport | 2015 Model S 85D
Jul 19, 2018
172
132
Zwolle The Netherlands
I also have experience with water in my trunk:

upload_2019-8-21_21-22-31.png


I found out that water came in through the back of the trunk.
On one place where there was no screw.
And through the trunk lighting:

upload_2019-8-21_21-24-5.png


I put the screw back in with a rubber ring behind it.
And put also 2 rubber rings behind the 2 other screws that are in the picture.
And I placed a rubber "mat" between the trunk light and the trunk.
Still only a little bit of water coming in near the trunk light, when I spray a lot of water in the trunk.
 

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Marius

Member
Oct 21, 2012
215
304
Berkel en Rodenrijs NL
Do not forget that the temperature in the trunk varies a lot through the temperature of the electric motor nearby (more then 100 degrees Celsius while driving) and the PEM
This causes a lot of condensation in the trunk and is not a leakage
 
  • Informative
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hcsharp

Active Member
Jun 7, 2011
3,370
1,337
Vermont
Do not forget that the temperature in the trunk varies a lot through the temperature of the electric motor nearby (more then 100 degrees Celsius while driving) and the PEM
This causes a lot of condensation in the trunk and is not a leakage
Are you sure? I live in a humid climate but I've never had condensation in my trunk. Or leaking in over 60k miles. OK, I know that doesn't compare to what you've done, so maybe I just haven't seen it yet?;)
 
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