Water leak - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

Autobody-Girl · 10-24-2011, 03:16 PM

I have a 90 corolla. For a long time I've been scratching my head on this leak I've been seeing. Everytime it rains I get water un the cab on the floor in the back. I've been told it's my tail lamps leaking but it's a lot of water getting into my car. I've sealed up broken wather strip but there's still water. I am considering tht it is the tail lamps but how do I fix this problem? Are there gaskets I need for the tail lamps? Or do I use a special rtv goop?

Flashmn · 10-24-2011, 05:47 PM

Ok one tip. Dont use normal silicon caulking on car bodies, it rusts the body due to muriatic acid. Has to be without muriatic acid. For mouldings use Polyurethane caulk, however for the tail lights use Butyl caulk.

Autobody-Girl · 10-24-2011, 07:45 PM

so there's no gasket to get?

tashirosgt · 10-24-2011, 08:46 PM

If it's your tail lights that leak you should also get water in the spare tire compartment. (It comes from water running down the valleys on either side of the trunk like it's supposed to do and coming through around the tail lights, like it's not supposed to do.) If you aren't also getting water in the back of the trunk and in the spare tire compartment, I don't think your tailights are the problem.

The OEM material that seals the tail light is a black caulk. There is no OEM gasket. I wish there was. The caulk is nasty stuff to deal with. It's adhesive enough to make it hard to pull the tailight assembly out.

Flashmn · 10-25-2011, 10:45 AM

Theres is a gasket there, but might be hard to find... its a rubbery type one... I used butyl caulk on mine, which is what is used there. I used Sikalastomer 710

Quote:

The OEM material that seals the tail light is a black caulk.

Butyl caulk..

Do you have a sunroof?

Autobody-Girl · 10-25-2011, 01:09 PM

no I do not have a sun roof. And yes I am getting water in there my spare is. I don't have carpet in my car at all due to this leak. I am fimilar with butyl cault (tape), it was used on windshields but now is only used for stationary windows. It is fairly nasty stuff and gets all over everything

Flashmn · 10-25-2011, 03:44 PM

I dunno who uses butyl for windshields, they got better stuff for them, I've used Sika tack n drive windshield adhesive.

Autobody-Girl · 10-26-2011, 02:41 PM

well you can't use butyl for winshields anymore, it's illegal and doeant set as well. Neopreen or something of the sort is used now. Butyl is used for stationary windows, such as the triangular windows in the back in a 2 door car. I've taken out plenty of windows, it's some nasty stuff and doesn't come off anything

Flashmn · 10-26-2011, 05:13 PM

I havent seen butyl windows in a LOOOOOOOONG time. Even the side windows are glued with the same stuff as the windshield, they're also a structural part of the body. The adhesive used for windshields and side windows are urethane. Older windshields that were gasket mounted, the gasket was made from neoprene rubber.

Also the reason why its basically illegal to use butyl for glass fastening, it never really hardens, thus airbags deploying will shoot the glass out, aswell as it wont be a frame member. Another tip, if you remove a glass which is put on with butyl, you can get the butyl off easily with turpentine.

***SCT*** · 10-26-2011, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Autobody-Girl

well you can't use butyl for winshields anymore, it's illegal and doeant set as well. Neopreen or something of the sort is used now. Butyl is used for stationary windows, such as the triangular windows in the back in a 2 door car. I've taken out plenty of windows, it's some nasty stuff and doesn't come off anything

Illegal? They sell the butyl ribbon at Autozone/ Advanced Auto Parts. I got a box.... They still have them.

As for your leak, a leak from around the tail light would make no sense. It would flow from the tail lights to the spare wheel well and/or to the wells on the side of the rear (where the rear side marker is).

I would likely believe your REAR WINDSHIELD is leaking. My front windshield leaks for no reason, so the rear could be the same. I wouldn't have ever figured it out until this guy with a 70's Thunderbird west coast customed style came to my shop telling me theres a leak in his trunk but doesn't know from where. He thought it was the trunk seals. It couldn't have been since the seals sat up an inch, had to freakin' flood for it to leak that much. But I noticed the drip rolling down against the inside of the rear body panel... which led to the rear windshield.

If it leaks from the rear windshield, depending on how or where it flows, it could lead down to the rocker panels or the inside of the trunk or cabin.

Flashmn · 10-27-2011, 08:12 AM

Rear windshield leak wouldnt leak into the carpeting that easy, it would leak to the rear shelf or under the seat/trunk... Makes me think theres a rust hole on the floorboard.

***SCT*** · 10-28-2011, 04:38 AM

My rear seats would sometimes feel moist, but it never leaked into the cabin. It always goes to the trunk.

Autobody-Girl · 10-28-2011, 11:40 AM

My rear seats do feel moist. And I get a fairly good amount of water in the cabin on the floor. It used to be alot untill I tried to re-seal the tail lamps. It got a little better but there is still a fair amount of water. It does look like it coming from the trunk area cause ive followed it through the seats. But from there Im lost