I got a leak!

91_wago91_wago Wagonist
in Bodywork & Cosmetic Modifications
i just got this wagon a week ago and noticed there was a few dead wasp in the trunk area. so i started looking everywhere for wasp nest and found about six of them but one of them was behind the tail light so i go to take off the tail lite. i pull up the plastic pocket in the rear and find a good 4 inches of nasty water. where could it be leaking from? only thing i could think of is hatch seal or tail light? thing is it hasnt rained since ive owned it so it must have been there a while.
100_2782.jpg

Comments

  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Taillight gaskets. It's a VERY common thing.
  • pierceseanpiercesean Wagonist
    mine too!!!!!!!!! is there a new gasket available?
  • 91_wago91_wago Wagonist
    well i did a little searching and honda doesnt sell new gaskets. guess i gota make one.
  • draginmywagondraginmywagon Senior Wagonist
    it might be tail light gaskets but you have to look at the water.. clean water means its coming up and then rolling down dirty water means it coming from lower... unless your trunk was already dirty... i would first look at your gaskets.. i will look at my work and see if we can find tail light gaskets for your car.. then i will pm you..

    you might also want to check... www. hondapartsunlimited.com... they would have the gaskets..
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    I've had good success sealing the gaskets with silicone. Remove the light, being careful not to tear the gasket. Clean the light, gasket, and body surface thoroughly, then finish with an alcohol wipe. Run a very small bead of RTV around the groove in the (dry) gasket, and apply a very thin coating to the smooth/body side.

    LET THE SEALANT CURE FOR A FEW MINUTES, until it skins over just barely.

    Install the light and run the 4 nuts up finger-tight while pressing the light into place with your other hand. After the silicone has fully cured, tighten the mounting nuts the rest of the way.
  • doitdubdoitdub familEE
    Also, if yours are pretty well shot and bam's advice doesn't do it, you can get some art foam at the craft store, or even Walmart. Just trace, cut, and you're good to go. I've done this on a couple CRX's, and my last wagon and works just as good as the $20/each Honda ones,
  • SikocivicSikocivic Wagonist
    doitdub wrote:
    Also, if yours are pretty well shot and bam's advice doesn't do it, you can get some art foam at the craft store, or even Walmart. Just trace, cut, and you're good to go. I've done this on a couple CRX's, and my last wagon and works just as good as the $20/each Honda ones,
    X2...... I did the same thing on my old hatch. Worked prefect. 8)
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Hmm, good stuff. I've got some of that on my desk at home, and still need to seal the camper's lights.
  • doitdubdoitdub familEE
    Check out this how to. Same method, just replace CRX with wagon.
    How to: make your own tail light gaskets
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Dub, do you remember off the top of your head what thickness the OE stuff is? I think I remember seeing several different ones at HobbyLobby, even one with an adhesive backing on one side!
  • 91_wago91_wago Wagonist
    do they all usually leak or just the outer lights? i gota get some of that stuff this weekend.
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Just the outers. All the runoff from the roof pours right down on the taillights.
  • doitdubdoitdub familEE
    bam-bam wrote:
    Dub, do you remember off the top of your head what thickness the OE stuff is? I think I remember seeing several different ones at HobbyLobby, even one with an adhesive backing on one side!
    I believe I doubled up the Hobby foam stuff. Applied some adhesive in between the two.
  • nominousnominous familEE
    Just to say that for me it isn't leaking tail lights. The foam is all dry from where it could come into the car. It's leaking from the sealant around the boot hinges. See my boot leak thread.
  • greenblagreenbla Band Wagon
    definitely tail lights, my old acura integra had the entire spare tire well filled before we realized they were leaking, pretty much ruined the carpet
  • 8wago88wago8 New Wagonist
    That looks like it smells good.
  • 88loganm88loganm Band Wagon
    doitdub wrote:
    Check out this how to. Same method, just replace CRX with wagon.
    How to: make your own tail light gaskets


    Nice quick and easy..
  • 91_wago91_wago Wagonist
    ya i used that same exact foam stuff but at the store here they sold it in the right thickness so i didnt have to glue two together.
  • leWolfleWolf Senior Wagonist
    Yeah, silicone on the old gasket, just barely tighten it, let it sit until dry and tighten it up all the way. Problem Done
  • knottyyknottyy Wagonist
    Sorry for bringing back an old thread, but I've searched and can't seem to find any info on this. I just picked up a wagon and like many of you, had a bunch of nasty water in the back. Don't see any cracks around the hinges so thinking it's most likely the tail lights from reading through the forums. The question I have is, is it normally just the tail lights that are the main culprit? I thought about trying to redo the gaskets on the rear turn signals as well, but the nuts are harder to get to so I figured I'd check with you guys first and see what your thoughts were. Anyone have turn signals leaking, or is it mostly always just the tail lights?
  • bam-bambam-bam Council Member
    Just taillights, in my experience.
Sign In or Register to comment.

© Vanilla Keystone Theme 2025