Not only Rovers that leak...

[hogweed]

And after all that... and spending days on it... it's leaking from somewhere in the rear wheel arch. There's a little aperture at the rear of it (I don't mean the ventilation panel, same as on Rovers) and the water pours through there - BUT ONLY WHEN THE CAR'S BEING DRIVEN ON A WET ROAD.


I discovered this by accident - my driveway's sloped, and I always reverse the car up it (so of course the water flowed towards the front). Then I parked it in heavy rain, and nothing came through... took it for a drive, everything soaked.


Then, for some reason (divine intervention?) I parked it facing uphill, and got a puddle under the rear light cluster.

[sln8458]

There are a few videos on youtube showing water getting in via the rear light fixing holes / rear vents and behind the rear bumper
heres one: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rKHQTiVxxuE
But I haven't found one that shows behind the bumper.

[hogweed]

Originally Posted by sln8458

There are a few videos on youtube showing water getting in via the rear light fixing holes / rear vents and behind the rear bumper
heres one: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rKHQTiVxxuE
But I haven't found one that shows behind the bumper.

Yeah it's not even behind the bumper as such - the blue line points to an aperture in the rear of the wheel arch, and the water runs freely through there


You can see the little puddle in the red circle.






It only happens when the car's actually being driven on a wet road, so I assume it's being chucked up by the wheel. But then I guess some of the arch liner must be missing or something... trouble is, my driveway is sloped, and my physical abilities are not what they were, so I don't fancy jacking the car up on a hill and taking the wheel off


Maybe time for my friendly neighbourhood mechanic... he'll be booked up for 2-3 weeks though.


Think I'll just stuff that hole full of bubble wrap for now...

[sln8458]

Have a look at this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ6LCKf7gNc&t=223s looks to be the same problem(but on the other side of the car)
Also read the comments, as 'sufsRS' appears to have found the source of the Nile plus the reply from 'steview9899' (not me) with a fix.


I wonder if a cheap Borescope camera would help visualise the location??

[hogweed]

Originally Posted by sln8458

Have a look at this video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQ6LCKf7gNc&t=223s looks to be the same problem(but on the other side of the car)
Also read the comments, as 'sufsRS' appears to have found the source of the Nile plus the reply from 'steview9899' (not me) with a fix.


I wonder if a cheap Borescope camera would help visualise the location??

My God - that's it exactly


Not a single Vauxhall forum mentions this, nor any of the pretty knowledgable people I've been talking to about it!


Sir - I owe you. Thank you so much!


I have one of those little cameras somewhere... but it seems that "sufsRS" has found the root of the problem anyway. I HATE taking bumpers and things off, but will have to have a look, if the weather ever improves.


My Rover had a wet boot for the 12½ years I owned it, despite many interventions including sealing the lights, vent, and even the chrome strip down the side, and liberal applications of Captain Tolley's to the screen trim fasteners. Depressing that a much more modern car is still made with problem like this

[sln8458]

Originally Posted by hogweed

My God - that's it exactly


Not a single Vauxhall forum mentions this, nor any of the pretty knowledgable people I've been talking to about it!


Sir - I owe you. Thank you so much!


I have one of those little cameras somewhere... but it seems that "sufsRS" has found the root of the problem anyway. I HATE taking bumpers and things off, but will have to have a look, if the weather ever improves.


My Rover had a wet boot for the 12½ years I owned it, despite many interventions including sealing the lights, vent, and even the chrome strip down the side, and liberal applications of Captain Tolley's to the screen trim fasteners. Depressing that a much more modern car is still made with problem like this

Only if it turns out to be the 'real' issue, and you are welcome

[hogweed]

Originally Posted by sln8458

Only if it turns out to be the 'real' issue, and you are welcome

Weeelllllll...... it might be and it might not be, it turns out... I don't know if the guy in the video is right about it coming through that seam - I suspect there may be more than one place in that corner of the car it can get through (eg tail lights, a la Rover).


But those wings are triple skinned, and the water eventually emerges exactly where he shows, between the middle and inner skin. But leaks originating outside (as they all do) have first to get through the middle skin.


So... following a stroke of divine inspiration yesterday, I am (very cautiously) optimistic I've found it. There's a big fusebox mounted inside the left wing, and if you take it off you can see through a hole in the panel, to the middle panel, in which there is a 1" hole, poorly sealed, with... water running through it pretty freely when I apply the hose.





So I sealed it with silicone yesterday, and all seems dry... so far...