FIXED!!! [was: Help - WATER LEAK in right rear seat compartment! (Mav XL hybrid, delivered 18 Dec) --- Guidance??]

[bwiese]

[Update: dealer found issue, fixed - see my latest post down below in thread...]



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Been enormously happy with Jan's Mav XL. I note we've had heavy rains recently (Xmas day on).

Xmas Day: late Xmas afternoon, when it was dry out, we showed truck to visiting friends who loved it. I'm fairly confident we closed/locked all doors fully and windows were closed fully.

Yesterday morning: (26th) after prior evening/early morning of rains, Jan unloaded some stuff from back seat & found significant water pooled at the RIGHT REAR side open top compartment to right of seat and very door edge. No other positions in cabin were wet. Dried it out w towel. The 'tray'/compartment was ~1+" deep with water.

Drove thru rain for 20 min but it didn't get wet. Drove thru more rain later, still dry.

Late afternoon I ensured the door gaskets were properly set/positioned/snapped in etc. I then took the Mav to a hose-it-down-yourself 'wand' carwash & applied 5+ min worth of pressurized water around all the door seams/cracks. No leaks, thought it was fixed (or the orig case was caused by us - door not quite shut, etc.)

This Evening: Jan wisely went out this evening to check my supposed 'fix'. Again, water was pooled in that right rear seat compartment.

[BTW this is no way is cause by any instant drip/runoff from roof when opening door, sure that spreads a few drops but this is a huge puddle filling that container/tray to right of right rear seat.]

What gives?

• Could it be CHMSL leak runoff? [...those have failed/leaked on RAM trucks].
• Rear window seal failure leak and runoff?

I note our driveway is at a slight forward downslant; I am parked 4+' back from house/garage door. House is split level 2.25+ stories high. About 9-ish feet to the left of truck parking spot is an array of tall juniper (?) trees - taller than house. Trying to figure if there's something unique about the parking position and static vehicle (vs driving 25 - 55mph in rain) gives clue to leak.

Everything else about vehicle is SUPERB. Going to dealership tomorrow but maybe good clues here.

-Bill
San Jose CA


Some pictures - first from yesterday, second from tonight... again, to right of right rear seat near rocker panel:

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[TCK]

Back to the dealer- that ain’t right

 

[vezpa]

If its leaking that much have someone sit in the rear with a flashlight and hose it down until you find the leak.

 

[bwiese]

If its leaking that much have someone sit in the rear with a flashlight and hose it down until you find the leak.

Vezpa,
My worry is fast moving water isn't the cause and that it's pooled water while sitting.

Bill

 

[vezpa]

Vezpa,
My worry is fast moving water isn't the cause and that it's pooled water while sitting.

Bill

Its not. In order to make a puddle like that you MUST be able to see it trickle in. Dry it out and get someone in tre with a flashlight. You WILL find it.

 

[TCK]

Do you have a moonroof? Just asking because my Jetta pools like this and I know it runs through the pillars from the pana roof, and under the headliner when it sits.

 

[john218]

Check the 3rd brake light. My f150 3rd light leaked badly. The Ford service techs never could find the leak, my neighbor discovered it for me. Use a hose and watch for water in the area you described.

 

[abcinv]

If you have a sunroof it could be the drain on the passenger side isn't working right. If no sunroof then only other thought is the windshield (water weaves down kick panel to the low spot).
Good luck with getting this figured out, please keep us posted,

 

[bwiese]

Do you have a moonroof? Just asking because my Jetta pools like this and I know it runs through the pillars from the pana roof, and under the headliner when it sits.

Nope. Plain XL with plain roof.

Bill

 

[bwiese]

FIXED!! Whee!

Went to dealer today re: above leak issue.
Knowledgable service mgr - and said they have a great 'leak guy'.

Wasn't the CHMSL, the shark fin antenna, rear window seal nor visible door gasketry.

[... may not be recounting this exactly - approx. description:] ... they took apart the Right Rear door, and found the water shield membrane wasn't sealed around certain areas - so water end up directed mostly into interior instead of via normal drainage pathway to bottom of door. Adding proper sealant where it was missing in key areas (and possibly some other minor reorientation of some material into proper 'default') was solution. They actually had the sealant material in inventory - common to multiple models.

Service manager told me it was readily apparent what was happening - and "they'd seen this before a few times."

Fix & testing was done by evening and Mav ready for pickup, but shuttle will pick me up tomorrow morning to go down and fetch it.

They said they tested it but the fact they found what they found and understood why it it was an issue was more important, I feel - (esp since I could not duplicate rain effect using pressure hose).

And then I have to go back on Fri to get the factory neoprene seat covers and tailgate piston + installation I ordered...


-Bill
San Jose CA

 

[Darksider]

Great

 

[TCK]

So glad it was an easy fix!

 

[Red Ryder]

Maybe assembly technician says, "Why bother, no rear door speakers"?

 

[DarkStormy]

Do you have a moonroof? Just asking because my Jetta pools like this and I know it runs through the pillars from the pana roof, and under the headliner when it sits.

this would be my guess also.

 

[Springboks]

FIXED!! Whee!

Went to dealer today re: above leak issue.
Knowledgable service mgr - and said they have a great 'leak guy'.

Wasn't the CHMSL, the shark fin antenna, rear window seal nor visible door gasketry.

[... may not be recounting this exactly - approx. description:] ... they took apart the Right Rear door, and found the water shield membrane wasn't sealed around certain areas - so water end up directed mostly into interior instead of via normal drainage pathway to bottom of door. Adding proper sealant where it was missing in key areas (and possibly some other minor reorientation of some material into proper 'default') was solution. They actually had the sealant material in inventory - common to multiple models.

Service manager told me it was readily apparent what was happening - and "they'd seen this before a few times."

Fix & testing was done by evening and Mav ready for pickup, but shuttle will pick me up tomorrow morning to go down and fetch it.

They said they tested it but the fact they found what they found and understood why it it was an issue was more important, I feel - (esp since I could not duplicate rain effect using pressure hose).

And then I have to go back on Fri to get the factory neoprene seat covers and tailgate piston + installation I ordered...


-Bill
San Jose CA

Awesome. Thanks for updating us.

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