Water Leak

[66zoomie]

I have a '94 ES300 with ~138K miles. During the recent heavy rains in SoCal I heard liquid sloshing around inside the trunk and discovered 3"-4" of water in the compartment where the jack is stored (along the rear fender on the pax side). I initially thought there was a plugged drain but this compartment doesn't have a drain cap. The weatherstripping around the trunk lid doesn't have any gaps or broken spots and there's no indication that water has leaked under the trunk seal (still dusty all around). I next looked at the drain line on the bottom of the power antenna, but it's connected and routed thru the sheet metal where it's supposed to be. I thought maybe with all the standing water I'd driven thru that water might have been forced back into the compartment around the gasket/seal for the radio antenna drain and the clear plastic hose next to it, but the second time I found water in the compartment the car had not been driven - it had been parked in the driveway when it rained. FWIW, there was no water in the spare tire compartment nor any moisture inside the driver & passenger area - only in the jack compartment at the side of the trunk.

Yesterday I searched the FAQ section here and read the leak-related posts. On the basis of what I learned, I tried to check the four corner drain lines of the sun/moonroof. I sprayed WD-40 into the two front corner drain holes and I got a good stream of WD-40 out of the two front wheel wells, so those drains were clear. That's as far as I got: anyone have any ideas on how to access the two drain holes at the rear of the moonroof??!!

I have the factory shop manual and the only mention of the drain holes is literally an aside comment and the fact that four drains are shown in a diagram of the power roof assembly when it's removed from the vehicle!! Help! Short of removing the roof assembly, I don't see how to locate/access the rear drain holes, let alone spray WD-40 down them. I live in the Mojave Desert so the rains we've had this year are decidely abnormal; a) given that I live in the desert it's really not likely the rear drains are plugged, but even if they were, b) it's not worth my time and trouble to remove the roof assembly. Does anyone have an alternate [hopefully quick and/or simple!] method of clearing those two rear drain holes/lines? I also couldn't find out the purpose of the clear vinyl hose (~1/2", the one next to the black rubber drain hose for the power antenna). If it's an extension of the moonroof rear corner drain, could I blow compressed air back thru it...does anyone know the purpose of the clear vinyl hose in that compartment?

If I can't get access to the rear drains on the roof, the next thing I will check is the seal around the passenger side tail light assembly. That was mentioned as a possible area for leaks in one of the posts I read yesterday, but after that I'm out of ideas. If anyone else has BTDT, please share your ideas (and solutions!!)

[SKperformance]

If your car was in an accident prior to you then it more than likely will leak as many rear end collisions break hidden seals

Their is a rubber or metal plug under the spare tire is yours still their or not pushed up from reversing over somthing?

I would say check the ant bezel but it would leak straight down and not by the spare.

[66zoomie]

If your car was in an accident prior to you then it more than likely will leak as many rear end collisions break hidden seals

Their is a rubber or metal plug under the spare tire is yours still their or not pushed up from reversing over somthing?

I would say check the ant bezel but it would leak straight down and not by the spare.

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I'm afraid you misread my original post: the leak is NOT in the spare tire compartment, it's in the compartment at the (passenger) side of the trunk where the jack is stored.

The compartment where the spare tire is stored is dry as a bone, and the car has not been in an accident. I also considered the seal under the power antenna "retaining nut (bezel)"on top of the rear fender. I tightened it - it was slightly loose - but the leak remains after the gasket/seal was tightened. A leak around the antenna mast hole on the pax side rear fender would go directly into the jack compartment, but after tightening the assembly and still finding 3"-4" of water below the jack, I don't think the culprit is the antenna assembly and its gasket/seal. The only other plausible source of the leak seems, by concensus of this forum, to be a plugged rear moonroof drain, but I can't figure out how to get access to the rear drains.

[SKperformance]

I would suggest you go to a power washer with someone you trust .

Have them lock you in the trunk with a flash light and spray the area around the quarter ,under it inside the wheel area and surrounding to locate its source exactly and very quickly.

[thirdmotion]

i have the same problem on my 98 Es300..

Its never been in an accident but recently, i discovered 3, 4'' of water in passenger side jack compartment... I'm thinking its due to clear hose in the jack compartment..

Does anyone know what that clear hose is?

[camlex]

Sunroof drainage

[66zoomie]

Sunroof drainage

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Camlex - You've confirmed my suspicion, namely that the clear vinyl tube (the one paired with the black rubber hose which connects to the bottom of the power antenna) is the drain tube for the right-rear corner of the sunroof. Now, for the $64 question: how can that drain be opened/cleared (assuming it's blocked) or checked to make sure it's open? I couldn't see any way to either get a wire into that corner or get an air hose into the drain to blow it open without completely disassembling the sunroof and removing it from the vehicle...and I'm not willing to go thru all that given that here in SoCal it normally doesn't rain enough to be concerned.

If anyone has any ideas on how to clear the rear drains or get access to the rear drains without complete removal of the roof, I'd sure appreciate hearing from them.

[914lps]

Just a thought. Can you get to the bottom of the drain line were it coms out of the car, and run a wire in it from that end instead of at the top of the line.

[thirdmotion]

it seems like the bottom of the hose isn't attached to anything but just hangs on the bottom of the car..? Because i pulled on it and it just came right out, or did i mess something up?... im gonna try a few different things including running a wire through it like 914 suggested when i get home tonight. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

[camlex]

what about pressurized air.

[khhoang]

it seems like the bottom of the hose isn't attached to anything but just hangs on the bottom of the car..? Because i pulled on it and it just came right out, or did i mess something up?... im gonna try a few different things including running a wire through it like 914 suggested when i get home tonight. I'll let you guys know how it turns out.

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i believe that clear hose should be connected to a firmer black hose that extends to underneath the car as a drainage. on my 95ES if you look under the rear quarter area (the corner with the antenna) sorta around the rear of the wheel well area you'll see two black drain hoses one for the antenna and a larger one probably for the sunroof drain hose.

[SKperformance]

The drain is connected to something more than likely you pulled off a rear drain line to the sunroof and will have a real drainage problem now.

[branshew]

You should have two drain tubes in that section of the trunk. I think the large clear vinyl one is the sunroof drain, and the smaller black rubber one is the drain for the power antenna housing. Both of these drains punch through the bottom pan and are not connected to anything under the car. Both of these lines should be attahed at the top however to their respective elements. If one is loose then you need to get it re-connected.

If one is not penetrating the metal pan then you need to push it back through the hole. Oherwise you're draining into the jack compartment and not through to the outside of the car.

[yoji6365]

I dont have a sunroof but still get water in the jack compartment.

Any thoughts on that?

[thirdmotion]

where is the top part of the hose?