Hi all, had a look in the boot of the little Copen today and found my expired tyre weld etc. Also, thought I'd ask your collective opinions of what I hope is the roof motor (?) in the boot. All seems to be working fine, she says, touching wood, but I wondered if the corrosion on the motor is normal or if it needs to be cleaned up in some way (wire brush at the ready?!) Pic attached.
Its the pump for the hydraulic roof system. But why is there this brownish rust on there, can you wipe it away? It looks like you have a lot of moisture in the boot.
I agree that it looks like a lot of moisture/damp there. You can also see it on the pipe connections and bracket. I would try and find the source of the water/moisture first otherwise getting rid of the rust will just show bare metal to the rust eating bugs! (or not allow the paint to apply properly if sprayed)
Thank you for your reply Salieri. There doesn't seem to be any obvious signs of leaks etc. There are small amounts of rust on some of the metalwork but I couldn't see any large amounts like on this motor. I'll take another look tomorrow...
Hmm, ok thanks Neil50. Will take another look tomorrow. I read that places like the brake light are water entry points...any other tips on where to look or just have a look under/around as much of the carpet/interior as possible? Its going back to the dealer I bought it from to have the roof mechanism adjusted as a bit of metal (the metal piping that goes all the way around the boot) is rubbing on the corner of the roof so perhaps I could get them to have a better look if they have the boot apart. ....by the way, should I be worried that non Daihatsu mechanics are looking at the boot mechanism? I really hope they know what they are doing!
I would look at the entire area of your boot to see if there are any other areas like this or if your carpet is wet. I believe there should be a rubber "bung" in the boot so if that is not there then road water could get sprayed upwards into the boot. The other possible routes to in are the brake like (as you mentioned) the roof itself when lowered (water runoff) and around the seals. Remember that you have to be careful when washing the car and not jet wash directly at the edges/seals. Also, water always runs to the lowest point so it may be possible to look where the rust is and work "upwards" to see if there is an indication of the point of entry.
I believe the Copen's boot is prone to water ingress. I noticed moisture/water in my Copen soon after I bought it around 3 months ago. Check all rubbers to make sure the channels are clear and clean. The boot lid may need adjustment etc. As previously mentioned check the rubber plugs found on the floor. They tend to trap moisture and rust will form. There are many threads on this forum with hints and tips on how to fix this issue. Opening the boot when wet/raining and using a power washer doesn't help. Just keep an eye under the jack and tools as this is where moisture is trapped and rust will develop as there is no real paint to protect it just primer and a light dust of top coat. I have recently resprayed the boot area with this great product - Trunk Paint Gray White Aerosol 12 oz. I sealed the paint with 4 coats of Matt lacquer. Its looks nice and it will hopefully offer some protection. I don't think you will ever eradicate water/moisture leakage into this area over the years. I have owned many convertibles and they all had leaks/moisture somewhere! Saying that, I have owned many cars which leaked, especially Alfa Romeos (New) Good Luck! White & Grey Splatter Trunk/Boot paint
Could I ask a different (but boot-related) question? Following lovebug-car's queries, I thought I'd better have a better look in my own boot. Generally, it looks in good order and largely rust free, but I did notice some adhesive or fibreglass at the very rear of the boot; can you see the streak about 2/3rds towards the top of the 2 photos below? Could anyone tell me if this is a standard finish, or - more likely - a bodged bodywork repair? Needless to say, there was no mention of any historical damage to the car and nothing came back from the insurance write-off enquiry. The car also came with 12 months' MOT. Thanks in anticipation of anyone's help.
The stuff that looks like toothpaste is a sealer and it was applied in the factory. If it looks like it has not been touched, you are good to go.
I have managed to have a look in my boot between rain showers in the last week or so. I can see a bit of an old watermark on the underside of the board that comes over the pump/motor. It's just on the left hand corner so I presume its the rubbers that could be leaking. There are also visable drip marks on the side of the jack so, again I think that's the rubbers. The carpet is dry, the marks are from past leaks I think. Perhaps its an old issue that the previous owner got sorted? I have been told the pump has just got surface rust on it so can be cleaned up & treated. Will keep an eye on any new wet patches and check over the rubbers on the next sunny weekend. I was happy that the metal in the boot isn't as rusty as it could be. When I get the car undersealed, I'll see if I can get the boot resprayed like yours Soc. Looks good
If you can get some wash-out dye then you could try this with a watering can or something similar, then just look for the brightly coloured water getting into the boot. As soon as you have it sorted, I would look at sanding the rusty parts and spraying them to give the protection, maybe wise using some rust stopper, depending on what parts are actually rusty.
