We've had a very very wet few days here in Sydney and I've found some water has made its way into the boot of the car. I've read here that the brake light is usually the culprit. I was going to leave to boot lid open to allow the space to dry out, but I remembered reading here that the car will monitor the boot lid the entire time it's open and I might come back to a flat battery. Is this true? How do all you UK folks (with probably more wet weather) manage to get your little Copens dried out after rain?
Yes, the battery will go flat as the boot "waits" for the lid to come down and engage the lock. Disconnect the negative terminal of the battery. It is held on with a 10mm nut. Depending on how much moisture there is, you can use a towel or if there's only condensation, I recommend using something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I3VKBJS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 with the boot lid closed and the desiccant on a plastic bag
If you can park on a slope, face downhill. Mine has been dry since doing this but filled with water regularly when I parked facing uphill. It doesn't get in around my brake light (after much testing with a watering can and tissue paper) but I think at the corners that meet the bottom of the window. I carry a sponge cloth in the car to mop up the water but this year because it is parked facing downhill, there's not been any water ingress. I've also put in loads of those silica gel packs that you get in the packaging of many electronic goods and such.
This is the first time it's ever happened but we have had exceptionally bad weather here in Sydney and I've been unlucky enough to be out in most of it! It seems to have dried out now, there wasn't enough water to even have pooled in the area under the matting in the trunk. I will keep an eye on the issue - my main concern is that I transport customer equipment in my trunk and I didn't want any water on the PC's that I transport. I should probably read less of these forums - because I'm so used to reading of window / roof / trunk problems I panicked the other day when the windows wouldn't operate, then realised I had turned the window child lock on when I meant to turn on the read window demister!
Nose down isn't a good way to park a copen, as here in the uk pools form near the boot lid hinges, which creep past the rubber seals. But if you park them rear down, then you are increasing the ability to make a pool where the ECU sits in the boot. You can't win!! Keeping all the seals properly clean and clear of mud, and removing the bung from the bottom of the boot is as good as a plan I have come up with yet.
Well I can only give my experience Threepot - If I park nose up water gets in and as you say it pools at the back of the boot near the ecu. But if I park nose down, no water gets in. (I'm in the UK and it rains all day quite often)
It depends how long you leave them parked without driving, and it depends how good the front rubber ears are on the boot seals. I think thteyt should be kept in a warm dry garage of love
I also note that when I open the trunk when it has water on the outside surface, a lot of water runs down the sides and some goes into the trunk. It could well have been that, and I try to minimise how long I leave the trunk open when it's already wet on the outside.
In Sydney and I have same experience. Nose up and my boot fills with water. What is worse is that the bung in the bottom of the boot well is not the lowest point!
So when I'm out working (2-5 different locations every day), I should find somewhere to park under cover at every stop? Doesn't sound simple to me.
I've never had this issue, but I'll point out that my Copen never had the drain plug in the boot (under the jack, which was also missing)... maybe try leaving the drain plug out. I had a similar issue with my Pajero, I used blue shop towels (we have a lot of them in work for the cleaners) and taped them all around the inside of the roof. that showed me where the leak was coming in and narrowed down what the issue was. In my case, it was a split rubber seal.
I wanted to update this thread...it's been quite a day of worry here...we have had an entire month's worth of rain in three days in Sydney (so they say) and my trunk filled up with water a little too quickly and too much for me to attend to it in time. Suddenly...beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep when I'm driving along. Couldn't open the trunk at all, roof light turned on solid...panic stations ensued. I went to see my mechanic and with my knowledge from these forums about the hidden boot release cable and the blue ring pulls behind the parcel shelf, we managed to get in, remove *two* rubber stoppers and a flood of water came out. Dried the underfloor manually and drove around the rest of the day in yet *more* rain and nary a trace of water in the trunk after that. Roof light back to normal, roof and trunk lid operation back to normal. Moral of the story - don't let it happen in the first place. EDIT: oh yeah, forgot to mention that after we'd collectively managed to get in and dry it up, there was further panic on my part when the roof still wouldn't operate, until I realised I'd forgotten to pull the window shade thingy in the boot forward into it's little holders.
I'll gladly take the two rubber stoppers off you ;-) Nearly failed my Rego / MOT / NCT because I don't have them... Duct tape saved the day.
So happy to see this thread, I actually shut my husband in the boot today with a torch to see where the leak was! I ran a hose over but he couldn't see any water coming in. After I'd had a cup of tea, just to make sure he was looking properly!, I let him out. We were completely flummoxed, water in the boot and behind the seats, it's not the brake light so now I'm hoping it was the boot ears, we have just had snow. Have treated all the seals and put her in the garage. Only problem is how to dry her out, I have been using a hairdrier behind the seats but can hear a puddle of water beneath the carpet. Also thanks for the heads up about the battery as we left the boot open.
