hello all, seems my wifes copen has wet boot syndrome - everything is sopping wet! first job is to strip out the boot of carpet etc and dry it properly and then i intend to work out where the water is coming from, the brake light i presume... any top tips on removing the boot liner/carpet and then the brake light assembly from those who have done it? any help gratefully appreciated!
i) have you checked the rubber seals are supple and not damaged? ii) I've heard they can leak where the high level brake light is as that is right over the boot. iii) is the boot lid shutting fully? iv) rusted through rear arches?
Sounds like a leaking brake light alright. The carpets are held in with small black plastic clips. The heads of the clips are round with a round circle/dot in the middle. Get your ignition key. Using the tip press the centre dot down. This unlocks the clip. You should then be able to your nails under the clip to lift it out. I think the boot blind is just screwed in. Could you take photos of the dissassembly? Particularly the removal of the brake light. It will help others in the future.
wet boot thanks for the replies - i will certainly try and take some pics of dissasembly of carpet and what i find before and after - i have read a bit on this from the forums and it seems that the high level brake light may be the culprit...but when the boot is open and the car is wet it does seem to dump water into the boot. my wife parks on our slopy drive nose up so that cant help but i do worry that the water may affect the boot electrics so will strip and check, its in my garage at the moment as the passenger brake caliper boot has ruptured causing the caliper to stick. thankfully daihatsu produce replacement piston boots as a new caliper is ....wait for it....£600!!! seriously! anyway i will let you know how i get on!
I have exactly the same problem with a very wet boot but I am not convinced it is just a leaking boot brake light as it really is soaking wet. There is also a great deal of condensation on the boot lid itself that drips down on to the carpets. When I purchased the car the seller told me that Copen’s suffered from leaks from around the boot rubbers/seals and when I looked in the space under the compressor/tool kit area there was a great deal of surface rust so this must have been an on-going issue for some time. However, I can’t actually see any obvious problem with the rubbers/seals. I have not attempted the boot brake light repair/modification yet as I was rather scared that I would break the clips that hold it in place and then be unable to purchase a replacement. I have found a couple of options listed on eBay. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260387726676?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/260387724772?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 Is there anyone who can read/understand German and explain why one is £168.30 and the other is £64.99? It would also seem stupid to replace the brake light unit if it did not come with a new rubber seal. It would be really helpful if someone could post up some pictures and a full repair/modification description. Is there any guidance on what chemical/product should be used to seal the unit when it is put back if a new rubber seal is not available? Many thanks KS PS: Just had a closer look at the eBay items and I think that the more expensive option is a genuine Daihatsu part while the other is a patern/OEM part?
I sometimes have a small amount of condensation on the underside of the boot lid. If your boot is wet to start with this condensation will be worse on yours. I've never heard the boot seals are a problem! Sounds like a bit of spiele from the seller. From what I can tell there are no differences between the two ebay rear brake lights. These versions are from the Copen Ultimate edition, available in Japan only. Both are being sold by the same supplier. From what I remember from others who have done this repair. You don't need to buy a new brake light to fix the leak. Both control ECU's for the roof mechanism & windows are in the boot. So you want to sort the problem to prevent any moisture damage to them.
Hi Adam Is there a specific silicone sealant that you would recommend please? I am going to pluck up the courage and have a go at this during the Christmas break. Many thanks KS
If you notice the rear high level brake light has Toyota written on it. Toyota used the same light on the last model MR2. Worth a trip to a Toyota dealer! Hope this helps, kind regards.
Wonder if I should get some Toyota emblems and re-badge it! Anyone seen a Toyota Copen before? The car in front is a Toy..errmm....a Dai..errmm....a Copen
mine had a leaking brake light when I was buying it so got the car sales place to fix it. They got a new seal from Daihatsu (that was back in May this year) and they said the new seal was thicker than the old, not sure if that was a redesign or just that the old one had been compressed.
I had this problem and did some repairs to the seal... I applied some masking tape to the boot lid around the light fitting. I undid the two nuts from the inside of the boot. Used an old credit card slid into the gap between the light lens and the boot lid and slide / cut the old seal. I eased the light away from the boot lid. Cleaned off the old seal with finger nail. Used black mastic - Bostic Car - and ran a thick bead around the hole in the boot lid. Refitted the brake light and pushed in to squeeze out the excess. Refitted the retaining nuts from inside the boot lid. Then run a wet finger around the mastic to make a nice neat edge - that's why I masked off the boot lid. I got the idea from someone else who posted a similar procedure - on this very forum I think. I hope it helps.
I would use the wife's credit card and as a bonus save a fortune this Chrstmas. I opened my boot today and noticed the underside of the boot lid was covered in water drops. I'm guessing it's condensation because the lid is just a single skin of steel without any insulation or lining on the underside. Is there anything available for the Copen to line the underside or has anybody done this to their car?
