Technical Water in boot lid? Grande Punto Active Sport

[Andrew56]

everytime i wash my car the water runs out of the bootlid when i open it, i thought it was just water in the shutes??

I have followed these threads with some interest as I have experienced "water in the tailgate". In my case the amount is modest and it does not cause too much of a problem if the tailgate is slowly opened. However my main concern is interior damage as I intend to keep the car for some time. I should also add the car is not used everyday - and is kept in a garage so is not frequently exposed to the worst of the weather.

I experimented by pouring water over the boot from a 2 litre bottle. There was no sign of water entering from the rear wash wipe. However water did sometimes get in when poured over the rear window - but below the level of the high level brake light. This seemed to suggest it was the seam that was leaking, although the fit of the brake light doesn't look too good. However the significant point was that these results were not always reproduceable (sometimes it leaks - sometimes it doesn't), which suggested to me a dealer would have some difficulty in tracking down the leak - and in turn I would find it difficult to confirm they had fixed it. This seems to agree with comments from members who have repeatedly visited dealers about this issue.

I cannot easily see where the seam is leaking - so my approach has been to coat the seam, and edges of the brake light with plenty of wax - and not polish it off. I hoped that even if it did not seal the leak the wax would repel the water. So far this seems to have worked....


Andrew56

 

[GDRIVER]

hi mate and goodmorning.this how i resolved this problem.a thorough observation and patience payed off.with slow moves i observed from where the water was leaking. i found out that there was really no water form inside the boot,nore the whipper and from the 3 brake light.water was coming from the glass!if you see it carefully you will notice the the rear glass has 4 gaps.i mean the sealant is not at the outside of the glass but a bit inner.the water reamin there ,in that gap, and when you open the boot it starts to slide.so i installed an adhesive rubber in the four gaps(upper,side,down)and it is cured.no water fallibg its time i open it.i'll get photos when i return from work. also the dealer was right.the holes into the metal are ment to remove water form inside.

 

[GDRIVER]

sorry for the spelling issues,but i type fast and i don't pay attention to spelling.
form-from for example.

 

[zed]

What models are people experiencing the water problem with?
I have a 56 1.2 Active and have no problems, but on my 07 1.4 Sporting it leaks, with the water pouring out of the driver's side drain hole, only when you lift the tailgate to about horizontal.
What intrigues me is, why don't the drain holes work when the tailgate is closed?
I asked the garage to look at the problem, as the curtesy boot light was also not working. The garage says that it's known to leak through the mini spoiler on the Sporting.

I'll be interested to see the photos of the glass repair.

 

[T14086]

hi mate and goodmorning.this how i resolved this problem.a thorough observa the dealer was right.the holes into the metal are ment to remove water form inside.

This was mentioned 2 years odd ago here on the forum but no one accepted it

What intrigues me is, why don't the drain holes work when the tailgate is closed?

They do you just cant see because tailgate is closed, sometimes you find water on bumper or around seal/plastic trim.

 

[zed]

They do you just cant see because tailgate is closed, sometimes you find water on bumper or around seal/plastic trim.

True, but it can still shed about 1/2 pint when the tailgate opens, so the holes aren't doing a very good job , or it's getting trapped somewhere

 

[T14086]

it's getting trapped somewhere

checked your spare wheel recently

 

[marty61]

checked your spare wheel recently

Yeah, fed the fish this morning

 

[T14086]

Yeah, fed the fish this morning

lol

 

[fay66]

Re: Grande punto water in tailgate

Plenty or should I say the majority, most common cause is through the rear wiper grommet, have you had yours re-sealed yet?

Yes, and the high level brake light sealed & then replaced amongst other things.
Sorry if I'm seen to be knocking Souls, but I'm a very frustrated owner who can't really see why the problem is taking so long to sort out.:bang:

Having been in vehicle manufacturing for 25 years, I'm well aware what is involved in a tailgate , which in the grand scale of a vehicle body in white build, is B----r all.

I also spent a number of years as a warranty administrator for Vauxhall, VW/Audi & Mercedes, my comment would be, "where there's a will there's a way". it's not rocket science.

When VW Polo & Golf had a problem (slight)back in the early 1990's, where tailgates had corrosion by the harness aperture, caused by the harnesses being pulled through with the wrong tool that chipped the paint and caused the corrosion, there was no messing about, and we changed dozens of tailgates with no arguments from VW.

After a discussion with Andrew Soul, Keith the Dealer principle is having mine in again next week to try to cure the problem, they are also talking with Fiat about a new tailgate. speaking to Keith today it seems that his daughter has the same problem with her GP.

As for most owners problems being solved, reading this thread certainly doesn't give that impression.

Also in case anyone thinks otherwise, I'm not a Fiat Product Knocker or moaner, but they certainly shouldn't be shielded from criticism if it's warranted.

While this is the first time for a few years of running Fiats, over the last 15 years I've run many Lancia's including buying new LHD from Holland as the marque was no longer available here.

I've visited the Mirafiore works (See my Avatar) & Design Studios in Turin, so I'm quite aware that Fiat have the ability to produce fault free vehicles if they care to take the trouble.

And while I love Italian cars, I'm afraid I will ponder long and hard next time after the experience of the GP, which basically is a nice car.

 

[fay66]

This was mentioned 2 years odd ago here on the forum but no one accepted it


Yes, they maybe for draining any small amount of water that manages to get past a seal, but they are not meant for the quantities of water being experienced by most of the owners in this thread. I have never in over 50 years of owning and enjoying cars, experienced this level of water getting in a tailgate or bootlid, if this theory is correct, why bother to put seals around anything in the tailgate, it might let the water through, but it wouldn't do much good for rust protection.
My daughters 2cv years ago used to leak like a sieve, but it had rubber mats and you just took out the bungs in the floor and let the water out that way, I think motor engineering has advanced somewhat from that situation.



They do you just cant see because tailgate is closed, sometimes you find water on bumper or around seal/plastic trim.

What then keeps the water in sometimes and not others when I have water lying around the trim & bumper there is also water in the tailgate.

 

[T14086]

was wiper grommet sealed inside & outside the grommet, you must do both, not saying they haven't but I have seen this happen more than once.

You know what I think (emphasise the think word there!) the problem here is......time! Time is money in motor trade so who is going to pay for tech to look at car again?

 

[T14086]

What then keeps the water in sometimes and not others when I have water lying around the trim & bumper there is also water in the tailgate.

I can only 'assume' the shape of the boot & movement of car.

 

[fay66]

I can only 'assume' the shape of the boot & movement of car.

Someone else has already mentioned it , but my tailgate also has to be up to shoulder/head height before any water starts flowing, have a look at the one on You tube as it's a classic example of what happens.

 

[T14086]

have a look at the one on You tube as it's a classic example of what happens.

I am aware of this issue, repaired loads of them without re-occurence except one which admittadely took a few attempts

 

[punto_matt]

Re: Grande punto water in tailgate

As for most owners problems being solved, reading this thread certainly doesn't give that impression.

It wont give that impression though. Think about how many people have commented on this compared to how many GP owners out there. The amount is hardly worth paying attention to. If people had the problem and then got its fixed then there wont be loads of posts/threads on it as people will get on with it.

 

[fay66]

Re: Grande punto water in tailgate

It wont give that impression though. Think about how many people have commented on this compared to how many GP owners out there. The amount is hardly worth paying attention to. If people had the problem and then got its fixed then there wont be loads of posts/threads on it as people will get on with it.

I appreciate what you're saying, but the GP owners out there without the water leaks are not the problem, just think how much bad feeling that Fiat/Dealers have created by not fixing the water leaks.
Besides that if you're not affected it is easy to say quote" that the amount is hardly worth paying attention to" if you are affected, then it certainly is worth paying attention to, that is precisely the attitude if taken by a manufacturer, that creates bad reputations.

 

[fay66]

I am aware of this issue, repaired loads of them without re-occurence except one which admittadely took a few attempts

If you seem to be able to solve the problem and your customers go away happy why can't other dealers? Are there technical bulletins on this subject? I would have thought so bearing in mind the owners who have posted here with the problem.

As you have fixed them, was it more than one fault? if so what were they and how were they fixed,as it seems you've done quite a few, is there a pattern to the problem.

 

[Tristania Dream]

I have an 06 1.2 active and have water in my boot. Not sure if this is what everyone else is experiencing as the water in my boot appears to be getting in from the top right (below level of parcel shelf when boot is closed) and looks to be dripping off of the curved part of the wall liner (sorry, don't know technical term). Water then seems to pool just right of centre of the boot carpet. Not sure if it could be connected, but my rear screen washer doesn't seem to work at all, not even motor noise. Was thinking maybe the motor was just quiet and was pumping water in the boot. Am I right in thinking that the rear wash is pumped along the left side of the car, if so I don't think this makes sense for my boot leak theory as that is definitely coming from the right side.

 

[T14086]

washer pipe runs along left (passenger) side & into tailgate at passenger side grommet.