Technical Water in boot lid? Grande Punto Active Sport

[Archieleggatt]

Got my car back from the Fiat Garage today and this is what they said. There are two rubber grommets, at the bottom and either side of the boot lid. They are designed as drain holes, also there are two holes towards the middle of the boot lid as well...also drain holes. I was told that the boot lid is made of two pieces of metal shaped and welded together. If this seam of the weld is not quite water tight then water could get in and run in to the skin of the boot and out of the drain holes. Sounds odd to me but there you go! Also, they wasn't sure if water could be getting in to the third rear brake light as it dosent seem to have a seal around it. Fiat put some sealent around the edge of the third brake light and put it back in place. (Great! So what happens when i wanna get if off and change the bulb???) Hasn't rained or haven't had a chance yet to test if this has fixed the problem or not. SO...all in all i conclude that Fiat have no idea what the deal is. ALSO they seem to have no idea where the water could be getting in....despite having the car all day today to find that out! Now, ive had plenty of diferent models and makes of cars and this is the first one to have water get in to the skin of the vehicle and piff out of the corners of the boot lid when you open the boot. Stand in the wrong place and you get a steady stream of water over you!! Now either there is a genuine problem and this is not supposed to happen and the grommets are not drain holes OR this is supposed to happen (As fiat tell me...truth or not??) and the car is designed to piff all over the owner when opening the boot after a light rain fall...could Fiat REALY have designed a car this way?!?!?:bang:

See my earlier reply that led me to this same conclusion. I've now had another look and......

the two rubber grommets appear to be threaded - my left hand one was tight - the right one ( which had spilled rainwater on opening the hatch lid, is now tight too ) .

Jsut got to wait for rain now and open the boot lid to see if it's cured it by forcing the rain water that passes through the skin down and out through the two lowest visible central drain holes whilst the hatch is closed!

A strange way to make a boot lid tho IMHO. But then it is FIAT.

 

[Donnie Darko]

yea i have this problem too, i even heard the water sloshing around inside the flippin boot! so i opened and closed the boot a few times and it stopped.

 

[oilrag]

Jsut got to wait for rain now and open the boot lid to see if it's cured it by forcing the rain water that passes through the skin down and out through the two lowest visible central drain holes whilst the hatch is closed!
A strange way to make a boot lid tho IMHO. But then it is FIAT.

Its not cured if there is any water at all in that double skin, it should be bone dry for longevity.
Hope you get it fixed soon.

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Easy enough saying take to another dealer but who's to say there gonna be any better...if not worse?! And by the sounds of it a lot of them are.
I hear what your saying Archieleggatt but from my experience the water doesn't get the chance to get anywhere near the two middle holes, it just collects at the edges and pours out of the grommets when the boot is opened. Still not had any rain so can't yet comment on if the sealing the third brake light has solved the issue...lets hope so as it's begining to sounds like a common fault OR a design fault. I have to agree with Oilrag water shouldn't be sitting in the double skin of the boot, it's gotta be wrong as it would corrode from the inside out. Lets say for example you never open your boot, must be people out there that never use theres, so what would happen if you don't open the boot and release the water out thats collecting in the double skin? Is it just gonna fill up?? Nah, something just ain't right!
P.s. There ARE lots of good things about this car, it's not all negative....honest!!!

 

[T14086]

Easy enough saying take to another dealer but who's to say there gonna be any better...if not worse?! And by the sounds of it a lot of them are.

Because a good dealer would be well aware of this!

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Can you recommend a good dealer that i can call then? Should be simple, call them and they can give me the answer over the phone?

Oh, and it rained last night and...yep you guessed it, water in the boot lid again. So, a) Either Fiat didn't seal the third brake light well enough OR b) Thats not where the water is getting in.

Getting fed up...yeah, you bet ya!:bang:

 

[T14086]

Can you recommend a good dealer that i can call then?

I dont know what area you live in.

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Hertford

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Hertford, Hertfordshire

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Hertford, Hertfordshire

T14086, You've gone quiet?

 

[jawkithenoo]

are all gp's fitted with a rear window washer?? i do not seem to have one on my 1.2 active.

got one on my 1.2 active (56 plate)

 

[Donnie Darko]

T14086, You've gone quiet?

lol

 

[T14086]

T14086, You've gone quiet?

It happens............every few years or so

Must be loads other dealers near you as so close to London?

Any of these any good? https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/91303-dealers-rating.html

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Just been having a look at the readers reviews on the What Car website. Came accross one from a dude called Martin Day from Bucks. Has the same make and model as me and also has had probs with the water getting in to the tailgate. He says that he's tailgate has finally been replaced despite the dealer and Fiat both saying water ingress is normal on this car and for all owners to check there tailgates. My dealer also stated that water in the tailgate was normal, so if it is "normal" then why would they replace it? Seems to me Fiat have yet ANOTHER common fault but are trying to deny it!

 

[T14086]

Just been having a look at the readers reviews on the What Car website. Came accross one from a dude called Martin Day from Bucks. Has the same make and model as me and also has had probs with the water getting in to the tailgate. He says that he's tailgate has finally been replaced despite the dealer and Fiat both saying water ingress is normal on this car and for all owners to check there tailgates. My dealer also stated that water in the tailgate was normal, so if it is "normal" then why would they replace it? Seems to me Fiat have yet ANOTHER common fault but are trying to deny it!

What car!!!!!

 

[jawkithenoo]

Just been having a look at the readers reviews on the What Car website. Came accross one from a dude called Martin Day from Bucks. Has the same make and model as me and also has had probs with the water getting in to the tailgate. He says that he's tailgate has finally been replaced despite the dealer and Fiat both saying water ingress is normal on this car and for all owners to check there tailgates. My dealer also stated that water in the tailgate was normal, so if it is "normal" then why would they replace it? Seems to me Fiat have yet ANOTHER common fault but are trying to deny it!

why would any manafacturer design and build a car ,that allows water to penetrate ANYWHERE? Do they not know that it is not unusual for britain to get a wee bit of rain now and then.

 

[T14086]

Door are built so water runs through them & out the bottom at the drain holes.

 

[tolittlekingdom]

I do not accept that a car can be designed for water to pass through the inner skin (anywhere), it will rust. Not only that, when you open the tailgate you get piddled on?!? This IS a common fault with this vehicle. Fiat would not replace a tail gate for someone knowing that there was nothing wrong with it, after all the dude's only gonna come back saying that its doing it again?!?

 

[T14086]

"Many people have the idea that doors are sealed against water getting inside them. They are not! Water can go into the door; it runs through the door, and it runs out of small drain holes down in the bottom of the door"
From the below link......
http://www.mpt.org/motorweek/goss/2624.shtml

Seeing that you dont believe me!


Most tailgates have drain holes aswell.......think of the brava with washer hose that comes off all the time,it leaks out of bottom corners.My focus has boot drain holes...problems arise when these holes are blocked & water cant get out.I'm not saying this is the issue here....however it is NOT a common fault with this vehicle,I work on them everyday.

 

[tolittlekingdom]

Hi,welcome to the forum

No need to email,this is a forum

Yes I have came across GP's leaking,your dealer will sort it for you

If you do work work on this vehicle everyday you must be a very busy man what with all the common faults

My previous Punto didnt drain water out of the tailgate when i opened it, nor does my Seat, nor did my Polo, Corsa, Escort, Mazda...shall i go on? This is not normal. And as i previously mentioned if this is normal there is no way in Hell Fiat would have changed a guys Tailgate knowing it was working 100% fine. Its hard enough to get them to fix a fault they DO admit to and know about!!!

Anyway we will ahve to agree to disagree as my purpose for this posting was to find out what the problem is, as i do believe it is a problem and hopefully get it sorted. As many others, not just on this site but other sites, have also had this problem. I see it as a common fault. Getting peed on when i open the tailgate after washing the car or rain is a fault and it is common.