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water leak into the trunk area 2016 Prius by vent

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Main Forum' started by doctorman, Jan 2, 2022.

  1. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    bought 2016 prius 3 with sunroof around 35k miles
    found some water in both side of the trunk, some investigation and found a small crack in the back right under the light from a possible minor accident that was not fixed well. fill that up with body sealer and most of the problem went away.. there was some water coming in from on top of the black vent in the back , added some sealer and silicone from outside and that stopped the leak from the top of the vent....
    poured bunch of water and everything seemed dry... still could not figure out why there was water on the left side ...
    closed it up , 2 days later after car was parked under the rain checked the back again and there is water on both side and some in the spare wheel well..
    it seems like water coming in from under the black air vent and from behind this metal body panel in the picture.
    the sunroof vents seam to drain fine and could not replicate the water leak by pouring water on the car...
    so it seams the car has a right side back accident and the bumper was repaired in the back but I can not figure out how water gets to the air vent and behind that metal body part...

    any advice on what this could be would be greatly appreciated.
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  2. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    in past generations, it has either been from the rain gutters, hatch hinges, seal window gasket or window wiper
     
  3. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    so the gasket was a bit lose, will seal it with some sort of glue or silicone to stay in place,
    found leaks from the top part of the Brake light, the little guide that holds the back light was lose and letting in water.
    the vent, I could not figure out, poured water all over it and nothing went in.
    the brake light screws were a bit lose on one side and leaking a bit
    will silicone these and test the car again..

    there was a little sensor like thing that broke as we were inspecting stuff.. in the picture wondering what that is.. just says Denso on it.
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  4. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    these screws were not tight and water was getting behind them a bit
     

    Attached Files:

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  5. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    siliconed up everything I could find in the back of the car and hose it down.. no water came in
    drove it to work and later on in the day I see few dropps in the back on both sides..
    very little water but I can not figure out where they came from
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  6. Mambo Dave

    Mambo Dave Active Member

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    That's all sort of unexpected for a five year old Toyota. Was it ever damaged in the rear?
     
  7. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Was going to say "yes, just up the page", but it's in the other thread.
     
  8. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    I am thinking the moonroof drain hose might not be fully tight and the water that seats in there splashes out when I drive.. it is not much but I need a better way to trace the moistures or the water drips, I can silicone that tube in place in to the plug to rule that out I guess.

    the car had body work on the left rear , but the water is on both side
     
  9. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    so it is not the sunroof or the drains...
    water comes in from a crack in the body probably from the rear ended accident that this car had before.
    last time I took off the bumper and could not see any crack behind the bumper in the body.. I even poured lot of water there and nothing..
    Maybe the screw holes that hold the bumper..

    this is driving me nuts
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  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Where'd you buy it? If a dealership, I'd suspect someone traded early (it is quite low miles), after having the accident and experiencing the water leaks.
     
  11. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    it was a dealer sale, and he is okay for me to bring the car back to check it. it is just 3 hours drive each way to the dealer... and if the issues is not resolved there is so many trips I can take.. it is a whole day and gas and tolls in costs...
    Henece the reason I am trying to figure it out as much as possible on my own.. taking it back would be the final choice
     
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Yeah, and chasing down water leaks is not easier for them I'd suspect. But who knows. I was thinking more like them taking back the car. Was it what they called certified?
     
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  13. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    it is a 2016 prius 3 with 35K miles at 16$K, it was a great deal... so it is not worth returning the car
    not certified..
    anyway I was looking for technical data to help find the leak...
    I guess I have to spend more time in detail on it and slowly rule things out

    the issue is when the leak comes from under a panel in the car that you can not see the source and the car is so countoured and has so many ups and downs that the water can be coming from any point above the leak I see inside..
    dont think there is any technical document showing the layers of the body in the back so I can get a better idea
     
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  14. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    There have been leaks from the two roof rails. Still, yours having rear collision seems more likely.
     
  15. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    there is no way to check the roof rails without getting the rear wet .. I guess I will have to rip those roof rails off and check under .. not too hard right? just clips and pull it off?
     
  16. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    With our 2010 it was just dig under the ends with your nails and lift, easy as pie. Took me about 10 years to realize it though. I cleaned out a bit of grime and waxed the heck out of ours.
     
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  17. doctorman

    doctorman Member

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    as the weather got better, I took apart every last bit of the back of the car and silicones it up and still saw the leak, then took apart the whole trunk door and found huge gaps and leak... the trunk door was not repaired well after the accident probably ... much silicone later the problem is gone
     
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  18. Jdh5817

    Jdh5817 New Member

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    Reviving an old thread here.

    I finally found the source to my trunk water leak which has soaked into the padding underneath the rear trunk tool tray and has developed a nasty smell for months I’ve been trying to troubleshoot. Mine is also a 2016. I stripped down all the trim like you and the water is flowing in freely through that same black vent you have shown. That’s the only place it leaks in from. Anytime I spray water on the outside tailgate area it gets in the trunk through that vent, is water supposed to be touching that vent at all? Even on the other side of it? It doesn’t seem like it’s supposed to fully seal so it makes me think water should not be anywhere around that, even on the opposite side. Thanks.
     
  19. Theplug

    Theplug New Member

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    You are looking in the wrong area. The leak is not coming from that side vent. Especially if you’re just pouring water on the rear part of the Prius. The leak is 100% coming from your spoiler, pours down the tailgate plastic, and down the side into the trunk corners. That’s why you think it’s the vent. But it’s not.
    Remove the plastic trim off of the inside of tailgate. Unplug the third brake like wire, then remove the five 10mm nuts that hold do spoiler down. Lift the spoiler right up. Use automotive silicone such as RTV where those bolts on the spoiler go into tailgate. Mount up and forget about it. Thank me later!
     
  20. Prius2016excel

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    Well I’ve got this problem as well. Pulled up the covering and water is definitely coming in from that vent and nowhere else. Water is getting caught in it and oozing over the sides.

    I had a bit of a tantrum with it and ended up ripping it out and now it won’t go back in so I just have a hole…

    I’ve not tested it yet but I’m hopeful as the vent is gone water will just drop down and miss being deflected into the trunk.

    2 questions though. Where is this water getting in and where is it going to?Behind the vent opening is the exterior body panel and below it is close to the wheel arch.

    Would expanding foam be a sensible idea to fill the gap?
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