Water leak resolved (?)

I have been searching like mad, since the rains started, for the source of the water coming into the spare tire well. I first sealed around the gaskets that hold the side trim behind the rear door windows (they were wearing out).

But it kept leaking.

So I trained the hose on the fuel door, and waited. Not much waiting was required. Soon, a little pool began to form in the area under the driver-side foam insert beside the spare tire.

Turns out that little pinhead at the bottom of the fuel fill area was loose, and free from the confines of any sort of gasket material.

No longer; I removed it and applied some polysulfide sealant and replaced the pin.

Anyone know what that hole is—er, was—doing there, or what I might have borked by removing this source of leakage?

 

Hmm. Doubtful, as it appeared similar to the sort of plastic attachment pin used in other places to hold trim in place, except there is no trim there.