On my daughter's 2003 Mini, we recently found my the carpet in the rear hatch area wet after a drenching rain. I pulled out the carpet and found the cubby hole where the tool kit sits had almost an inch of water sloshing around.

My first thought was that maybe the water was coming up from the spare tire hole - there is no seal around the hole. Is there supposed to be?

While the carpet was out of the car drying for a week, we had another rain. This time, the cubby hole was not wet, but the bare floor right above it was. So then I searched the Internet and these forums, and found that a leaking seal around a brake light is a common issue. When I removed the plastic access panel to get a look in there, it was dry.

Today, when the car was dry again, I ran a hose on the rear hatch, left the hatch closed afterward, and went into the back seat area to look from the inside, and it turns out the water is coming from the top of the rear windshield! The leak is on the left side.

Does the outside drip molding have anything to do with keeping the seal watertight? Or is this strictly the glue seal around the rear window itself?


Thanks!

 

does she have sun roof ? there are drain tubes for the sun roof when they get clogged they been known to leek in side.

 

No, no sun roof.

It's pretty clear that it's actually leaking at the top of the glass. I have a feeling that the rear window must be removed, a new seal applied, and then the window put back on. Unless the seal can be patched without removing the window?

 

Most likely it is the rear top brake light. Particularly if you have never had that glass removed or replaced.

Try tightening it first with a T20 screwdriver. If it seems to be tight then take it out and install back with a bit of silicone seal.

I find that if you remove all three screws half-way and then push the assembly it comes out easier without having to pry from the top.

Good luck.

Rich

 

Well, you're right - it was the top brake light, above the rear window.

I feel like a real dummy now because that solution is posted all over the Internet. When I first saw "3rd brake light seal is leaking," for some reason I looked at the two tailights, saw three bulbs in each one, and figured there must be some kind of seal around the 3rd light that typically leaked...

That lesson cost $50 to figure out at a glass place - the guy there figured out where the leak was actually coming from and fixed it. (I'm not even sure what he did - the wife brought the car to an auto glass repair shop while I was at work).

Now that I look at the lens of that brake light, it's all fogged up. Is that typical too?

 

Is there a certain type of silicone seal you should use??