Leaky tailgate

[happyknight]

I’ve finally got around to looking at why and how the tailgate velour cover is wet through. I suspected the high level brake light so I removed it for inspection.

3x 10mm nuts located behind the 3 rubber bungs in the hinge area,. Two bungs easy to spot and the third was under the rubber conduit for carrying the electrical wires. The middle nut is tricky as it’s blind, so it’s touchy feely. Use a slightly extended socket to remove the nuts. Oh and a magnetic aerial tool is a must…
I used my finger to draw a line in the muck that had collected on the tailgate, to indicate where the thread roughly was. Made it easier for refitting the nut afterwards.

On removing the light unit, ( only push on the threaded bolts from underneath to release the unit. DO NOT pull the red plastic outer casing, it could break).

I could see 3 possible ways water could get in. So after thoroughly cleaning the area, I used a small tube of sealant to add extra protection from water ingress. Granville do a small tube, but I used Visbella high temp RTV silicon gasket maker. ( Used on car engines, but came with a screw on nozzle).
I put a bead of sealant around each opening highlighting green. And a bead of sealant on the rubber grommets where the bolt threads are located, also on the white blanking seal and on the seal for the electrical connection. Left it all for a few minutes to skin over, and refitted the light unit.

After I refitted the light you can clearly see a gap between the spoiler and the light. But only in the areas between where the fixing bolts are located. So I assume this is where water enters behind the light unit, and if water pools under the light unit and the rubber grommets fail, water will enter the tailgate. Hence the wet velour covering.

Will keep you posted on any developments