Damp in the side pockets of the boot in 744...

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Hi all,
I have dampness in both side bins of the boot of my 744 after heavy rain. I have reconditioned the boot lid seal and am confident that nothing is getting past that, have cleaned the drain hoses that run down behind the carpet on both sides of the boot and they appear to be clear, and there is no rot or damage to the floor either side.

I've been advised that it might be the rear light seals...has anyone had this happen before? If so, where is the best place to get new seals? I'm keen to sort it before any rot sets in inside.

[john.wigley]

Good morning, 'AHKV',

We had a similar problem with my wife's '87 744 a few years back. It was so bad that water would build up inside the tail light units. We too had previously checked the boot seal and drains to no avail. We did not replace our light seals,
and I'm afraid I've no idea if they're still available.

What I did was to drill a small 1 - 1.5 mm max dia hole in the bottom of the plastic, using a hand drill and minimum pressure, to allow the water to escape. I then kept the hole clear by periodically probing with a pin. While this was effective, and the hole was almost invisible, it may not be appropriate if you are concerned about originality. On a 200K+ daily driver that lived outside, I judged it an acceptable fix.

Regards, John.

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Thanks John! I'm not concerned with originality and my rear lights are somewhat sundamaged anyway, so I'll try drilling as you suggested, thankyou for the tip.

My 744 shares daily duties with my 245, so isn't kept as a show car or anything fancy...it does get mechanically pampered but I've got no bones about drilling a hole in a light lens if it allows me to use my boot again!

[NI_Volvo_Nut]

Min does this also, has done for years, my next thing is to seal the tail lights and remove the stooped foam seals completely and replace with a rubber of similar thickness

[Laird Scooby]

You can buy sheets of closed-cell foam rubber quite cheaply Phil and remake the rear light cluster gaskets. Do you have a sunroof in your 744? If so, check the sunroof drains in the boot. Also might be worth renewing the boot seal, there are plenty of boot seals on ebay, you can buy new lengths of boot seal rubber pretty cheaply and make your own new boot seal.

Sounds daft but also worth checking the drain holes in the boot lid, the area around where the boot seal fits on the ridge of metal between the boot and the main body area (got this problem with my Rover at the moment) in case one of the body seams is beginning to go.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...sheet&_sacat=0

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

First link, closed-cell rubber sheet, second link, boot seal rubbers, check your profile and go for the nearest to what the original would have been but over-estimate on the size and definitely measure the length you need! It's surprisingly long!

[AllHailKingVolvo]

Originally Posted by Laird Scooby

You can buy sheets of closed-cell foam rubber quite cheaply Phil and remake the rear light cluster gaskets. Do you have a sunroof in your 744? If so, check the sunroof drains in the boot. Also might be worth renewing the boot seal, there are plenty of boot seals on ebay, you can buy new lengths of boot seal rubber pretty cheaply and make your own new boot seal.

Sounds daft but also worth checking the drain holes in the boot lid, the area around where the boot seal fits on the ridge of metal between the boot and the main body area (got this problem with my Rover at the moment) in case one of the body seams is beginning to go.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...sheet&_sacat=0

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_f...rt=nc&LH_BIN=1

First link, closed-cell rubber sheet, second link, boot seal rubbers, check your profile and go for the nearest to what the original would have been but over-estimate on the size and definitely measure the length you need! It's surprisingly long!

Thanks Dave, brilliant advice as always! Will grab some of the closed cell rubber sheet and boot rubbers and sort this in the coming week.

[Laird Scooby]

Originally Posted by AllHailKingVolvo

Thanks Dave, brilliant advice as always! Will grab some of the closed cell rubber sheet and boot rubbers and sort this in the coming week.

You're welcome Phil - forgot to mention the reason for checking the drain holes in the boot lid is if they're blocked, condensation can build on the inside of the boot lid and run down into the lights from above.