my trunk has a leak, help me!!
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18
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From: BROOKLYN, NY
my trunk has a leak, help me!!
i have a leak in my trunk and most of the time when it rains i have water in my trunk about 2 " deep by where i keep the spare tire. I think the leak is coming in by the tail lights. my trunk is starting to make my EF smell like mildew i need help guys what should i do??
has this ever happened to you before and how did you fix it? I have a 89 sedan here is a link
http://efcivicsedan.myfreeforum.org/about1124.html
has this ever happened to you before and how did you fix it? I have a 89 sedan here is a link
http://efcivicsedan.myfreeforum.org/about1124.html
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 551
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Re: my trunk has a leak, help me!!
It's happened to us all. The ol swimmin tire. What you need to do is take apart your interior in the back, the plastics and carpet in the trunk, and the rear seats, and probably the c pillar plastics and rear deck, and get in there and watch while a buddy shoots water on it from a hose.
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 4
Re: my trunk has a leak, help me!!
Like the others wrote, very common problem. Happened on my 91 Civic LX around 2003. For me (and many others), it is the gaskets around the taillights that fail. In this case, I see two options:
1. Buy new gaskets, disassemble the lights and replace. Pretty easy to do.
2. Disassemble the lights, remove the gaskets, clean, let dry, and apply silicone caulk at the mating surfaces. Also pretty easy to do. Disadvantage: If you ever do need to fully replace the gaskets, cleaning the area up is a bit annoying. I used the caulk in 2003. As of early 2009, I never saw anymore leakage.
1. Buy new gaskets, disassemble the lights and replace. Pretty easy to do.
2. Disassemble the lights, remove the gaskets, clean, let dry, and apply silicone caulk at the mating surfaces. Also pretty easy to do. Disadvantage: If you ever do need to fully replace the gaskets, cleaning the area up is a bit annoying. I used the caulk in 2003. As of early 2009, I never saw anymore leakage.
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 18
Likes: 0
From: BROOKLYN, NY
Re: my trunk has a leak, help me!!
Like the others wrote, very common problem. Happened on my 91 Civic LX around 2003. For me (and many others), it is the gaskets around the taillights that fail. In this case, I see two options:
1. Buy new gaskets, disassemble the lights and replace. Pretty easy to do.
2. Disassemble the lights, remove the gaskets, clean, let dry, and apply silicone caulk at the mating surfaces. Also pretty easy to do. Disadvantage: If you ever do need to fully replace the gaskets, cleaning the area up is a bit annoying. I used the caulk in 2003. As of early 2009, I never saw anymore leakage.
1. Buy new gaskets, disassemble the lights and replace. Pretty easy to do.
2. Disassemble the lights, remove the gaskets, clean, let dry, and apply silicone caulk at the mating surfaces. Also pretty easy to do. Disadvantage: If you ever do need to fully replace the gaskets, cleaning the area up is a bit annoying. I used the caulk in 2003. As of early 2009, I never saw anymore leakage.
thanx alot guys for your help i think this is the problem... i need new gaskets... do you know any web sites that i can buy a gasket for my lights from?? and do you have any pics of this... i'm a noob and don't know what it looks like.. the red plastic lense is also cracked on my tail light can i get that replaced also?
Honda-Tech Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,022
Likes: 4
Re: my trunk has a leak, help me!!
Two excellent online OEM parts sites for your gaskets are www.bkhondaparts.com (Illinois) and www.hondaautomotiveparts.com (Rhode Island). I have used them both. The prices at all online OEM parts sites are very similar.
Here is a drawing for an 89 DX:
If yours is not a DX, go to the sites above. They are pretty self-explanatory for finding parts for a specific model and year.
The center light's gasket may also be shot. IOW, all gaskets for the rear light assemblies are candidates for being the cause of the leak.
Brand new and counting shipping, that taillight lens looks like it is going to run you around $85. Ebay seems to have many folks offering OEM taillight lenses; not sure anyone is selling your year right now. You also might want to consider a good junkyard (or "wrecking yard" in your yellow pages) with lots of imports for the taillight for a lot less money. 88-91 Civics are common at large yards. Also, you could post an ad in the "Want To Buy" section here at Honda-Tech. From posts, it seems like a fair amount of honest used parts dealers hang there, though I have yet to try this resource.
Here is a drawing for an 89 DX:
If yours is not a DX, go to the sites above. They are pretty self-explanatory for finding parts for a specific model and year.
The center light's gasket may also be shot. IOW, all gaskets for the rear light assemblies are candidates for being the cause of the leak.
Brand new and counting shipping, that taillight lens looks like it is going to run you around $85. Ebay seems to have many folks offering OEM taillight lenses; not sure anyone is selling your year right now. You also might want to consider a good junkyard (or "wrecking yard" in your yellow pages) with lots of imports for the taillight for a lot less money. 88-91 Civics are common at large yards. Also, you could post an ad in the "Want To Buy" section here at Honda-Tech. From posts, it seems like a fair amount of honest used parts dealers hang there, though I have yet to try this resource.
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