I've got a 92 RS the hatch leaks in the lower rounded corners so I replaced the seal with a new one from the dealer and it still leaks. The hatch seems to be sitting in the right place. The surface of the glass/metal and seal all look ok. anybody had this problem?

 

Make sure that it's not coming from your t-tops. I know when my t-tops were leaking it looked like it was coming from the hatch... If you don't have t--tops then I can't say anything about that, heh

 

no T tops, but thanks anyway

 

very common problem with 3rd gens.

best solution is to get a new hatch seal from GM or the aftermarket. Used salvage yard ones are usually as bad or worse than what you currently have on the car.

 

I've got a new gm seal on..after some investigating tonight it seems that water is entering between the rear hatch window and the body metal. from here it is supposed to go to the sides but it appears that some is leaking through onto the small vinyl interior panel on the hatch part itself. then its going to the sides and leaking onto the spare tire cover and the lock box .Is there some sort of seal that is in there and how hard is it to separate the metal and the glass..does this sound like a possible answer?

 

i have the same problem with mine, i still have yet to find a fix for it, but i keep working on it, especialy since i live in the northwest, it is wet 9 months out of the year

 

yeah, oh boy you gotta love the northwest!!!!!!

 

What are you talking about, it hardly ever rains in the northwest Collin, check the seals where your hatch bolts down. If it is around the seal you just installed, pull it back out and use more glue. You are using 3M weatherstrip adhesive aren't you?

 

I had this problem with my 85ta. I just ran a bead of black weather proofing sealent across where the decklid meets the glass. Couldn't even notice it, and my leak was stopped.

 

I used weather stripping that you would use around house windows or doors.

 

I think I'll try some clear silicone, hopefully that will fix it,maybe some more adhesive too. Five Third gens and never seen this kind of leak, oh well gotta be a way to fix it...

 

Could it be leaking down where the decklid attaches to the glass? You might try removing the metal and re-sealing it. There is a tech article on the site here I think.

 

Mine did that real bad after I had the glass replaced. The aszhole who put it on never sealed the glass/ metal seam. I rean a bead of silicone along the seam and it's perfect.

 

Silicone, sounds easy,sounds cheap,works for me. I'm positive the leak is coming from the glass/lid joint area..silicone it is.

 

That would have been my guess too. Mine leaked from there and that was the solution.

 

hey guys after reading this post I tried to do the silicone on the out side like you said. it did not work for me, when I open my hatch there is still water coming out of the decklid and at the bottom its filling up fast still. should I remove the deck and try again?

 

I would first make sure your leak is not coming from the rubber hatch seal that seals the outside edge of your glass and deck lid. I put a new seal on $50 from GM, turns out that wasn't it so I put one bead of silicone where the rear glass meets the body metal and smoothed it out with my finger which forced it inside the joint area, then clean the excess silicone. Then I put one more coat on the next day and smoothed it out again, you can't even see it, by the way it's clear silicone. So far so good. Another spot to check is where the glass meets the body metal on the underside make sure it is a smooth transition.

 

You put it on the outside? It's hard to explain, but on the underside if the hatch, if you follow the line of the area that meets the weatherstrip, right where it transitions from glass to metal is where it likes to leak. Seal under there, then there's supposed to be a small rubber square that goes over that to give the weatherstrip a smooth surface to seal against. Well, if you solved it, then I guess that's moot point..

 

i used a bead of that clear silicone between the glass and the hatch and it didnt seem to make much of a difference. the seal looked good and solid but when i washed my car i noticed a puddle of water around the cones on both of my subs. so im guessing i have to seal the underside too?

 

Careful with silicones - if it smells like vinegar it will be corrosive and might start some rust where it meets the metal. The comments on the leak points are most interesting - I am about to troubleshoot a leak in mine. But first I have to repair the pull down assembly :-).

 

That's true. Use the black urethane sealant that they use to install windshields.

 

I stock three items commonly needed to repair the 86-91 (first design) hatch pull-down units. The gear nut, motor housing (specially reinforced with 4 pieces of aluminum and epoxy) and raplacement guide kit. I manufacture the guides of solid nylon. Included in the kit is 4 guides, a new push nut and detailed installation instructions. E-mail me if you need any of these items. Lon

 

Lon

LOL :-). I just did - that is what is in process. Your invoice #1049.
I think that is all my leak, but we will see.

thanks,

Beast4

 

1048 funds arrived today.
1049 still waiting for funds to arrive.

Lon