IS250 Water in boot

[zoricib]

So I gave my IS250 an interior clean last week and came to find that there was loads of water in the spare wheel well! Removed the grommets and managed to drain all of it but now concerned of where the source of the water ingress is? Last night checked my amp (ML audio system if it matters) and found some moisture around that area but the amp itself looked dry.

After some googling found that there's a vent besides the bumper where water comes in from but haven't done more checks for that. I removed 2 of the grommets in the spare wheel well to aid with water drainage in the future but is there any way to protect my amp from moisture? 

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Bogdan. What you've done is correct. Yes there have been numerous occasions about water Ingress I to the boot. Its from those vents. All I can suggest is occasionally look in the boot where the amp is to inspect. Wipe away all moisture if there is any. Those drain plugs I think have a hole in them to let water out. Make sure those plugs are clean and unblocked. 

[zoricib]

Thanks for the reply Vlad! I'll probably strip the boot out a bit to check if the vent is damaged in any way or if I can deflect the water from the amp area then. The grommets I have in the wheel well were full rubber ones, no holes in them. 

[Texas]

The rubber flaps that are in the side vents are just a gravity seal, they are there to remove stale air from inside the car when it pressurised by either the fan or forward movement of the car, if the contact area of the rubber flap gets dirty it will not seal properly and may let in moisture, mainly from spray on wet motorways for example and not just rain showers.

[zoricib]

Thanks Paul, I'll have a look at some point to check the seal on the vent

[LIJO151]

On 8/16/2021 at 2:07 PM, Texas said:

The rubber flaps that are in the side vents are just a gravity seal, they are there to remove stale air from inside the car when it pressurised by either the fan or forward movement of the car, if the contact area of the rubber flap gets dirty it will not seal properly and may let in moisture, mainly from spray on wet motorways for example and not just rain showers.

Hi Paul, 

Sorry where are the side vents located?

I too am finding water in the spare wheel space. There are rubber spaces that I can push/remove to drain the water, however I'm unsure where the water will go. Instead I have been drying the wheel well and trying to work out where all the water is coming from. 

I have checked the drain holes and they seem clear. 

Any advice welcomed.

John

[Texas]

Either side of the boot, behind the side cover trims and down low.

see in this US owners club link..

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-2nd-gen-2006-2013/867724-found-out-why-our-is250-is350-and-isf-audio-amps-fail.html

 

[Texas]

Vid here of replacing vents

 

[LIJO151]

Thanks Paul

[LIJO151]

After ripping out the panels in the boot, it turns out that the water is coming in from the rear lights. Looks like I will need to remove the lights and apply some sort of sealent and reinstall. Another one for the to-do-list. 

I did check the vents as shown in the above video and they were fine and the area was dry. 

[Texas]

Is it just the foam gasket on the lights that had failed and slowing water in or some other reason for ingress?

[steve2006]

The inner clusters appear to have a separate gasket seal but the outer units don’t.

Clear silicone sealer may be the solution after a good drying out and cleaning.

[Mr Vlad]

Perhaps that should be a highlighted procedure Steve so everyone can see.

[Texas]

‘Silicone’ you say…..I have used this in the past on rear light clusters and unlike silicone it does not actually ‘set’ but stays flexible and soft to allow for any movement in parts and sticks to plastic & metal alike ( silicone tends to stick to one or the other depending on which type you use)

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-roof-gutter-sealant-black-310ml/67521#product_additional_details_container

 

[KMT]

Hi Members,

I've also found water in my boot and would like to share my experience so far and hope others with similar experience share their stories/advice. A quick search returned many suggestions pointing to the rear side vents as culprit, learnt really useful test methods (video in boot and water hose), some suggested the trim-covered gutter between boot lid and quarter panel.

In my case the water was pooling on the boot floor side tray. Test method done shows water slowing dripping through the top lining. Peeled it back, highly convinced it was due to water pooling and not draining properly down the trim-covered gutter causing it to seep through between the metal lip and boot weather seal (under the seal), suspect where the lip is has overlapping body metal sheets joint.

While investigating. I also found water pooling in slightly different area under the side tray, and found a suspect, where a bolt comes through the rear body panel but looks like it should have a rubber seal which is no longer there or deteriorated.

I've also ordered new vents as mine looked crumbly and shrivelled, but used some chicken wire and duct tape to make the temporary flap.

My plan is to:

1) remove the gutter trim and clean the area, reattach trim using 3M tape

2) use bathroom silicone to seal this rear bolt coming into the boot

Photos attached.

Please share if any of you have more info/advice on this,.

Apologies in advance if I've not followed the correct forum rules/etiquette.

[steve2006]

Nice post Meng, very informative and great pictures.

I would just add it may be worth removing the rubber boot seal completely and checking the lip it fits over. The older LS400s used to suffer significant rust to the lip resulting in some sections actually rotting away.

If you can catch it in time a good clean up, some rust converter and a dose of sealant on the lip before refitting the seal could prove useful in preserving the car.

[DnG]

I am having the same issue on the left side and from what I could see the water seems to be seeping from under the tail light. Haven't gotten around to stripping the boot and taking out the tail light or bumper, but might be something there that stops sealing over time?

[KMT]

On 11/1/2024 at 10:17 PM, steve2006 said:

Nice post Meng, very informative and great pictures.

I would just add it may be worth removing the rubber boot seal completely and checking the lip it fits over. The older LS400s used to suffer significant rust to the lip resulting in some sections actually rotting away.

If you can catch it in time a good clean up, some rust converter and a dose of sealant on the lip before refitting the seal could prove useful in preserving the car.

Good suggestion. Thanks. Checked it and lip was fine, but found the fatter part of the seal's inside has a slight crack. I don't think that was the cause but dabbed a bit of glue and tried fitting in right anyway.

Reason I don't think it's the seal is I pulled it up and kept pouring water to find leak still coming through shown in first pictures below. Gave up trying to find the path and follow some advice about using Captain Tolley's. Used it and haven't seen leak since. Fingers crossed.

Another spot was near the tail light where panels opened up slightly creating a gap, not the bolt below as previously suspected. Picture attached. Found some 8 year old tube of valve cover gasket that was used once. I know, not the best stuff, ideally I'd want to use proper panel seal but didn't want to spend on a tube just to use a pinch, plus this spot is relatively easy to access so I could try other alternatives if this doesn't work out.

[KMT]

On 11/2/2024 at 12:04 PM, DnG said:

I am having the same issue on the left side and from what I could see the water seems to be seeping from under the tail light. Haven't gotten around to stripping the boot and taking out the tail light or bumper, but might be something there that stops sealing over time?

Could be many things. Mine was a gap in the panel. Previous owners probably had a knock there.

I'd say strip the linings, pour some water over the windscreen and rear quarter panel over the light cluster and observe.

Could also be the tail light not bolted back on properly, or missing a nut (which mine was, but not the cause).