Water is coming into the tailgate of my Ford Mondeo, making the carpet and spare wheel well very wet.
I have carried out tests with the aid of a watering can and masking tape, and these tests have determined that water is entering, not through the tailgate rubber seal, but through the sealing on the nearside rear light cluster.
Surprise, surprise, on looking at the Ford Motor Company warranty conditions, I find that water ingress is one of several things that is specifically excluded! Consequently, it looks like some effort from myself is required in order to renew the rear light cluster seal to the bodywork, since I don't particularly feel like paying to have it done.
My query is, what should I use to make the new seal?
My first thought was bathroom sealer, but I know this is rich in acetic acid and fear it might damage the paintwork, so adding to my problems. There must be specific sealers available for doing a job like this, and, hopefully, they will be available in other than trade quantities; I don't really want to buy 5 litres of the stuff just to do this.
Many Thanks
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You used to be able to buy tubes of windscreen sealant, they are probably still available. This should do the trick, they come in toothpast-sized tubes so should be plenty for this. If it's going to be visible, make sure you get clear rather than black! Try Halfords or any large accessory store.
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John:
Have you tried a search in the Forum for this topic? I am sure it was discussed recently and I seem to remember that more than one poster had suceeded in making Ford admit there is a known problem and fixing it.
I remember because I also drive a Mondeo and made a mental note of where to look if I find my boot carpet s**den.
Good luck!
Andy
ps. Having just looked at the preview I am much amused to see that s**den is picked out as a naughty word and gets **'s put in place of some letters. Wonder what else triggers it...
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Yes, a search for "Leaking Mondeo" reveals much more.
Perhaps I'm have a try with the Ford dealer after all, as I don't really fancy a bill for £250 if I can get it done under their warranty.
Many Thanks for replies.
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What about a mastic seam sealant as used for caravan panels? Freely available from any caravan accessory shop and should stay flexible (ie not harden or go brittle) for at least 5 years. You can buy it either as a tube with nozzle (like bathroom sealants) or, most conveniently, as a mastic-coated tape.
Terry :o)
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John
I had a similar leak on a Corsa. Simply sealing the lamp to the body didn't work. A closer look showed that the leak was from the joint between the back and front plastic mouldings of the rear lamp cluster. Water entered the lamp cluster near the top, dripped onto the bulb holders and came out about that way.
I sealed this joint all the way round, and as a belt and braces approach, sealed the cluster back to the body, using clear silicone sealer. it worked. Interestingly, it wasn't too difficult to remove the lamp from the body after the first attempt.
Regards
John S
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J
Consider a tube of Hermetite Silicone Sealer obtainable for about 7 - 8 pounds from any Motor Factor. Seals, sticks, waterproofs, doesn't crack, vibration resistant etc etc.
Depending on the colour of your vehicle consider black as the grey goes white and stands out I am told.
Have used it on my Disco, wet finger smooths it down and a
rag damped in white spirit removes excess without problems.
DVD.
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I thought my Mondeo didn't leak. It does :(
No water on the carpet or in the spare wheel well yet, but a definite and unpleasant damp smell.
I think Ford do replacement seals?
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Keith S,
Lift up the boot area carpet and feel the underside. Does it feel damp?
Remove the black plastic rear light covers held in place by three large plastic fixings. Look for water on the rear of the lamp housings where the bulbs fit in. Try wiping this area with a tissue, which makes it easier to detect any water.
Yes, the rear lamp seals are available as a Ford spare part.
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A warranty will always attempt to restrict your rights. That's why they say your statutory rights are not affected. It's all irrelevant; your contract is with the dealer & the product is unfit. Use your free legal advice line for the procedure.
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Definitely worth taking off the covers in the boot to look for water. I had a smell but discounted the rear light seals because the carpets were dry. The lights were not however.
I think this subject was going to be added to the cbc breakdown.
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My local Ford dealer says that the seals aren't available for the rear light clusters.
If they are, does anyone have a part number I can put to them?
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Ah, this sounds rather familiar!
When I went into my own local Ford main dealer to ask about seals for the rear light cluster, I was also told that they weren't available separately.
However, what the chap did say, and I didn't really take on-board the significance of this at the time, was that there was a long strip of sealer which they could supply.
I would guess that this is the material which you are then required to form into the new seal. I had originally though that the seal would be a rubber pre-formed item. However, this certainly isn't the case.
Being, at the time, not satisfied with the dealers response, I didn't, in fact, purchase this strip which he said that he had. I ended up just running a strip of universal silicone rubber waterproof sealer which I obtained from a DIY shop just around the corner. This was placed onto the existing sealer, not ideal I know. This has been about 99% successful in stopping the water entry. One day, perhaps when I'm bored, I'll go back to the Ford main dealer, buy one of these sealer strips, and have another go to make it 100%.
So, I'm sorry that I can't give you a Ford part number for the strip. It could be that it isn't even an actual genuine Ford part, though I rather suspect that it is.
This was my own story.
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