Trunk leak help….

[pas_finest_]

So my 98 Jetta is leaking in the trunk. I narrowed it down to the taillight seals. Parts are impossible to find and used ones are trashed from junkyard. Car is a beater that I want to get some life out of (113k miles), so with that said does anyone know any redneck engineering to either make the seals myself or seal it and still be able to remove in the future if needed? Any certain products or procedures? I know this is seemingly common in mk3s

 

[garciapiano]

Use closed cell foam weatherstripping. 1/8” thick has worked for me through many winters.

 

[pas_finest_]

Do you remove the old seal or just run it underneath?

 

[garciapiano]

Do you remove the old seal or just run it underneath?

I am pretty sure I just cleaned up the paint so it would stick and slapped it on. Seems to have worked.

 

[jdulle]

I don't know if the Jetta is the same as Passat, but for my Passat, I just put a bead of clear caulk that channelled the water away from the lights.

 

[jdulle]

On mine there were also some seams nearby that were leaking.

 

[codeblue]

Instead of caulk or the stripping you could try a foam/rubber sheet and just copy the shape from your old seals, cut holes with x-acto knife etc. The original seals just seem to be a thicker 1/4" foam sheet.

I bought this for my jetta

XFasten Neoprene Sponge Foam Rubber Sheet Roll, Black, 1/4-Inch Thick, 12 Inches x 55 Inches, Neoprene Padding Sheet for Sealing, DIY Gasket, Cosplay Costume, Craft, and Tool Chest Liner : Amazon.ca: Industrial & Scientific

XFasten Neoprene Sponge Foam Rubber Sheet Roll, Black, 1/4-Inch Thick, 12 Inches x 55 Inches, Neoprene Padding Sheet for Sealing, DIY Gasket, Cosplay Costume, Craft, and Tool Chest Liner : Amazon.ca: Industrial & Scientific

www.amazon.ca

 

[garciapiano]

No need to overcomplicate it. Just use the weather stripping tape. Does the same thing.

 

[Ajlal24]

Go to your local craft store and buy the foam sheets they sell in 12x12 sheets. Cut and trace the taillight gasket pattern and install with a bit of adhesive to the taillight. Ive done this for multiple cars without issue, and they look like factory pieces in the end.

 

[Steve Addy]

What ever you use make sure that it's closed cell foam, otherwise the water can leech through...

Steve