william lam

Firstly sorry if i have posted in the wrong section..

Not sure if any of you have the same problem. But my entire boot lid getting really bad condensation to the point you can see it dripping. Does the boot of the subaru have a lining as mine is just bare metal? The missus is giving me an earful so if anyone have any ideas it will be much appreciated

thank you

scooby red

iTrader: (2)

No idea about condensation. But deffo no lining

william lam

thanks i though there wasnt.

#68 rb5

iTrader: (1)

Nope no lining here neither. Will keep an eye in the condensation now you have mentioned it.

scooby red

iTrader: (2)

Condensation is the change of the physical state of matter from gaseous phase into liquid phase, and is the reverse of vaporization. When the transition happens from the gaseous phase into the solid phase directly, the change is called deposition.

In other words cause its been frickin cold in notts

MarkC

iTrader: (12)

My boot lid is the same, thinking of getting it lined.

53

iTrader: (41)

I bet you have a leak somewhere that is increasing the moisture inside the car that condensates when cold

scooby red

iTrader: (2)

As 53 states, could be I/C spray bottle or rear wash/wipe leaking

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

You need to check the spare wheel well, and BOTH sides down round where the jack fits etc, behind the meagre trim panels. Also the matand the bits of grey felt near the lights for damp. The mat can be removed to inside to dry.

My bet is that you have a leak.

If so, dry it out and leave the boot lid open for an hour or two on a freezing cold day: no moist air = no condensation

But if there IS a leak, you'll need to find it.

Probable leaks:
1. Rear lights
2. Spoiler holes.
3. Boot seal.
4. Rear screen seal.
5. Those tiny vents low down inside the arches stuck open.

Those 5 are in order of probablity

JusticeEmpire

I've been having the same problem since I had mine.

Rear lights got better sealed first, but still had major leak. Checked spoiler holes and they are fine. My car is sloped downwards slighty, and most of my leaks occured with the front end facing down. I was watching and could see the drip coming from inbetween two panels. I thought it was the screen seal, but apparently not. I've had a new boot seal fitted and that has fixed the major leak, but there is still some water coming in from somewhere.

RB5 Boyo

I'd say Alcazar has hit the nail on the head....you probably have a leak, most classics do!!

My RB5 had to get the rear lights sealed, then a new boot seal followed by the bottom vents, all as listed above lol....

Rear lights are the most common, a new boot seal is around £90 from Subaru but its worth it, theres nothing worse than a leaky boot because it will start to smell of damp in no time!!

#68 rb5

iTrader: (1)

I had a swimming pool In the spare where well. Thing is, the boot carpet was bone dry so it must of got in from beneath the carpet. Haven't had a problem for 6 months now. It was a one off. Very strange!

william lam

Thanks for the advices. I will check all that has been mentioned! I have the aftermarket LED lights maybe they are the cause. The boot seems to be damp on the left hand side only and majority of the condensation on the boot lid. Mine hasnt got the rear wiper and its the 2003 bugeye... I have tried pouring water on the boot and rear window but see no leaking at all from the seals.

Going to check everthing again as the missus is complaining the baby buggy getting damp and theres a smell of damp too

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Water ingress over the tops of the rear lights is common. It trickles down the backs, sometimes getting INSIDE the lights too, then wets the sub-mat near the lights and eventually, if enough gets in, finds it's way into the spare wheel well.

Carafax is your friend

william lam

cheers will check tomorrow. i have a sti spoiler on it, so going to check than aswel!

william lam

by the way, the rear vents people are suggesting. where are they on the car?

Jamo

iTrader: (23)

for the condensation go to tescos and buy some cheap salt, get a nice big bowl and fill it, with the salt, sit it in the boot and shut it, give it a couple of days and agitate it, and shut it again. After a few days it will be gone.

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

VERY low down inside the outer edges of the boot, both rear wings. Easiest SEEN with the bumper off.

But you CAN feel/get to them from the inside.

william lam

Update

i have taken the lining off the boot and i can see a vent on both sides of the car(black square vents) but theres nothing to open or close. The area where the vents are completely dry so is the spare wheel area! but the carpets damp and also the cover for the spare wheel is also damp..The rear lights also seems to be dry aswel

Any other ideas

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

It's like pulling teeth............

The rear lights may SEEM dry, but may still be allowing wet in. The Scoob is designed so that water drains off the rear screen down over those lights

Have you checked that none is getting in via the spoiler holes?
Have you demounted the lights to CHECK the seals?
Have you checked the boot seal itself?

Have you THOROUGHLY dried it out to see if it comes back?

There are only ways water can get in, unless the plug is missing out of the wheel well.
1. light seals.
2. spoiler holes.
3. boot lid seal.
4. rear screen seal.
5.those vents: there IS a plastic flap that opens under pressure from the INSIDE, it can stick open.

1 & 2 are probable.
3 is possible.
4 is unlikley, 5 is very unlikely.

Now PLEASE go and check properly if you want to fix it.....just LOOKING at it will NOT be enough

JusticeEmpire

This is where my major leak was.....

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Go on then: where is it?

BLU

iTrader: (27)

It looks like some sort of join by the boot hinge under the parcel shelf to me?

JusticeEmpire

yeah, left hand side of the boot, right by the parcel shelf....

beef-on-the-bone

iTrader: (5)

i had a leak there in mine

screen out, check the metal, repair/treat where necessary, i wanted to make sure it was fixed properly, the roof gutter takes the water off the roof and then along the boot seal, so it has the opportunity to pool there

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

So it came through a metal to metal joint, NOT the rear screen seal?

I'll have to add that one to my list of five.....

JusticeEmpire

yeah, that's what it looked like, but from underneath the rear screen if that makes sense

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Yes, that joint is welded, then has something smeared over it, then painted........

BLU

iTrader: (27)

Spot welded, seam sealed (not very well by the looks of it!) and then painted
I'll go check mine shortly as my boot still a bit damp even after carafaxing my rear lights!

JusticeEmpire

Strange thing was, after having bootseal replaced, it stopped leaking from there..........can't work it out myself

But going back to the OP........, a bit of salt/rice in the boot to soak up moisture, and fabreeze for the pushchair sounds like a winning combo to me