Good morning,

I'd like to figure out how water's getting into my "toolbox" i.e. area where the 3rd seat used to be on this '83 245DL.

Enough rust in these parts, want to keep tools klean.

When parked, after a rain, there's a cup or so of water pooled in this area. Water pools toward left (driver's) side, but this may be irrelevant to leak location as car is parked on a slope in this direction.

The gasket around the tailgate is what I suspect, it's of course original. Other cars I've had with hatchbacks have had troublesome leaks that I eventually traced to that source....

I suppose I could go out there w/ a garden hose and blast water around where the tailgate closes against body of kar, but would appreciate anyone's two cents.

Am grateful for experience of others gained from BB, saves time and frustration in troubleshooting.

Plus winter's here in O hi O....

Frank

Check the bolts that hold the tailgate hinges to the body. Mine started working loose a couple of times over the years and water started getting in past the rubber gasket. I was able to pull out the corner of the headliner to reach the bolts, then slip it back on afterwards.

Doug Harvey

Thank you for such a sensible diagnosis, the gasket around the hatch looks like it makes a perfect seal and is unlikely the culprit. This car was originally from CA, was garaged, much is near new condition.

Have had 4 sedans over the years, am new to quirks of wagon model. Way water pools, looks like "top down" kind of leak.

Wish I had helper like you around to look over shoulder--had headliner down yesterday, rerouted broken wires to license plate lights and r.window defogger "internally" to tailgate instead of going through hinge. Was so happy to have things working again that I didn't think about tightening down the hinges. Was busy taking in all the works, lubing the lock and latch, etc.

Always a rehearsal 1st time around.

Got a solution for freezing rain and no garage?

Cheers,
Frank Richards

I second the main seal as a place to look. But also look at the seal around the rear glass. I've had trouble there. Comes and goes.

Try putting silicone lubricant on all the seals. That may temporarily limber them up and close any gaps--if that stops the leak, you'll know it's a seal problem. Be careful not to get that stuff on the paint, however. I've applied it by saturating a "disposable cloth" towel and then wiping the rubber.

For the window seal, you could get a windshield sealant gun and do it right. But that's a lot of sealing to do without knowing whether that's even the problem area.

Then there are the license plate light housings. They have seals too, or the units may be coming loose. In heavy rain, water can wick into the tailgate and from there get past the main seal.

And...do you have any rust at the base of the rear quarter glass? Water can get in a hole there and go down into the body--even get into the rear seat wells from there.

Have you done a hose spray test?

Also--try hard to keep leaves and trash out of the outside air grille below the windshield. On the 240 there isn't any way to clean that out (my nominee for the worst design decision on the whole car), and if the drain holes in the rocker panels plug up, you get interior leaks or rust. There's a thread a few weeks back about cleaning out the rocker panels.

For what to do about freezing rain and no garage, my only suggestion is, move. Fla-Tex-Cal?

Doug

I agree with you about the design of this feature. My car lives outside under many Douglas Fir trees which drop assorted stuff all year. I have spent many hours with long handled tweezers picking out a few needles at a time, you can never get them all. However this spring I bought a Cabin Intake Vent Cover (an actual Volvo accessory) from IPD. It has worked beautifully in keeping out basically all of the offending needles. Cost just under $40.00, but has been money well spent. It snaps in place and I think on my dark green '80 wagon it even looks pretty good. Gets my seal of approval. Catalog number for 240's (all) is EA8C4979.

Thanks again Doug.

Had the silicone lube and hose ready for use this a.m. but as it's raining/sleeting/snowing, I'll wait for a better moment.

All those potential leak spots, what can one expect after 20 yrs?

Thanks for reminder about front (1/4 panel area) of car, I know how to get at where you mean and did passenger's side a week ago. Lots of krud down there.

BTW was inspecting area under hood immediately behind strut towers...squirrels have been storing winter acorns in both sides, nice stash areas there a mere human wouldn't thunk of.

Does the krud (e.g. the pine needles, leaves, etc.) I found down under magic panel by front passenger's feet come from there, "above" as it were?

Next move might be Canada, actually. Talk about rust....

I have been fighting leaks in the tailgate area of my '86 245 since last winter. I think that I've found them. Here is the list:

1. Leak into the "toolbox" storage area was either through the pinchweld under the tailgate behind the bumper or through the holes where the trim piece, which fits between top of the bumper and the body, clips into the body. I placed black plastic tape along the joint between the body and the bumper and the leak stopped. I sealed between the trim and the body with silicone sealer. I got under the car and sealed any rust on the pinchweld with POR 15, sealed any visible gaps in the pinchweld with silicone sealer, and sprayed rubber undercoating over the pinchweld. I don't know if one or both of these areas leaked but all is dry now.

2. Leak around the tailgate rubber seal (I). When I got the wagon, the tailgate was not centered and it rattled. I recentered it and the rattle was fixed but now the seal leaked. I think the seal is old and too stiff to seal the new position. Water works its way under the seal, runs down the inside edge of the tailgate opening and goes two places. Some seemed to seep under the screws which hold the aluminum trim on the bottom of the opening. I sealed these with 3M Strip Caulk. I also adjusted the latch to make the tailgate fit tighter. This stopped the leak at the screws.

3. Leak around tailgate (II). Water would get under the rubber tailgate seal and run down and collect at the bottom between the seal and the tailgate opening. There are small drain holes in the bottom of the tailgate. As the level of water rose, the water would go through those drain holes into the tailgate. Then when the tailgate was lifted, the water would run into the tailgate. I sealed those drainholes with plastic tape and the water stopped getting into the tailgate.

This is where I am in the ongoing saga of the tailgate leaks. I really need a new rubber seal but I don't yet know how to replace the seal. For now, I plan to tape a 1/8inch dowel to the tailgate opening where the rubber seal meets the opening at each bottom corner. This should leave a small gap between the seal and the body so that the leaking water can run out the bottom.

Jim,

Thanks for sharing your experience with all that can go on back at door no.5. Maybe there's a reason all my previous Volvos were 142s or 242s.

Blasted trunk leaks, have had 'em on so many cars...my intuition is that it's around the bottom of the door where there's one trim piece missing, scraped it off in one of our lovely OH ice storms.

But I'm kind of an optimist as this is such a nice CA car, I'd like to think s'thing as simple as tightening the hinges will fix it. Hate to have to spend time engaged in leak science.

Thanks again,
Frank Richards