Ski season is officially done so spent some time cleaning all the grit and grime out of the trunk today. Found that it is wet on the pass side. Wather is pooling around where the rear inner fender meets the floor then traveling down to the spare tire area. Pulled the carpets and insulation then checked the sunroom drain for a clog. Nice and easy to blow in then pulled the antenna to check it. Both seem fine. It seems my issue is either the rear window seal or possibly the "leaded" seam between rear fender and the trunk support. Any words of wisdom or possible fixes. Did a search and nothing came up. Not a lot of water but more than I want rotting away the trunk.

 

If its coming through the trunk seal, you should have a drip trail on entry. I'd pull the seal and start tracing it. If it is the seal, it could be rusted liner support for the rubber that has expanded and is stopping the water from running down the rail...instead, backing it up and its coming under the seal and into the trunk. Look for residue rust marks on the lip where the seal sits, not necessarily in the metal, but on top the paint.
If you think its a window seal, I'd be very apt to take it to a place like Safelite and have them take a peak, it may be covered by your auto insurance.

 

It isn't the trunk seal. Window seal is only covered in PA if my glass breaks and after having to deal with safelite in my auto auction days they would never ever get a call from me. Any other ideas where it could be coming from. It is coming in pretty much right above the top of the rear wheel which leads me to believe it is seal related.

 

Make it all dry, get everything out, then a bucket of water and some patients.
Only way to figure where it comes from imo, need some luck though.

 

Well I was a little off, it isn't coming in around the seal but the seam between the fender and the trunk cross member. Even worse huh. Any ideas on a temp fix and ideas on a perm fix would be great as well. I'm fearing that the perm fix is beyond me and my willingness to pay for a pretty much full repaint afterwards though.

 

Well, first off, I stated someone like Safelite, since they are nationwide and known, it was a reference.
So without pics, are you talking of the seam by the antenna? If so, there are a number of 3M panels adhesives available.

 

Yeah that seem that runs fromt the rear window to the boot. Any adhesive would require paint as best I can tell. I think the joint is lead now which would explain why it failed.

 

For touch up paint... https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/g...epaint-175834/

 

Have used their stuff before not a fan, becomes junk after a few years. There isn't anyway around a full paint with this so the car will rust away in the trunk and become recycled steel sooner than I would have hoped unless someone has a legit fix for this as I'm sure I'm not the first one to have had this problem. There is no value in painting an at best 5k car that of course I have spent my entire ownership maintaining the paint so it would never need paint. Paint on the car is better then the crap they call paint on our XF.

 

So the leak is at the base of the rear screen, rear wing/cross panel joint?
If you get a flashlight, pop the trunk panel, remove the inner wing carpet and petrol tank carpet - then look for the joint you'll see a big gob of bondo - factory fitted! I removed both sides on my new bodyshell before I started the rebuild, and ran a bead of Sikoflex in it's place.
This is the reason, along with the rear screen seal design holding water that we get rot at the lower corners of the screen.

 

It is along the entire seam that I am getting water in not just at the window seal. Does that panel just bolt in?

 

It's spot welded, likely coming in via the joint at the base of the screen and running between the panels. They aren't bolted in as they're stressed. Get it bone dry and treat it with an all weather sealant, lift the base of the screen seal and seal that area too - don't fail to remove the factory stuff from inside the car
Is the paint in tact or bubbling yet?

 

Mine isn't spot welded (except around the seal for the trunk). Just bolted together. Pryed it apart and filled it with a grey caulk for now. What a crappy way to build a car! No rust at all except on the bracket that bolts in below, cleaned that up with some naval jelly.

 

Can you enlighten me to how it becomes junk?

 

Doesn't hold up under the sun in my experience... same as going to home depot and painting your car with Krylon.

 

That is usually from not using a clear coat.

 

Or from using crap paint with no uv protection. Clear coated to a nice gloss, the stuff is just junk 1 year later. You get better paint with the $199 Macco special in my experience.

 

So you've had a $199 Macco special? Macco can lay down some paint if your willing to pay. But if you buy the 'special', then that's what you'll get, a cheap special. Just like going to one of these storage shop garages, same result only you pay them more.
Automotive paints don't come with UV protection, that's the purpose of the clear and that isn't guaranteed. Same aspect for why your leather dries out inside, the glass may have UV protective qualities, but its not guaranteed. Both leather and paint are required to be maintained to keep their finish.
I've said this before from an old racer...."A car knows not who makes it, only how good it is they maintain it."