Its the rubber seal round the bootlid tail lights. These are bonded to the plastic light housing, but when they are hit hard by a pressure washer to blast the moss and slime out of them the pressure pops the bonding apart leaving a capilliary path for water to get in.
My solution is to remove the lights and clean them carefully with a toothbrush then dry them thoroughly, then I use Loctite 480 to bond the rubber back in place. This is a rubber-reinforced cyanoacrylate-based adhesive which wicks all the way round the rubber seal and bonds it back as it should be. Leave it overnight to set up thoroughly and then refit the light unit.
Some cars have butyl rubber behind the light to accomodate the joints in the sheet metal of the boot lid, which can usually be reused. Others have a small dab of silicone sealant instead, which can't be reused. In those cases, clean it off both parts and apply a new small dab of sealant.
Last edited by MikkiJayne; 8th December 2022 at 05:08 PM.
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