My 2K 3.0 S-Type has water in the trunk again. Last fall, I thought I solved it by adding silicone sealant to the body seams near the trunk seal (just above the tail light assembly) but that obviously didn't work.

My battery was completely dead and so when I when to remove it for charging, I found about 1-2 inches of water in the trunk. The strange thing is that there was also a lot of water in the plastic battery cradle (which I noticed after removing the battery). I'm not sure how water is getting in the trunk. Any ideas? Should I add silicone sealant to where the tail light lens meets body which is about 1-2 inches away from the trunk seal? Please help!

I also noticed that the small white connector (just dangling near the battery negative terminal) is little corroded which I heard can drain the battery. I would like to clean the connector so how can I remove the two small electrical connectors from the white plastic body? It seams like the electrical connectors snap into the plastic body and are not made to be removed? Any ideas?

Thanks in advance for your help.

 

My guess is that the leak is due to the fact that your original rubber seals (weatherstripping) that protect your trunk have aged and broken down to the point where they are brittle, cracked, or partially unglued from their base and you may not even be able to see that with your naked eye. As a result, rainwater is either getting through them or under them. Adding silicone sealant might help temporarily but it won't eliminate the problem. Find a good auto reupholstery shop in your area and have them take a look. Those guys are the best at removing and replacing rubber seals properly and with the strongest glues and solvents. Find a shop that has been in business for at least 20 years with excellent customer satisfaction results. They'll make your trunk waterproof again....

 

Replace the trunk seal, its a do it yourself, and not hard if you can put pants on by yourself. And open the drain holes in the trunk floor, there is a square tar pad covering them in the center back of the floor. You may even want to drill extra in the low areas. Jaguar added and opened drain holes in later models. Also cut off that white connector and tape it up, it was only used when the car was new to hook up a transit device that disconnects the battery, and yes corrosion there will complete the 2 circuits togeter draining battery, also you can end up wiping out the modules and fuse box from moisture

 

Thanks Brutal.

I will order the weatherstip seal. My existing seal seems in good shape but water is somehow getting past and inside the seal. When I removed the seal, I can see some moisture on the metal lip (that fits in the seal).

I did add holes to the tar pad. That was the easiest way to drain all the water.

I will also cut the white connector.