Leak In Rear Window Below Centre Brake Light

[austinvancouver 0]

Okay, my smart has a bit of a problem. It might be related to the centre mounted rear brake light. The centre brake light has been replaced a total of three times now under warranty as all three have developed a leak and there was water inside the light.

Recently water has been leaking down someplace from the centre brake light, down the rear window glass and into the back and soaking the carpet where the trunk/boot is.

It only happens when it's a hard rain storm.

[mainefortwo 1]

I share the same issue in my 2008 Passion Coupe and have a cargo cover accessory where I place a cloth to absorb the rain when it leaks in. I am unsure if it is a gasket around the shaft driving the rear window wiper or related to the high mounted brake light. If anyone else has experienced and resolved this concern I would like to hear from them.

Edited January 18, 2014 by mainefortwo

[Grumpyb 0]

On two of my 451s the rear window frames have water in them, trapped between the plastic frame and the bonded glass. One option I have seen is to drill a small drain hole each side in the plastic frame near the bottom. It could be that your frame is filling and spilling over higher up. I will drill mine in the week and if I have a camera around I will take some photos of it. When you lift the tailgate the water trapped in the frame flows out near the top, adding to the water in the rear of the car as it falls to the rear of the car body so doesnt get drained away.Grumpy-b

[BDH 0]

I get the same thing when I wash my wife's '08. Must be a bad seal around the wiper arm. If it happened more often, I'd likely hit it with some silicone, but it's just a little water, and only when I blast it with a car wash hose, so I can't be bothered.