Not long now!

[badger]

did your mate who was a service manager not spot the rusty water when he gave the car the once over?

[Pilot Pete]

Thank you Tom. Where abouts in Luxembourg are you? Got a brother in law in Steinsel.

[Pilot Pete]

did your mate who was a service manager not spot the rusty water when he gave the car the once over?

Yes Badger, he is the one who pointed it out to me!!! I took the car to show him AFTER I’d bought it - I must admit I didn’t think of removing the boot floor to that extent to look under it. My bad.

[RPSN]

Slightly more worrying is the boot floor which has evidence of water ingress. There are rusty tide marks around the pan and the battery tray has rusty water sitting in it. I read somewhere about a vent in the rear passenger wheel arch possibly being the culprit? Anyone any knowledge that may help?

It could be that the issue is being caused by water leaking through the stud seals under the plastic/rubber trim in the channels at the side of the boot (see 1st & 2nd pics)

Have a read through these links.....

viewtopic.php?p=49893#p49893

viewtopic.php?f=27&t=4982


With regards to the vent which is located in the quarter panel lower extension behind the boot interior trim (passenger side), have a read through these.....

viewtopic.php?p=29814#p29814

viewtopic.php?p=41883#p41883

I’ve attached a photo of the vent in my car (3rd pic).


Did you recently buy the car from a private seller? If so, you have fewer rights and key protections of the Consumer Rights and Sale of Goods Acts don't apply.

The only legal terms that cover a private sale contract are:

The seller must have the right to sell the car.
The vehicle should match the description given by the seller.
The car must be roadworthy – it is a criminal offence to sell an unroadworthy car, and an MOT certificate from a test several months ago is no guarantee that the car is roadworthy today.

Could be worth contacting the seller to see if they will cover any repair costs that you incur?

[MajorTom]

Thank you Tom. Where abouts in Luxembourg are you? Got a brother in law in Steinsel.

I'm in Kirchberg in central Lux and some of my favourite twisties are not far from Steinsel.

Cool, then you have a good reason to plan your next Euro road trip with the F-Type through Luxembourg. In case you've been here you might have noticed... this place is pretty much paradise for cars like the F-Type.

[Pilot Pete]

Thanks RPSN

Initial inspection revealed this, worse on the LHS than the right so I’ve ordered some of this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313520094604

I did notice a little gap at the very top too, both sides. Doesn’t look like that was ever sealed. Is that normal?

[MajorTom]

Thanks RPSN

Initial inspection revealed this, worse on the LHS than the right so I’ve ordered some of this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313520094604

I did notice a little gap at the very top too, both sides. Doesn’t look like that was ever sealed. Is that normal?

Yep, that's a very common issue. Seems like all F-Types get this sooner or later. Apart from water ingress that actually causes odd rattling or fluttering noises at higher speeds. You found the right solution - just glue it in place.

[RPSN]

Thanks RPSN

Initial inspection revealed this, worse on the LHS than the right so I’ve ordered some of this https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313520094604

I did notice a little gap at the very top too, both sides. Doesn’t look like that was ever sealed. Is that normal?

The adhesive strip that Jaguar used on those rubbers isn’t up to much. Mine was similar to yours but I’ve never had any water leaks in the boot. I used contact adhesive which is still holding them well. The 3M Black Super Weatherstrip and Gasket Adhesive you’ve ordered is ideal for the job.

The gap you see at both the top corners (near the panoramic roof) is normal. Mine is the same and there’s no need to seal it.

To cure the water leak in the boot is a process of elimination. The most thorough way to do it is to remove the boot interior trim panels (not for the faint hearted). I did this on the passenger side a while ago and here’s the link viewtopic.php?p=49290#p49290

After doing this, clean up any existing water in the boot then close it and give the area a good hosing down including inside the wheel arches. Open the boot and check for any water leaks to help pinpoint where it’s coming from.

Alternatively, if you don’t want to go down that route, pull the rubber/plastic channel out then clean and seal around the studs where they fit into the bodywork....the same as is shown in the links I provided earlier. You could order new studs, but if the stud seals don’t look too bad then the 3M product will be fine.

Being as the left-hand side is worse and the battery tray has rusty water sitting in it, start there and see what happens?

Once you've done the job, try to get rid of any water and dampness that is visible or can be felt in the boot so that you can monitor it over a period of time to check whether or not you've cured the problem. If it hasn't, do the same on the right-hand side (unless you’d prefer to do both sides in one go).

If, after doing this, you still have water leaking into the boot, it’s time to investigate the boot seal and so on.

Hope this helps.

[Pilot Pete]

Fab, thanks for that. I’ve jumped the gun before reading your last reply - trip to the dealership and ordered 10 new clips for the trim and a new vent.

I will change all the clips (and keep the old ones that aren’t too bad), clean and re-glue the trim and change the vent as these seem the most likely culprits.

Just as an aside is it necessary to remove the battery to access the vent? If so are there any pitfalls regarding battery removal on a modern vehicle with so many sensitive electrics? Last time I removed a battery was on my old Triumph Spitfire back in the early ‘80s!!! Funny old thing that used to suffer water ingress too - not the boot though, above the windows with the pitifully ill-fitting, shrunken soft top!!!!

[RPSN]

No probs.

At least the studs/clips and vent are relatively inexpensive at the main dealer? Around £18 for the vent on it's own?

There’s no need to remove the battery to access the vent, as you can see from one of my pics from the boot interior trim removal job I did (attached).

Unlike the Triumph Spitfire you had back then, you don’t have to worry about any soft top issues on your new beauty!