Rover 200 & 400 Owners Club

Think this may go some way to explaining why i am still getting a wet boot on the L/H side of the car.

I have re-sealed both rear lights with gasket sealant and water still seems to be getting in

Attached are some photos i have noticed of the panel gaps. I imagine it must have had a bump at some point. I am thinking some more sealant in the gap between the light cluster and the body may stop water ingress? Attached are photos of the r/h side for comparison

Welcome some thoughts

L/H Side







R/H side

There are air vents behind the bumper, if it's leaking through the hatch seal the carpet will be wet, as opposed to collecting in the spare wheel well?

It seems to be doing both - but the carpet is wet a fair distance back from the light cluster maybe about 20-30cm.

Water is collecting in the spare wheel well also

Common misconception that tightening the bolts as tight as they will go on the lights is the best thing. When in fact, it just crushes the gasket and makes holes. New gaskets are available in the club shop and only need to be tight enough to cause compression of the gasket.

As stated above, there are also two slam vents that have a small flap of rubber on them. These are also prone to leaking.

Ok I will try loosening up the bolts a little bit I did fill with a lot of sealant and it seems pretty tight looking at it

Do you reckon panel gaps between the light and the body are not the cause of the issue ?

If it is the vent what’s the best solution to solve ? Will I need to remove the rear bumper and seal it up?

The gap size is irrelevant water will always find a way, but those gaps lead to channels that are there to redirect the water away from the boot (hence the boot rubber). The negative is it then runs down the light and the back of the car.

loosening of the bolts on what is probable a 30 year old gasket after you have crashed it to death is probable not the answer.

Fitting new seals to the rear lights now they are available combined with checking and sealing the boot vents that are behind the rear bumper almost certainly is.

https://www.rover200.org.uk/forums/view ... 856#p95856

kevinwillis wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:47 am loosening of the bolts on what is probable a 30 year old gasket after you have crashed it to death is probable not the answer.

Fitting new seals to the rear lights now they are available combined with checking and sealing the boot vents that are behind the rear bumper almost certainly is.

https://www.rover200.org.uk/forums/view ... 856#p95856

Yep new gasket and nip them up the way to go.all that messing about and time do it once and purchase some new seals

961tat wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 2:06 pm

kevinwillis wrote: ↑Wed Apr 06, 2022 9:47 am loosening of the bolts on what is probable a 30 year old gasket after you have crashed it to death is probable not the answer.

Fitting new seals to the rear lights now they are available combined with checking and sealing the boot vents that are behind the rear bumper almost certainly is.

https://www.rover200.org.uk/forums/view ... 856#p95856

Yep new gasket and nip them up the way to go.all that messing about and time do it once and purchase some new seals

https://store.rover-coupe.com/new-parts ... 10009.html

When you fit the new gaskets, add some silicon sealant as well, 100% investigate the vents, the foam they sit in goes pourus, again a good line of sealant will cure it for another 10-15 years..
H