Rear door seal leaking at the top

[Brianandjoy]

I noticed after heavy rain this week a few droplets of water when I opened the back door at the top,after washing it today I’ve noticed the same thing,do I need a new rear door seal,is this a common problem?the van is only 4 years old,is a new seal likely to fix it8

 

[AlisonF]

I can’t tell from the pics... is it around the rear brake light? This is a known leak problem on some Cali’s.

 

[AlisonF]

https://vwcaliforniaclub.com/search/147428/?q=Rear+brake+light+leak&t=post&o=relevance

This search gave a couple of threads.I’m sure there are more but already late for an appointment.

 

[Brianandjoy]

I can’t tell from the pics... is it around the rear brake light? This is a known leak problem on some Cali’s.

No it’s right at the top where the seal is on the roof

It’s the seal just below the back door hinges

 

[WelshGas]

It’s the seal just below the back door hinges

View attachment 66924

Lift the seal upwards slightly along its length, evenly, then shut tailgate.
Do you have a tailgate bike rack?
Make sure the gutter above the seal is clean, no leaves etc:.

 

[Brianandjoy]

Lift the seal upwards slightly along its length, evenly, then shut tailgate.
Do you have a tailgate bike rack?
Make sure the gutter above the seal is clean, no leaves etc:.

No bike tack but I think a small leaf may have got stuck on the seal,I wiped it over with a cloth and pored water on it and it seems ok now thanks

 

[DavidBoothby001]

I noticed after heavy rain this week a few droplets of water when I opened the back door at the top,after washing it today I’ve noticed the same thing,do I need a new rear door seal,is this a common problem?the van is only 4 years old,is a new seal likely to fix itView attachment 66922View attachment 66922View attachment 669238View attachment 66922

Hi. Did you ever find the issue on this as I have exactly the same thing, almost like seal not being compressed enough to stop water coming in and dripping on rear bed in heavy rain. Dealer tried break light but did not resolve and now suggesting going to body shop to have the door fit checked but it looks ok compared to other non leaking vehicles!

 

[Perfectos]

The seal is a push fit, you can simply pull it away at the top then reseat it, try that, but don’t push it all the way against the body panels.
you can also try the paper test:

get a piece of paper , trap it between the tailgate and seal, then try to pull it out Vertically
if it come out relatively easily = leak (see above)
hard to pull out = no leak

i posted the tailgate adjustment details in the Download section some time ago. This may help understand how the door is aligned and what can be done to change the adjustment

report back on findings

edit: check the seal for any damage / wear, after trying to reseat the seal, if the leak is still apparent apply some silicone spray to the seal, let it dry fully , it will slightly swell the seal slightly and restore its elasticity.
something like Holts silicone spray will do or Gummi Pflege

 

[Brianandjoy]

Hi. Did you ever find the issue on this as I have exactly the same thing, almost like seal not being compressed enough to stop water coming in and dripping on rear bed in heavy rain. Dealer tried break light but did not resolve and now suggesting going to body shop to have the door fit checked but it looks ok compared to other non leaking vehicles!

It was a small dead leaf stuck to the rubber when I removed it and wiped the seal all was well

 

[Perfectos]

Tailgate leak

Hi All, First post but have been getting fantastic info. from the site since we got our Cali in 2016, thanks!! Best decision we’ve ever made, we love our Cali and the kids are always asking about the next trip. Despite the amazing weather we’ve been having, we were caught in torrential rain all...

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New Ocean 6.1 Water Ingress

Hi all, came down to Liverpool to collect our new Ocean last Thursday, unfortunately after heavy rain last night we have water droplets appearing along the rear roof trim in van side around the tailgate area. I haven't investigated further yet as my son is up there sleeping still, but as we're...

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[Cali Phillip]

Hi. Did you ever find the issue on this as I have exactly the same thing, almost like seal not being compressed enough to stop water coming in and dripping on rear bed in heavy rain. Dealer tried break light but did not resolve and now suggesting going to body shop to have the door fit checked but it looks ok compared to other non leaking vehicles!

Mone does it with the roof up only.
Pulled the seal forward as suggested and cleaned the tailgate channels.
Found nothing of note.
Not tested it with roof up in rain since last summer as we tend not to bother leaving the roof up in heavy rain unless the ext covers on as its hard to dry here.

 

[Stu@rt]

Mine does it too - Asked the dealer to look and they insisted that there was no leak despite my pictures of a small wet patch on the comfort mattress. Had some success briefly by teasing the seal away and convinced myself that it was sorted only for it to return. I am guessing that the door pushes it back where it came from after time. Does sound like it is pretty common tbh. Others have reported success after getting the dealer to swap the seal.

 

[Amarillo]

Mine does it too - Asked the dealer to look and they insisted that there was no leak despite my pictures of a small wet patch on the comfort mattress. Had some success briefly by teasing the seal away and convinced myself that it was sorted only for it to return. I am guessing that the door pushes it back where it came from after time. Does sound like it is pretty common tbh. Others have reported success after getting the dealer to swap the seal.

I had a similar problem. I asked my dealer to fix it Year 4 of the 5 Year extended warranty.

They replaced the high rear brake light and the problem has gone away.

 

[Perfectos]

Mine does it too - Asked the dealer to look and they insisted that there was no leak despite my pictures of a small wet patch on the comfort mattress. Had some success briefly by teasing the seal away and convinced myself that it was sorted only for it to return. I am guessing that the door pushes it back where it came from after time. Does sound like it is pretty common tbh. Others have reported success after getting the dealer to swap the seal.

Try pinching the leading edge of the reinforced part of the seal together slightly across the entire top section then refit.

 

[Stu@rt]

Try pinching the leading edge of the reinforced part of the seal together slightly across the entire top section then refit.

To make to more resistant to being pushed back on? I'll give that go. Thanks very much.

 

[RockinNRollin]

To make to more resistant to being pushed back on? I'll give that go. Thanks very much.

@Stu@rt did you ever get this resolved and if so, what was the fix?

 

[Stu@rt]

@Stu@rt did you ever get this resolved and if so, what was the fix?

I teased it away more than required and let the tailgate seat it by itself during normal closure and seems to have been fine of late. Admittedly the Cali is garaged 90% of the time, but it has been out in some heavy downpours of late and I make a point of checking it and its been fine. Not an exact science or the definitive answer you are looking for I realise. But I'm not going to fiddle with it until I see the tall tale drops again.

 

[RockinNRollin]

I teased it away more than required and let the tailgate seat it by itself during normal closure and seems to have been fine of late. Admittedly the Cali is garaged 90% of the time, but it has been out in some heavy downpours of late and I make a point of checking it and its been fine. Not an exact science or the definitive answer you are looking for I realise. But I'm not going to fiddle with it until I see the tall tale drops again.

That's helpful, thank you

 

[dayslikethis]

I have the same issue and it’s been to the dealer who suggested replacing the seal with a slightly thicker seal from a Vw caravelle. They did this and it’s made no difference so it’s going back to get sorted! I’ve read the notes re brake light and will bring that to their attention. worryingly there is a slight bump in ceiling above, which I’m wondering is caused by water. Photos attached Not great for a new vehicle!