Water on my Cargo Cover?

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BTLFED

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Has anyone had problems with water being on their cargo cover after it rains? This has happened a few times, mostly when it rains hard, and I can't for the life of me figure out where water could be leaking in. I can't find any water on my headliner, any of the plastic panels, around any of the window seals, nothing. It's almost as if it just appears on there by magic and it's driving me crazy. :help:

Thoughts?
 
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That is weird...

I'd check your roof rails first. A bolt could be loose or missing. I've personally seen water leak into the cargo area of a 4Runner b/c of a missing rear rail bolt up top.

You might also want to consider removing your roof rails and laying a bead of silicone around each of the screw holes just as a precaution. Then just reinstall the 2 rails.

Just a thought to get you started :D
 
Thanks, I'll get up there and check that out. I also have the factory little black wing back there so I should probably check that out too. I wonder if water can get in through the third brake light? It just drives me crazy that there is no water anywhere else inside the truck besides just on the cargo cover. When my old Datsun started letting water in the interior, I could at least track where it was coming from.
 
Yeah, that is annoying to have a water leak and be unable to find it.

The reason my buddy had water leaking into his 4Runner at the roof rails, was b/c he had the roof repainted at body shop and they forgot to put all the screws back in.

By the way, how much water is pooling on the cover? A cup full or maybe a tsp full instead?

Another way to look for the leak is to get a water hose or pressure water hose and spray specific areas of your truck. Have a friend sit inside the cabin while you're doing so and see if they can see water leaking in. Edit: Be sure to do this on level ground. Water has to abide by the laws of gravity and if your vehicle is parked on a hill (or any type of slope) when it rains, then the water could be coming from the front of the vehicle and traveling to the cargo area.

Also check the hinges of the rear hatch to make sure they are seated properly. I've heard a few cases of water leaking into the cabin thru there too.

Yours being an '02, I'm surprised you're having leaking issues. More of the ones I've seen have been on '00 4Runners and older.

Has the vehicle ever been wrecked or repaired in any way you know of?
 
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Well my truck is all original, I'm the second owner, and it has never been wrecked. I did change out the third brake light bulbs because they were burned out. Maybe I need to recheck the gasket that goes around that.

I have tried the water hose trick and didn't find it, on level ground and on an incline. It's not much water, maybe a couple tablespoons, but it is still annoying. Plus, I don't want where the water is coming in to end up rusting. Owning an old Datsun, I know all about rust LOL
 
Every time i wash my truck, I get a water and soap buildup inside the door hinge at the top. Maybe if that rubber lining isn't sealing tight, water might be working it's way through in a tiny area. It also might need a more prolonged exposure to water, rather than just using your hose. Like a few hours of rain.
 
I would for sure check out the third brake light particularly if you just changed it out. If the water is sitting on your cargo cover when its pulled out then it could easily be dripping in straight onto the cover and thats why you can't find any wet areas. I would have to say it has to do something with either the rubber weather strip or that third brake light, or both. Sometimes as water runs on plastic, the trail is so small it disappears before you even get to check it.

Also, where on the cover is it? front, middle, back, right side??
 
Ok, so if it's not much water at all, then yeah, the water hose trick probably wouldn't work.

Has the leak just started since you replaced the 3rd brake light bulb or has the leak always been present? Definitely check the light gasket regardless though. Good chance it could be coming from there.

Like josh220 said, I get the same soap/water buildup in that same spot after a wash, but fortunately don't have any leaks. Good idea to check that gasket and the area around it for possible leaks.
 
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Well I changed out the bulbs in the third brake light about a year ago, and the leaking just started a few months ago. I think I am going to double check it though, just to be sure. The water moves around on the cover, but I think it is starting in the middle of the cover, possibly toward the back of it.

If it is from prolonged exposure to water then I guess I will have to just wait until it rains again if it ever does. I live in Georgia, and we have a hella drought going on and I can't use water outside or even wash my truck.:mad:

I greatly appreciate the help guys! Things like this are why I joined this forum in the first place.:biggrin2:
 
Interesting it just recently started...

Yeah, I know what you mean about the lack of rain...we're having the same problems here in AL. While not as bad as you, I can still at least wash my car.

If you're unable to find the leak, another suggestion would be to sit in the cargo area of your 4Runner the next time it rains really good and see if you can locate the leak. Maybe then you could track it down. This is probably not the suggestion you're looking for, but if worst comes to worst, this might be your only other option.

I've experienced similar annoying leaks before in previous 4Runners that were difficult to locate the origin of. I'd wait for it to rain really good, wait about 30mins to an hour for the rain to really saturate my 4Runner, run out to my 4Runner (as long as it was still raining),and sit in it for how ever long it took to find the origin of the leak. So far, I'm 2 for 2 when using this method. :D

Again, good luck on your search.
 
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I notice a drip or two on my cargo cover every now and then. The exact same thing happened with my 00 and the 02 I have now. I always wondered where it came from. So I started looking in before I ever opened the hatch and it was always dry, then I open the hatch and theres a few drips. So I assume water is sitting behind the weaher stripping and as soon as I open the hatch a bit drips in. Similar situation in snow, the channel over the hatch gets packed with snow and then it all falls in when you open the hatch, not to mention stops it from opening completely.
 
interesting.....it just rained a bit here in so.cal...and my brother was just telling me about how he found water on his cargo cover. i didnt think much of it and told him that it was probably just moisture in the air inside his 4runner that accumulated on the flat surface of the cargo cover as condensation. if you guys figure out what it could be, then i will for sure let him know as well. as for my 4runner, there is no water or moisture.
 
i had this same occurrence in my 99' on my cargo cover... you could see the water stains once it dried and sometimes enough water that it would have a little puddle....

never saw any roof lining stains or wet anywhere else..

never figured it out and still don't know.


recently,
i made the dumb mistake to not replace the roof rack end rail pieces after i took them off to remove rack pieces and when it rained this winter it got water underneath the carpet... not even in the roof lining. if the roof rails are leaking it should drip down the side of the truck... and saturate the carpet...
 
I know this thread is old, but for anyone else who finds a mysterious pool of water on their cargo cover after a storm, I might suggest sprinkling some powdered sugar, flour (or something similar) lightly around the top of the cover just before a big rain.

Afterwards, you should see the water trails or splatter marks in the white dusting; in theory this should give you a good idea of initial entry point onto the cargo net before it pooled at the lowest point.

Might be a little messy, but it beats continued water damage.
 
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one thing you might want to look at is the wiring harness that runs between the lift gate and body. I had water leaking in and found that this harness had come undone.
 
reviving this old thread again.

has anyone figured this mystery out?

it rained like hell in houston today and there was small droplets of water all over my cargo cover. nothing on the headliner is wet, the plastic trim is dry also. can't figure this out.
 
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