prwdmd

Has anyone run across a water intrusion problem in the cargo area of the GX? I was getting ready to wash my GX and as I was pulling out my Weathertech cargo liner... I discovered that it was completely wet underneath and the whole rear carpet was damp and slightly musty smelling. I have recently driven through two very heavy rains...but nonetheless the Lexus should be watertight...

Is this a known issue? Is there an area where it is possible for water to come in through the rear floor?

redrocks

Wow!! First time seeing this problem on a GX. No dampness or water on the ceiling or rear pillars? Check the roof rack to make sure no water is leaking in.

prwdmd

I didn't notice this until a day after the heavy rain... and I didn't specifically check the ceiling or rear pillars. When I first noticed, it was the entire rear carpet that was uniformly damp... not just one area... which is why I think it seems to be coming more from the floor. I will have to look at the ceiling and pillars next time it rains. I've removed the cargo liner... who knows how long this has been going on for and moisture staying underneath the rubber liner...

Ancient

What year do you have and how many miles?

prwdmd

It's a 2007 with 70k miles. I bought the truck used a couple years ago... and I suspect that it may have been involved in some sort of accident before it came into my hands. Some time after I bought it, I discovered that it had some paintwork done on the rear. I now wonder if an improperly done accident repair could be the reason for the water... sounds like a good possibility now that I think about it...

clubsport

look at the carfax and see how many owners... and see if you can call the last one from previous title if you had the info down... cuz if there's paintwork done then you know it was not a minor accident... anyway try to backtrack if you can and try to insulate the open space where water comes in yourself... gl

Ancient

There are two compartments on the driver side of the car. One is directly over the rear wheel, the other is further back by the gas filler pipe. That is where the jack is located. You probably already removed those covers and looked around with a flashlight.

mann777

I hope you are aware that the GX do also come with the Rear Unit AC. If supposing this truck had a accident to the right side, which is where the Complete cooling unit and damaged the Cooling Unit Expansion Valve. The Drain hose would be the first to get hit from the blower side. I reckon this could be the leak source.

prwdmd

This sounds like it may be a possibility! I had been running the rear a lot AC for a couple weeks prior to discovering the water. Where is this drain hose located? Is it easy to access?

mann777

Here is the breakaway diagram of the Rear AC unit. It is highlited in red Hope this helps

prwdmd

This weekend I had a little extra time to work on this water problem. I started taking some things apart, removed the rear carpet to take a closer look. I thought everything had dried... but underneath the carpet is a thick layer of felt insulation that was completely soaked! I removed both and rinsed them and allowed them dry overnight. I checked the rear AC unit, located the drain, and it appeared to be OK. Then I did a water test and sprayed a hose around the rear cargo door... this caused a small amount of water to pool around the rear compartment next to the door. I found water inside the rear weatherstripping. I had XM radio installed by the dealer about a year ago and they ran the antenna cable through the weatherstripping creating a small gap... but it's probably large enough to allow water through... here are some pictures...

caha14

Unbelievable... Who in his right mind and with half-a-brain would do that? It is scary to see what some dealerships do.

Good job finding the problem!

The entry point (at the risk of stating the obvious) should not be anywhere near the top. If memory serves me right, the recommended entry point for the wire is somewhere around the tail light assembly - off to the side and not directly exposed to precipitation like this is.

caha14

What the installer should have read... Page 12

prwdmd

It still looks like the cable exit point should be through the top of the weatherstrip... but they indicate the need for a "cord rail" which wasn't used in my installation. They also mounted my antenna way off to the left side instead of in the center as shown.

So... I'm not sure what I should do. Should I take it back to the dealer and point out that the water problem is due to their xm installation and have them fix it? or should I just seal the gaps myself with some silicone sealant and see what happens?

caha14

Not at all... The cable is guided along the weatherstrip starting at the top, but it does NOT break through the contact area between the weatherstrip and the metal. It only enters the vehicle at the lower entry point where the tail lamp is. Should be a huge difference. And yes, you are right, I noticed (particularly when I saw the slight indentations on your cable from the door closing on it) that this was not the only thing they missed (e.g., the cord rail and the position of the antenna, as you point out).

The silicone may hold, but I would personally avoid it, as keeping this setup is just asking for it (even if the silicone helps temporarily).

If you have a good relationship with your dealership, I would talk to them about this and bring the pdf with you, with the expectation that they will fix it. Routing that wire the way they did is not a small mistake.

Alternatively, if you are comfortable with doing so, you could fix most of this yourself (the routing part, anyway) using these instructions, though the dealership would need to provide you with any missing parts.

In the end, you ought to bring this up to them.