Re: [Chrysler300] Trunk water leaks - Replace trunk weather-stripping?

The trunk leaking phenomenon is primarily from the area where the rear quarter window meets the C pillar in that the weather stripping and flocking don’t provide a moisture barrier, especially under pressurized water impingement. I sat in the trunk with the lid closed many times and couldn’t come up with where the leak was. Jeff Carter pointed out to me the C pillar issue. I wash the car on an incline so the front is lower than the fins (fortunately my drive is inclined so all I have to do is back the car into the driveway to wash it) and have not a experienced any trunk water for greater than 7 years since learning of this remedy. 300’ly, Rob Kern

From: mailto:Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2015 6:56 PM

To: 'christopher' ; 'Anna F Noia' ; 'Fond du lac 300Schroeder' ; 'Jim Maiani'

Cc: mailto:chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Trunk water leaks - Replace trunk weather-stripping?

Hi Christopher,

I know that 300C/300D had problems on water leaks, but I have not had any problem on my all original 300C which we purchased July 1958.

John C.

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of christopher thelastbestgenius@xxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2015 4:23 PM
To: Anna F Noia; Fond du lac 300Schroeder; 'Jim Maiani'
Cc: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Trunk water leaks - Replace trunk weather-stripping?

Stephan makes a very good point - 1st place water gets into near every 300C/D coupe trunk nowadays, if the car original, would be along the base of the rear screen - Chrysler (in the name of god looks/flush lower chrome mould), had the screen rubber sit in a (hidden) near one inch 'vee'/depression in the body there, and it holds water. Chrysler - perhaps aware it might rust - having water sit unseen there for weeks/ages long after wet - filled that 'vee' with a bitumen type caulking/sealer - but it soon shrank enough to let water in under it - and rust soon then eats the metal away unseen under the stainless lower screen mould.

I do not know if Jim's later year 300 suffers from same 'design fault' as 300C/Ds, but it might pay to get someone put a hose on the car also when climbing in the trunk as Stephen suggests, because Stephen's suggestion is maybe the one that might provide the answer if the rear screen has not already been checked for leaks.

Now any 50 yr old 300Cs/Ds etc that have real dry history use/life, will still now likely find water going into trunks from unseen rust under rear screens - and then rear wheel arches get rust bubbles, trunk floors go, and lower rear quarters hold water, and rust thru - my guess would be sadly near every 300C/D/E met a rusty fate/end, from this rear screen 'water trap mistake/design' by Chrysler - unless they used on real salted winter roads,
Anyone wanting their 300C/D/E to never suffer this problem is werll advised to not get this rear screen wet too moften if possible when washing the car, plus make sure best rust preventative measures used when restoring their car - make sure something good put in there before refitting lower screen mould/stainless. I do not know if 300F onwards carried this '57-59 design 'quirk' on past 1959?!

Christopher in Australia

To: schroe99@xxxxxxxxxxxx; jmaiani@xxxxxxxxxxx
CC: chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Wed, 8 Apr 2015 19:11:02 +0000
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Replace trunk weather-stripping?

Jim & All

Just a thought, another place to look for the proverbial "Trunk" leaks is under the rear window seal. Sometimes "pin holes" develop under the rubber seal along it's length and in the corners. When these are small, they can be unnoticed from the outside, assuming paint bubbles haven't developed (Yet!) and your not actually looking for them. These too will suck water in to the trunk, under the same conditions as the trunk seal leaks will. IMHO. Again, Good Luck.

Best Regards,
Stephen A. Noia
1-408-210-4736 cell

On Wednesday, April 8, 2015 11:18 AM, "'Carlton Schroeder' schroe99@xxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]" <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Hi Jim,

In case you have any doubts about your assistant please do the following: let us know when you will be sealed in the H trunk and then email us after your release. If we do not hear from you in a few hours we will contact the Houghton Lake authorities.

Carlton Schroeder

Eagle River, WI - still snow and ice

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 'Jim Maiani' jmaiani@xxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Wednesday, April 08, 2015 7:51 AM
Cc: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Chrysler300] Replace trunk weather-stripping?

Thank You all for your comments/opinions. I will get into the trunk once I can find someone I can trust.... to make sure it IS the seal.

Jim Maiani
Houghton Lake, MI (most of the snow is gone!)

From: mailto:Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2015 11:38 PM
To: lindsey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ; kboonstra300 ; Mark Souders
Cc: Jim Maiani ; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: RE: [Chrysler300] Replace truck weather-stripping?

A sometimes common reason trunk rubbers leak, is the channel they sit in, is either not well matched to the lid at factory, or over years since, heavy items being roughly put in trunk can sometimes bend the metal it made of, if the heavy item let sit on the lip/rubber area as put into trunk?!

Not suggested for children - climb in the trunk with someone you trust to close the lid, and when it fully closed, see if any daylight/light comes in around the edges/rubber. If it does, check and see if where the rubber sits has been bent down, and if so use say a rubber tyre mallet to tap up from underneath the metal outer surround up where it seems too low.
Or if you have a panel guy, go there and get him to check - be careful not to damage stuff, use a panel guy if in doubt..

BUT IF YOUR TRUNK RUBBER HAS OBVIOUS BITS MISSING, ignore this suggestion until you have a good rubber,

Christopher in Australia - bloody heck, just realised on the 16th and 18th April, the 2 'newer of my 3 300Cs celebrate another birthday of their 'creation' on those dates 1957 - and what a different world it is today!!?

----------------------------------------------------------
To: kboonstra@xxxxxxxxxxxx; MRS954@xxxxxxx
CC: jmaiani@xxxxxxxxxxx; Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: Tue, 7 Apr 2015 20:59:05 -0500
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Replace truck weather-stripping?

Not factory, but had this are problem with my E. Finally put some black household door weather strip on the trunk side of the gasket where isn't very noticeable. Problem solved. Agree with others to use strips if newspaper or similar to find where not sealing. Mine was only at the back window edge of the trunk, so hardly notice the fix. Depends how factory u want
Sent from my BlackBerry 10 smartphone on the Rogers network.
From: Keith Boonstra kboonstra@xxxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Tuesday, April 7, 2015 8:33 PM
To: Mark Souders
Reply To: kboonstra@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Cc: Jim Maiani; chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] Replace truck weather-stripping?

Because Chrysler typically had such awful body panel fits, even if you install a new trunk gasket you may still find the trunk lid is not sealed. To make sure of it after your installation, take a tough new dollar bill or a piece of Tyvek house wrap and pull it through between the gasket and the trunk lid all the way around the perimeter. If you find gaps, you will need to find a way to "plump out" the gasket in those areas. You might even have to slip a short piece of bell wire behind the gasket if the gap is large. When you're done, the Tyvek should exhibit friction when pulling it out all the way around the lid.

Keith Boonstra

-

On Tue, Apr 7, 2015 at 8:50 PM, 'Mark Souders' MRS954@xxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Jim,

I agree with the others, if the weather strip is bad, replace it. But since I also have a 300H, I know that the leak could also be an old defective seal at your taillight bezels. That’s where mine leaked and mine were new seals. I had to adjust the bezels for a better seal. Since then, no leaks.

Happy Moparing,

Mark

From: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of 'Jim Maiani' jmaiani@xxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300]
Sent: Tuesday, April 7, 2015 8:05 AM
Cc: Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Chrysler300] Replace truck weather-stripping?

Hi folks. I have (I believe) a stupid question, but I’d like your opinion. I have a survivor 1962 H, so most parts on it are 53 years old. At my last car show last year, it rained, and it rained, and it rained all day. When I got home, my trunk had an inch of water in it.

So my stupid question is: Do I replace the trunk weather-stripping in a survivor car? or just not drive it in the rain?

thanks

Jim Maiani

Houghton Lake, MI (snow is finally going away)

H

From: mailto:Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sent: Monday, April 06, 2015 4:17 PM

To: Ron Waters

Cc: mailto:Chrysler300@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Subject: Re: [Chrysler300] 300F Brakes

I agree with Bob. I had the same problem with the G on a couple of occasions. The front of the shoe locks against the drum until you wear down that layer of rust.

Pete Fitch

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 6, 2015, at 2:37 PM, 'Ron Waters' ronbo97@xxxxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

How old are your brake hoses ? Sounds like they are collapsing internally, causing fluid not to return to the master cylinder.

Ron

On Mon, Apr 6, 2015 at 11:06 AM, Terry Mctaggart terrymct999@xxxxxxxxx [Chrysler300] <Chrysler300-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

First nice day here in Dayton OH, so I fired up the 300F to get it out of winter storage. Engine started up just fine, but the brakes didn't. When I apply the brakes normally, they totally lock up. Backing up, by only a few inches, releases them, but normal stops again result in lock up. Before I tear into the brakes, any suggestions about I might be looking for? Terry McTaggart

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