[2003 Ford Focus]

There is a post on here recently about water in the spare tire well area which creates a segue into this new thread.

I noticed moisture dripping off of the inside of the trunk lid of my daughter's '03 when we bought it three years ago. The moisture has been a persistent thing since that time but never seems to turn to a flood.

I'm also wondering if this persistent moisture is causing the trunk release to cycle rapidly when the button on the dash or fob is pressed.

I know the rear seat folds to allow longer stowage in the trunk. Is this the reason that the cabin moisture ends up in the trunk, or am I looking for a taillight leak perhaps?

 

[felixthecat]

taillight, body seam, & of course the trunk deck seal. Put the rear seats down & wipe everthing down & dryed up. Climb in the rear door & go thru the trunk w/ a flashlight w/ someone spraying a stream of water. 1st I'd start at the wheel wells & then the taillights & then have a rear going down the rear part of the roof. You just need a stream, not a hard spray.Your Falcon seems like it'd be a fun car.

 

[sailor]

Since you mentioned the trunk lid, if you get a splash or drip when opening it checking the CHMSL (brake light) might help.

When the brake light leaks, water ends up in the license lights and drops out of that area when the lid is opened.

Foam seal on that, I used hose washers to tighten the plastic pop connectors holding it for a few years, sealed it later when it leaked again. New foam would be better but I didn't have any handy.

 

[2003 Ford Focus]

.... Your Falcon seems like it'd be a fun car....

Thanks for the replies.

Felix,

Was plenty of fun on Saturday night (back in the day). Could almost lift the front wheels on the 1-2 power shift. Everything Ford, except the Holley carb. Only weighed 2,500 lbs from the factory. More than met the magic 10 lb per horsepower back then. Came 'loaded' with buckets, console, padded vinyl dash, full padded vinyl roof and factory lap seat belts.

It wasn't until I owned a vehicle with a computer (automatic rev limiter shuts off the fuel to the engine if it reaches critical mass) that I realized why I couldn't always get it to rev under load in top gear.

In hind sight I realized that the reason I couldn't get it to crank more than 4 grand under full load in 4th gear with 3.00 gears ** was because it couldn't get enough fuel from the mechanical fuel pump driven off the cam eccentric. Electric pumps weren't that common in 1970, but high output mechanical ones were.

**(I once destroyed the 3.50 rear end by punching the pinion right out through the front of the carrier on a power shift at the strip).

Who says Fords don't go, ... not me!

Drove the parts guys crazy because I would come in looking for parts to fit a '63 Falcon (first year for the 260 V-8). Beefer front suspension, brakes ETC. The parts guys would throw up their hands and hand me the parts book. Heh Heh!

 

[sailor]

Older brother had a 1st Gen Falcon, but his mod. list was limited to a tube type CB radio & installing seat belts in the factory mounting holes (odd year when they came "seatbelt ready").

Saved his butt when he rolled it off an overpass approach one Winter day out in Iowa....

Replaced with first gen Mustang.