Sloshing Subie

[robm]

I was checking my brakes last night, and noticed the car was sloshing as I backed it in the garage. It turns out there was a lot of water down the wells behind the rear wheels, under the jack/tool kit on the left side, and the same area on the right.

 

How does the water get in here?

 

Is there supposed to be a drain to let it out?

 

I drilled a hole in each side to drain them. At least 2 liters of water poured out of each side. Then I stuck a piece of stainless wire into the hole, crimped so it won't fall out, in the hope that the wire will rattle around and keep the hole from getting plugged with road muck.

 

Any comments on this fix?

[zyewdall]

Sounds like a good fix. Most the one's I've owned have already had the bottom of this compartment rusted out, which I guess drains the water....

 

Probably getting in from inside the wheel well? Or maybe from the top somehow?

 

Z

[MilesFox]

how is the rust? on a wagon check behind the plastic sides of the tailgate bedise the window(gl)

 

if its a sedan check behind the plastic venting besde the rear windows.

 

the one side wheel arch was rusted out on my sedan because a hole had rusted behind the plastic venting thus letting water collect inside the body

[nipper]

On every car, in every door panel, tailgate and body panel there are small drain holes that get filled up with dirt, leaves etc etc. The hokes get clogged up if not checked once a season, and next thing you have is no body left. Drilling the holes was not the best thig to do, as you have exposed raw metal to water and air. Go around the car and check anyplace that lokks like it may be a drain hole and clear it out with a coat hanger.

[robm]

I had a good look around the area, and could not find anything like an existing drain. My old Corolla did this too, but it had drains in these pockets behind the wheelwells. They had to be cleaned out at least once a month in the wet season.

 

The right side has had a tough life ( 2 severe parking lot mishaps, about $2k each time!), so maybe it had one and it went away in the course of bodywork and re-undercoating? I didn't look too closely at the other side, it was dark over there.