Discuss your 2000-2005 Bonneville SE, SLE, SSEi, Buick Le Sabre 00-05 and Buick Park Avenue 97-05. Please use General Chat for non-mechanical issues, and Performance and Brainstorming for improvements.
Can't remember ever using the spare tire, but I'm sure I've checked air in it a few times. Had a mysterious clunk in the trunk for a while so I decided to check the spare tire well...
I don't recall the trunk leaking. It has obviously been pooling down in the well for a long time.
Any thoughts on finding the leak besides laying in the trunk with a flashlight while somebody hoses it down?
And what should I do about all rust in the bottom... I'm still in a bit of shock...
Is that a drain tube sticking up out of the rust in the second shot?
WHITE WHINE - 1992 SSE Supercharged 236.26 ci (.040 Over) 15.090 at 90.2 MPH on old engine w/ slipping trans & melted O2 sensor - Gen 3 M62 and matching TB, Gen 2 Pully, Zillamotorsports Ported LIM, YT 1.72 Roller Rockers, SII FPR & Injectors, Hypertech Thermomaster chip w/ 160 Thermo, TransGo Shift Kit, Infinity/Pioneer Speakers & a 10" Alpine Type R Sub, all the watts, 140 amp Alternator, Ricepipe CAI w/ heatshield, Pilot Angel Eye Foglights, Clear Corners, '02 17" Chrome Bent 5's, Magnaflow F-Body Muffler and Hi-flo Cat, Ceramic Coated Ported Exhaust Manifolds, Fan Override, Monroe Reflex struts, red calipers 2009 G8 GT - Sport Red Metallic, loaded, SOLO Axlebacks, Rotofab Intake, Tuned, autodim mirror, removed intake manifold cover, HSV GTS triple gauge pod, two tone red-hot shifter and HSV SuperSport steering wheel, GXP rear sway bar and diffuser, 3.45 diff and various Camaro suspension bits, LED Taillights
J Wikoff wrote:Is that a drain tube sticking up out of the rust in the second shot?
No drain tubes (at least in this vintage). The only factory installed component is a sheetmetal attachement that the tie down for the spare clips onto.
Bose Luxury Sound System w/Touch Screen Navigation, Addition of Factory XM, 2005 MY Antenna, OnStar Upgrade (3G),
RainSense Wipers, Backup Camera, '00 Style Door Panel Courtesy Lights, Heated Washer Solvent, 2X Remote Trunk Release, Turn Signal Mirrors, Center Console Courtesy Lamp, Rear Outboard Heated Seats, PVD Chrome 18" Factory Rims, Upgraded
Carbon Fibre Appearance Interior Trim, Highly Modified Main Body Harness, Instrument Panel, Door, Door Panel & Headliner
Wiring Harnesses, Custom Fuse Box & Tire and Loading Information Decals, Additional Acoustic Insulation[/size][/color]
No drain tube. That's the tip off of some tube of caulk that fell down in there.
I guess I'll pull those plugs in the trunk lid and do a water test to see where it's coming from. There is a lot of rust in that well. I'm pretty sure if I punched it hard enough I'd go through. The spare is shot. The rim just disintegrating. What a bummer. I had no idea that was going on. Should have checked the spare more often...
ddalder wrote:
No drain tubes (at least in this vintage). The only factory installed component is a sheetmetal attachement that the tie down for the spare clips onto.
I have a 2000 SSei and can attest that there absolutely are 2 drainage tubes in the trunk, 1 attached to each quarter panel, behind each wheel, visible after you detach the cloth lining in the trunk.
Mine was filling up the tire well because the tubes detached from the fittings on the inner quarter panel AND because the lip of the trunk needed to be bent back inward, after years of people leaning on it.
That was just where it leaked in the trunk.
The rear footwells were filling up, too from tubing detached in the front, behind the kickpanels.
ddalder wrote:
No drain tubes (at least in this vintage). The only factory installed component is a sheetmetal attachement that the tie down for the spare clips onto.
I have a 2000 SSei and can attest that there absolutely are 2 drainage tubes in the trunk, 1 attached to each quarter panel, behind each wheel, visible after you detach the cloth lining in the trunk.
What I was saying is that there are no drain tubes in the spare tire well because the picture in question was of that area. The drains you are referring to are for the sun roof. If those are leaking, yes, you can have water drain from the sunroof into the spare tire well. Water should not get into those drains from the outside because of their duckbill design.
Bose Luxury Sound System w/Touch Screen Navigation, Addition of Factory XM, 2005 MY Antenna, OnStar Upgrade (3G),
RainSense Wipers, Backup Camera, '00 Style Door Panel Courtesy Lights, Heated Washer Solvent, 2X Remote Trunk Release, Turn Signal Mirrors, Center Console Courtesy Lamp, Rear Outboard Heated Seats, PVD Chrome 18" Factory Rims, Upgraded
Carbon Fibre Appearance Interior Trim, Highly Modified Main Body Harness, Instrument Panel, Door, Door Panel & Headliner
Wiring Harnesses, Custom Fuse Box & Tire and Loading Information Decals, Additional Acoustic Insulation[/size][/color]
Mine was leaking from the third brake light not being installed properly
at the factory.
As you can see it was not fully positioned into the rubber gasket before
it was jammed in the hole. GM
Black 95 SSEi (original owner) 238K miles
Black 05 GXP (some idiot put the first 12K on it)186K miles
Black 04 Tahoe (original owner)310K miles
Black 16 Traverse (original owner)90K miles
Black 15 Lacrosse (some nice lady put first 15K on it)43K miles
"You can have one in any color as long as it's black" - H. Ford
I was going to also suggest the gas door rust if it's bad enough could let water in too
2003 pontiac bonneville Sle with kenwood sound system. Upgraded tweeters, door speakers, deck speakers, kenwood sub and amp. Rage r20 18inch rims. Front and rear KYB shocks and struts. GXP Strut tower brace.. She's a work in progress still