Mini Cooper F56 - water ingress in luggage compartment

With the above-mentioned vehicle type, it can happen that water enters the luggage compartment through a leak in the area of the hatchback and it then collects in the area of the onboard tools. If the water remains in the vehicle for a longer time, an unpleasant odour can result.

Should the above-mentioned defect apply, special attention is to be paid to the circumferential hatchback/tailgate seal. A leak test must first be carried out to check the situation. The vehicle should be sprayed with a water hose all around in the area of the hatchback/tailgate while a second person is inside the vehicle to observe where water begins to enter the car. At this point particular attention must be paid to the circumferential hatchback/tailgate seal.

If water is found to be penetrating in the area of the hatchback/tailgate seal, a check should be run to determine whether this seal is correctly seated. The seal must fit evenly all round and must not have any visible waves or areas that protrude from the body of the vehicle. If the seal is visually OK and no abnormalities can be detected along its course, then replacing the hatchback/tailgate seal is the best solution to the problem.

After replacing the seal, a new leak test must be carried out to ensure that there is no further water ingress.

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