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Rich's 1999 MX5 1.8i S


Rich
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Well I was planning on having the car off the road now but I'm leaving it taxed for another month, just until I've got the Accord sorted for the winter.

 

I've got a problem with 2 of the tyres losing pressure, probably around 3psi a week. I have already had one of them looked at by BB, which helped a little but it's still going down. Is this likely to be corrosion around the rim or valve so the only way to stop it is to get them refurbished?

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  • 1 month later...

I've not really used the car so haven't had the tyres looked at yet but I inflated them about 3 weeks a go to the correct pressure. I checked them at the end of last week before going on a drive (still started first time) and they were still the same. Parked the car up and checked the pressure again over the weekend, they've gone down again. What would make tyres lose pressure after being driven but not when parked up?

 

I've still got a lot of condensation in the boot too but I can't find any leaks, it seems to be forming on the underneath of the lid and above where the battery is located. That might explain why it was damp under the tray and not wet as if there was a leak.

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  • 1 month later...

I've not used the car for 6 weeks. Just been out to try and start it, the battery is flat as a pancake! I'll have to fit one of those cut off switches - http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/battery-switch-mk1-25-p-1657.html

 

There was also heavy condensation on the rear window and inside the boot. Plus a small puddle under the battery tray and wheel well. The carpet is dry though so I don't think it's a leak.

 

Does anyone know if the boot is completely separate from the rest of the car or are there any holes leading from it, especially up to the parcel shelf/window area?

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Hello mate

 

I'd fit one of those isolation things on mine if it wasnt for the alarm/central locking! That said the best thing would be to remove the battery completely so theres no build up of any potentially corrosive atmosphere in the boot. In normal operation the boot gets opened and ventilated so its not an issue (assuming you dont have a gel battery).

 

I am going to rouse mine tomorrow after 3/4 months of being sat in the garage -  taking it to Japex for a MOT and see if the emissions pass!

 

The battery was flat also but brought it to the house for re-conditioning with my C-Tek charger. Brilliant kit.

 

So water ingress in the boot.The condensation will be from the water in the car. The water in the battery tray and wheel well will be from one of the following :

 

  • Rain rail that sits at the base of the roof inside the car. It can become brittle and split. The tiniest of splits can create a tricky to detect leak.
  • Rear light clusters - the rubber/foam seal can perish and allow water in. Vaseline around the seal is a trick to test the seal.
  • The frankenstein bolts and the surrounding area on the rear can sometimes ingress if its worked loose
  • The rubber seal around the entire boot lid

There might be more but thats what i can remember.

 

The best thing i can suggest is get a dry day and run a hose on the back of the roof and be inside the car and watch/listen for water. On mine the rain rail wasnt secured quite right and some water came in on the rear deck and rolled into the boot. There are routes for it to make its way into the boot :)

 

Also - check your drain holes!

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Thanks Steve some good info there :)

 

I suppose once I start taking it off the road for winter properly I'll remove the battery so I guess I don't really need a cut off switch. I normally use the car at least once a fortnight when it's on the road. The only reason I haven't taken it off for this winter is the Accord needed some work doing to it so I had to use it for work. I'm going to SORN it for 3 months from the end of this month though, I won't really use the car until spring.

 

I removed the parcel shelf carpet yesterday and found the passenger side corner to be soaking wet underneath, it's dry on top. The rear edge on the drivers side and heading to the middle was also wet. This might just be from condensation though but the corner bit is definitely a leak.

 

The rain rail on the MK1 was made from plastic and rubber, which does split but I read this was changed for the MK2 so it's all rubber to prevent it from happening. I guess it can still go hard over the years and split that way but I'll pour water over the area later and look to see if it's getting in. New ones aren't cheap and I'd need to remove the roof to replace (or repair) it so a job for when it's drier I think.

 

On the MK2 the rear lights don't have a seal around them like the MK1, they just have 3 sponge seals/washers for the bolts on each side which I've replaced already. This has happened with the car just sitting on the drive as well, I stripped the boot out at the end of October and everything was dry.

 

What are the Frankenstein bolts?

 

I check the drain hole regularly and they're fine.

 

In the wheel well there was only half a cup full of water, it wasn't loads and it was sitting in the bottom right corner (as you look in the boot). The water under the battery tray was the same amount but I can't see where it could've got in from. There was ALOT of condensation though, it was dripping from the boot lid when I opened it. I think it's just formed on all the metal panels and run down to the bottom. The carpet is bone dry so it's nothing dripping from above.

 

Here are some photos I took. Can the rain rail be inspected properly once the retainers are removed? On the side with the leak there seems to be a kink in it.

 

WP_20170119_14_36_39_Pro.jpg

 

WP_20170119_14_36_46_Pro.jpg

 

WP_20170119_14_56_29_Pro.jpg

 

I had the battery on charge last night with my CTEK, they're brilliant chargers but it's a shame they have no fast setting.

 

Good luck with your MOT.

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Cteks are for battery maintenance, fast charging reduces the lifespan of a battery

 

Yes I know that but it would be nice to have the feature for when you need to charge a battery quickly. It wouldn't even turn the engine but I tried my jump starter anyway and it tried to turn but the battery was too flat. In future if I know I'm not going to use the car I need to at least disconnect it.

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Frankenstein bolts are the two crosshead things on the rear deck. The hardtops slide onto them as a means of securing them!

 

Yeah I think the best way is a hose on a dry day and sit in the car to trace where it's coming in. It should be obvious when you hit the weak spot!

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Frankenstein bolts are the two crosshead things on the rear deck. The hardtops slide onto them as a means of securing them!

 

Yeah I think the best way is a hose on a dry day and sit in the car to trace where it's coming in. It should be obvious when you hit the weak spot!

 

I thought it might be those, never heard them called that before. I did feel around underneath them and I think they're ok.

 

I poured water around the rain rail the other day and I saw 2 entry points on the passenger side, it got in straightaway. There is a kink in the rail and most of the water was coming out from just before this. I'm wondering if it's kinked so much it's stopping the flow of water and forcing it out. The other place was just after the kink so it might be split or the bolts need tightening. I got it wrong about the rail, the MK1, MK2/2.5 are all the same, made from plastic and rubber. Mazda revised it though with an all rubber one to replace it but they're £150.

 

WP_20170120_15_34_40_Pro.jpg

 

Then I saw water coming in from above the rail, it looks like it's where the material folds over for the rear glass window. I've not checked this thoroughly yet maybe the stitching has a weak spot. If you look directly above the black coil of wire you can see the line of water.

 

WP_20170120_15_37_35_Pro.jpg

 

There also seems to be a leak towards the drivers side but I'm not too sure where that is coming from. There is a hole near it (where the black rod is), which doesn't seem to have any grommet so it's open (air hole?). It isn't far from where the battery is located but if water is dripping through the hole it hasn't made the carpet wet. It could just be the condensation running down and forming a small puddle.

 

WP_20170120_15_43_44_Pro.jpg

 

I'm going to take all the trim out of the boot and lay some paper down to try and track where the water is coming from. The problem is it's so cold that all the panels feel damp, which makes it more difficult to find. I'll start with the rain rail though and check the bolts but I think it'll have to come out and be cleared/repaired if possible.

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Not really, the bottom of the rail is probably cracked. I've looked around the rear window and can't see where it could be coming in from there. Might have to get the hood looked at and repaired if needed. It was fitted new 2 years a go.

 

I've poured water over the Frankenstein bolts and put paper underneath in the boot but nothing dropped on. It does look like the most likely place for the water to be getting in for where the battery is.

 

None of the rain rail nuts were particularly tight so I did them up but it made no difference. It'll have to come off so I can check it properly.

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The water in this photo is getting in from underneath one of the panels after pouring it over the bottom of the hood. Could it be leaking from the rear of the rain rail to come out here?

 

WP_20170122_15_36_04_Pro.jpg

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I think initially a nip up of all the bolts and test again. Mine had a weep like that and it was one part wasnt tight enough. Someone had over-tightened and punched the nut through the trim. Had to install a washer to get a grip on it again and then nip it up sensibly.

 

If the rain rail is split i would remove it from the car, and and patch the cracks with some silicone sealant and maybe some rubber patches over the split (and then some more silicone over all of that once more?  That will keep you going.

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I've already tightened the nuts (in the correct sequence), they weren't that tight to be honest but I've not gone mad on them as I don't want to over-tighten. It made no difference.

 

It seems to be leaking from 3 places plus the weep around the window, it's not pouring in from there. I think I would prefer to replace the rail but I'll take it out and inspect first. Most people seem to use foil tape to repair it but if it's badly damaged I think replacing it would be less hassle.

 

I'm going to take the car out on Thursday, give it a good run and get BB to sort the 2 leaking tyres. Then take it off the road for a couple of months while I sort this out. I need to remove the throttle body and ICV as well to clean them and sort the dropping idle issue I've also got.

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I've done that before and it did nothing, I think it needs a good clean. The ICV is bolted to the bottom of the TB on the MK2 and I think it'll be easier to remove the whole thing and clean it.

 

I've just got back from taking the car out, started first time even though it's been sat there for 6 weeks outside. Popped into BB and they cleaned the wheels and refitted the tyres so hopefully they won't leak anymore.

 

While the wheels were off I noticed the rear dust covers Joe replaced on the coilovers last year have split again! :(

 

I'm going to use the car tomorrow and maybe the weekend then SORN it. There wasn't as much condensation in the boot now I've removed the wet carpet and trim. So once it's off the road and I've put the cover over it I can remove the rain rail to inspect it.

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Ok was just a suggestion :) Those dust boots always split but not that quick maybe they got pinched when compressed. Main thing is coverage when its on the ground i guess.

 

Yeah if it were me i would take the rail off, take it in side and get it on a radiator and then go to work on it at the dining table. I would be looking at some flexible rubber patches and solvents i think like a big puncture repair.  :)

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