Water In Spare Wheel Sump

[DaveHomeBrew]

I have recently found some water in the spare wheel sump of my 2006 Prius. I baled it out to measure it, and found there was 1 gallon of water there. Also there was a further 1/2 gallon of water in the 12v Battery compartment to the side of the sump. Has anyone else found this problem? The water doesn't come in through the boot lid, as the rest of the boot has never shown signs of dampness. I imagine it is caused by driving through some of the horrendous puddles we have been experiencing in the UK recently, but I cannot work out how it gets in. It is particularly worrying that it surrounds the Battery!

[twohats]

I have had water in the Battery well. I could not find the source and it never recurred after drying out.

I put it down to maybe over-enthusiastic hosing of the underside.

Might have another look in there now you have reminded me!

[DaveHomeBrew]

I suspect it is a design fault, the car is not sealed sufficiently well to keep out water forced against the underside when driving through big puddles. Maybe it is happening to other Prius owners, but they don't realise, as there is not usually a need to take the spare wheel out. I did email Toyota UK, who suggested I take it to a dealership for examination. Well, they wouldn't admit to a design fault, would they.

[timberwolf]

There is a port low down in the boot, I think behind the rear wheel arch on the left. If it is symmetrical there may be one on the right side also? There is also a port for the HV Battery vent that must go outside on the right-hand side although that is higher.

On the subject of bad design, the hatch can hold a lot of water - if you open the hatch after heavy rain or after washing the car, it all drains out from the top of the hatch into the channels at the top and to the sides of the cargo area but some droplets also splash onto the rear head rests and cargo area.

[johalareewi]

Will take a look in mine. I have been through some large puddles lately.

[DaveHomeBrew]

Please let us know what you find, although yours being a gen 3 may be designed differently.

[Sagitar]

I took a look at mine this morning - dry as bone.

[johalareewi]

Dry as a bone as well.

[timberwolf]

Mine was dry and spotlessly clean when I replaced the 12V Battery sometime at the back end of last year. I don't think this is a common problem, but I do vaguely recall it being mentioned when I was investigating buying the car 4/5 years ago.

It wouldn't hurt to search the web, for example, http://priuschat.com/threads/water-leak-into-spare-tire-area-etc.60295/, has posters talking about many different possible causes of water leak into that wheel well, and there are even some photos of the vents (that I referred to as ports).

[Peter Sale]

I found the same in my 2007 Prius in January, had previously been dry but there was a lot in the spare wheel well. Pulled the bung out and let it drain. Checked again a couple of weeks ago but the wheel well appeared fairly dry although I noticed some water under the Battery. As it was cold outside apathy ruled and I left it - maybe it might freeze.

Since I moved house the car isn't parked on the level any more but on a slope (higher at front than back) and I wondered if that had anything to do with the water ingress.

Plan to have another look at this when it stops snowing and warms up !

Peter

[DaveHomeBrew]

Thanks to all who have posted on this thread, and particularly to Timberwolf for his link to http://priuschat.com/threads/water-leak-into-spare-tire-area-etc.60295/ where a number of other people have reported the same problem. I need to check out all of their suggestions; I'm sure the answer to my problem is in there somewhere.

Dave.

[cootuk]

Ours is dry, though it's kept garaged which would keep it out of rain/dew.