Dear Tom and Ray:

Several weeks ago, you discussed in your column the problem one of your readers had with water mysteriously leaking into the trunk of a 1988 Toyota Camry. We encountered a similar situation a couple of years ago with our 1987 Camry. The trunk was always wet, and often had a pool of water in the spare tire well. I eventually realized that this condition existed even during long periods of time when it didn't rain. I finally discovered that the water was getting in while the vehicle was being washed. This car had been hit in the rear a couple of years earlier, and the body shop had failed to caulk around the taillight assemblies inside the trunk. As a result, water was entering the trunk through the resultant gaps. After this omission was corrected, we had no further problems. This automobile has since been taken over by our daughters. Had I known this was going to happen, I never would have fixed it. Considering the number of times it's been washed since they have assumed "ownership," the amount of water in the trunk would hardly be noticable! Bob

Tom: Thanks for the info, Bob. We've also heard from Camry owners who DIDN'T have accidents who found that their leaks were due to faulty seals around the taillight assembly.

Ray: So if you've got a mysterious leak in the trunk of your Camry, ask your body shop to reseal the taillights before you special-order the Toyota bilge pump option.

Changing your oil is the cheapest insurance you can buy for your car, but how often should you change it? Find out by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It! To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1992 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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