Dear Tom and Ray:

I own a 1989 Geo Spectrum. For the first two years, the car had no problems. Now, however, I've discovered that my trunk leaks whenever it rains or I wash my car. Everything in my trunk gets wet and the trunk is beaded with water. This also happens when it's cold outside. My windows also seem to stay frosted on the inside of the car in the winter. I have to use an ice-scraper inside, as well as outside, on my windows. What can I do? Fran

Ray: Have you considered relocating to the desert southwest?

Tom: Actually, Fran, this should be easy to fix. It sounds like the weather-stripping that seals your trunk needs to be replaced. If it's leaking as much as you say it is, it ought to be easy for your dealer to confirm this by wetting the car with a hose.

Ray: And that weather-stripping is also responsible for the frost on the inside of your windows. Some of the moisture that gets into the trunk is seeping through the back seat into the passenger compartment. Overnight, that moisture condenses on the glass and voila! You've got indoor icicles.

Tom: Get the weather-stripping replaced. Then, to dry out the trunk, leave it open in the hot sun for a few days. If the trunk seal is fixed, once the car dries out, it ought to stay dry. Good luck, Fran.

It's amazing how many bad driving habits and wacko theories have been passed down from generation to generation! Tom and Ray set the record straight in their booklet "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.

© 1993 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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