Would anyone like to help me solve this mystery?
Winter in Maine. It’s cold. Hatchback on my 2024 Integra won’t open. Thinking it’s frozen due to a recent ice storm, I blast it with a heat gun for about five minutes, then it works. For about two days.
Then it’s stuck shut again. I keep trying it for a couple of days and then use the heat gun again. Once again, it pops open. Then I spray silicone lubricant all up in there like the Internet told me to. I open and shut it about a dozen times over the next 24 hours with no problems.
Just went outside to put something in the back of the car and it’s stuck shut again.
Any ideas??
Been there, done that! I have owned 5 hatchbacks, some of which did that.
Just spraying silicone doesn’t work so well as you found out. You need to clean the surface of the rubber seal first. Rubbing alcohol works and does not introduce any water. Then spray silicone on a rag or paper towel and rub every inch of the seal around the hatch. Do it twice to make sure the surface is coated.
Next, clean the place where the seal sits on the car. Wax the portion where the seal sits… or rub it down with silicone spray, too.
That should solve the problem.
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Thank you for the advice! It seems weird that the seal would be re-freezing even when weather has been dry. But that would explain why the heat gun works. I’ll give it a try.
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Good advice on the Hatch back door, but you might want to consider doing that also on the seal of all the doors on your vehicle… I had the same issues when I lived in Upstate New York, but I used WD-40… I also smoked and I had a lighter so the old door locks sometimes froze up and the lighter took care of that problem by warming the key with the lighter, and just for grins, have you ever tested the key lock on your car in case the battery in your key fob dies… Just a thought…
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Update: I prodded the hatch release button with a screwdriver while thawing it with a heat gun for an extended period of time, and noticed some water leaking out from behind it. I guess water got into the release button assembly somehow. I’m not sure why such a small amount of water would take so long to refreeze. Anyway, hopefully it’s all dried out now.
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My initial thought was that the Weep Holes in your hatch door might be pluged… But the Acura does not officially refer to them as “weep holes,” but a service bulletin issued for its counterpart, the Honda Civic hatchback, addresses a known water intrusion issue by installing drain plugs in the rear hatch to allow water to escape.
The Acura Integra hatchback shares its platform and many components with the 11th generation Honda Civic hatchback (model years 2022-2024), which is known to accumulate water inside the hatch assembly due to improper drainage.
The Service Bulletin Fix
Honda’s official fix (Service Bulletin SB24-110) for the water intrusion problem on the compatible Civic models involves the following steps, which your Acura dealer may perform under warranty.
Drilling two 5mm holes in specified locations on the inner plastic panel of the rear hatch.
Installing grommets/drain plugs in these newly created holes to manage water flow.
This modification allows water that enters the hatch assembly (considered normal by Honda) to drain outside the main seal, preventing it from leaking into the spare tire area or interior of the vehicle.
What to Do If You Have a Leak
If you notice water in the trunk well or spare tire area of your 2024 Acura Integra:
Contact your dealership: Report the water leak and mention the related Honda Service Bulletin for the Civic hatchback. Dealers are aware of the issue.
Request the TSB fix: The dealership should perform the service bulletin fix, which involves adding the necessary drain holes and plugs, likely under warranty.
Some owners of later 2024 models may find that these drain plugs were already installed from the factory or the dealer as part of the production improvement.
I hope this helps…
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Thank you very much! I will bring this to the dealer next time I’m there.
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