Rear door vs Red Dirt

[SimpleSi Member Find all posts View Profile Close SimpleSi]

Hi all,
Arrived back from a 9000km trip out in the centre in Sep, and there's still red dirt coming out of the rear door.

Every time I wash, I get red trails down the back window which gives me the $h!ts.





So I decided today to take a few rear panels off.
The rear bumper cover was fairly easy.



So I hosed that off.

I wanted to remove the rear spoiler/brake light assembly to hose it out, but as I was loosening the screw (from the inside, top-left of rear door), it fell back into the door cavity.

So I proceeded to remove the trim and look into the bottom of the rear door. I was amazed at the dust which had congealed.


(found the bolt!!!)

I managed to loosen it a bit and shove a vacuum cleaner in there to pick it up.



...but I'm sure there's a tonne more left.

Two Questions:

1: do I need to worry about the dirt still inside the rear door? I could shove a hose in there and let it drain out the 3 drain holes:



Or do I just let it be, given it looks relatively dry.

2. I removed 4 x 10mm bolts which appear to hold the rear spoiler/brake light on, but it still won't budge. Any tips on getting it off?

[JimmyC Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimmyC]

Coming from experience you are better off just to accept it and embrace the dirt. But my tip for getting as much dirt as possible from the top spoiler is to take the nozzle off the hose and just have the low pressure stream out the end and flood it. Also lift up the rear wiper to get water there.

[Prone Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prone]

Agree with JimmyC.

It seems you will never get rid of all that lovely red stuff. Just use it a a reminder of how wonderful the country is out there where you collected it.

Cheers
Prone

[Whitey Shockie Maker of the Month Award Find all posts View Profile Close Whitey]

Hey,

I do pretty much the same as Jimmy. I take off the back door trim and plastic, and hose the whole lot down inside and let it all drain through the drain holes. I then blow it all out with compressed air to keep the residual water off any electrics.

That red dust gets everywhere, and you never really get rid of it!

Best

Mark

[JimmyC Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close JimmyC]

When you drive enough red dirt there are parts that become permanently stained

[LeighW Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close LeighW]

With my 120 a get a reminder of my great adventures everytime I shut the
rear door

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

Part of my post trip routine is to run water up through all the drain holes in all the doors washing out as much red dirt as I can, I usually get heaps out!

Cheers Andrew

[Goggo Member Find all posts View Profile Close Goggo]

Yep went out to the Simpson Desert in August this year and I still have the river of red and red dirt on my rear step every time I close the back door. It's better than sand from Fraser Island I suppose

[SimpleSi Member Find all posts View Profile Close SimpleSi]

It's better than sand from Fraser Island I suppose

Just back from Fraser this weekend, so plenty of that too!

I ended up shoving a hose up the drain hole closest to the door hinge. It flowed pretty freely to the far drain hole (car on steep driveway), so I'm hopeful the water drains away. Obvious concern is it stays damp and rusts. Will leave the door trim off for a few days so it all airs out.
Tried the un-pressurised hose up the rear door wiper cavity. Plenty came out, but I suspect that will keep bleeding red for a while.....

Cheers,

Simon

[OldGreyFart Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close OldGreyFart]

I have used a pressure hose to fire water 'up' the drain holes and then just watch the red dirt run out. I keep it up until it is almost clear. I replaced a rear light housing a few months back and was quite staggered at the amount of dirt in it.

[Graydog Find all posts View Profile Close Graydog]

Been back from the centre for over a year and my missus swears it still is coming out of the spoiler on the rear door. Just opened up handbrake drums and they contained half of WA. Did not seem to do any harm over that time.

[sweetpea Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close sweetpea]

Just opened up handbrake drums and they contained half of WA.

I'm planning a trip to WA next year. Please put the half you took back!

I haven't been in the Red Centre for 18 months and it still washes out on the odd occasion that I wash it but no amount of flushing has diminished the red flow.

I think it is just another cost of travelling this vast land.

S.