Quick Fix for Body Leaks with Candle Wax?

We are supposed to get a lot of rain here today. My XJ leaks and the headboard gets wet starting near the center of the windshield. I assume it comes in at the top corners where it has started to rust. I got the idea that melting candle wax over the rusted areas should seal them off and keep the water out. I even had some red wax to match the color fairly close so I gave it a shot. The wax adhered really well to the rust and bubbly paint. I know it won't stay there forever but I'm pretty confident it will keep me dry for a few days at least.

What do you guys think? I thought it was a pretty handy idea for a quick fix. I've never heard of anyone doing this before. Hopefully it doesn't progress the paint loss, but I don't mind if it does as I intend on addressing rust and paint issues as soon as the weather allows.

I'll update tonight on whether or not it worked.

Is there a silicone shortage in your area?

Silocone will work for a while, but it attracts more rust. Wax may well work better, at least for a while. You could, of course, also grind it down a little and apply epoxy or the like, and that will last a while. For just plain holes, Mortite caulking strip can be another temporary fix that lasts surprisingly long.

The wax worked perfectly. The head board stayed bone dry. I wish I had thought of it sooner. No prep, no effort, and perfect results.

I may eventually try the epoxy suggestion for a more permanent solution. There are no holes yet, but I will keep the Mortite in mind as well.

Till the sun hits it and the wax melts..........

way to think outside the box tho !

TRCM said:

Till the sun hits it and the wax melts..........

way to think outside the box tho !

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It should at least partially melt further INTO the crack/hole.

I once used wax to fix an, uh..... Pencil holder in high school.... Great for temporary.

Cool

xcm said:

It should at least partially melt further INTO the crack/hole.

I once used wax to fix an, uh..... Pencil holder in high school.... Great for temporary.

Cool

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Originally Posted by TRCM
Till the sun hits it and the wax melts..........

way to think outside the box tho !

Click to expand...

Thanks! It pays to think outside of the box.

It was 4:00 a.m. I'd had a couple beers and was checking the weather before bed. I was dreading driving around all day in the rain with fogged windows and it occurred to me that I didn't have to. I had been tolerating the minor leak waiting for an opportunity to do a proper repair when all I had to do was melt some wax.

One advantage of wax is that it's really easy to renew. A disadvantage is that you'll have to clean it out very thoroughly if you do any other repairs. Nothing repels adhesion like wax.

But it's prettier than duct tape and roofing tar, both of which I used at various times on my 95, which had holes on both sides in front, and cracks in the rear.

Matthew Currie said:

One advantage of wax is that it's really easy to renew. A disadvantage is that you'll have to clean it out very thoroughly if you do any other repairs. Nothing repels adhesion like wax.

But it's prettier than duct tape and roofing tar, both of which I used at various times on my 95, which had holes on both sides in front, and cracks in the rear.

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When I first got my XJ a year ago, I used roofing tar and a shingle to fix a hole in the passenger rocker. It's still there and holding well.

This is why I love my XJ so much. You can do pretty much whatever you want to it and it doesn't really matter.

I have a Dremel tool for cleaning everything up. It will come in handy for the rust in the rain channel. I doubt any wax has seeped through the metal as there are no obvious holes so clean up shouldn't be much of a challenge.