Tracking down a leak.

I was reminded by the recent rains here that I still have a leak in my hatch area of the CRX to track down (1/4" to 1/2" of standing water in the spare tire well after 3 days of rain) . My area has been blessed with another chunk of good weather before it gets cold, so I should probably get to fixing it before winter sets in. (No indoor parking for this broke college student.)

What would the hive-mind suggest as an order of operations for tracking down the leak?

I'm hesitant to remove the interior panels in the hatch area because I'm afraid they'll never go back on correctly and I might snap a clip or ten. But I imagine I'm just gonna have to bite the bullet and do it and sit in the car while a friend runs a hose over the seals.

Is there no better way?

From my research it seems the hatch strut mounting points can be a leak point, as well as my most-likely worthless 21 year old tail light gaskets. I found a DIY solution for making taillight gaskets on the cheap which I will also attend to tomorrow.

I've considered using water soluble lipstick on the actual hatch seal itself and then closing the hatch to see if there are any areas that don't make full contact.

Mix up some soapy water. Roll up all the windows, close the doors. Then turn the heater or A/C blower on full blast, make sure the recirculate (max A/C) switch is in the 'fresh air' position.

Now slop the soapy water around the taillights, hatch etc and look for a big bubble to be blown. Bubble = leak position. That will narrow it way down for you. The repair depends on exactly what's leaking.

By the way, make sure you check the fill neck area etc. I saw a Trailblazer which leaked profusely from the fill neck 'recess' in the body.