Wet Carpet - drivers side...

[SHARKY 0]

Hi Guys..

Right, I've just discovered a wet patch in my drivers floor pan and I'm looking for advice/ help...

I'm not loosing coolant so I don't think its the heater matrix.

Since I discovered the dampness I've cleared the sunroof drain holes (drivers side was blocked). Don't quite know how, if it was blocked, it was getting to where it was as its not under the sunroof.

I've changed the pollen filter (best £6 I've spent to date!) and cleared out some leafage. None of the grommet things are damaged.

Sealed the bonnet pull grommet with copious amounts of silicone.

The sponge behind the door was wrecked so I used a bit of duck tape and plastic as a temporary fix until it gets respray - then I'll get some new foam.

I've took the undercarpet soundproofing mat thingy out and the water pattern seems to indicate maybe coming from toward to the door - sort of from the 'A' pillar area.

Have any of you any experience of water coming in through the door harness rubber thing, or could this be the door seal? I pulled it down from the roof and in the crease theres water drops - could this be running round the seal and into the car at the bottom?

I don't want to reseal the screen - this is a last ditch try - again that can wait for the respray. Although a tube of silicone undr the scuttle along the bottom of the window couldn't do any harm - eh...???

If anyone's got any advice/ help regarding fixing this - I'm all ears...

I' appreciate any comments.... No matter how crazy - as long as they're related to the problem...

[jezmoz 0]

sounds like door seals or window seals then mate. take the trim off sit in it and get someone to hose the side down and keep a sharp eye out.

[SHARKY 0]

Cheers for the reply...

I'll have to put a new door seal in and I think run a bead of silicone in the seal before pushing it on - should seal that anyway.

Does the join need to be in a specific place - I know at the bottom of the door frame, but anywhere specific?

Also, what about the items that pass through the 'A' pillar - any ideas if they could cause anything?

Also, does a sunroof have rear drain holes - I'm sure I saw somewhere in the Bentley manual that there were (they come out behind the rear bumper or something?)...

I'm just trying to do as much as possible before the next heavy rain so I hopefully get it sorted. I'm even planning a new sunroof seal but I believe they can be a real pig!

As before, any comments/ advice are welcome...

Cheers guys...

[Taz6584 0]

Hi mate, had the same problem with my mk3 1.8 driver a couple of years ago. For me it turned out to be leaking from the top edge of the windscreen at the drivers side.

From there it was running down the headliner to the driver A trim which "conveniently" channeled it down the trims to the carpet.

My solution was to run a bead of clear silicone across the whole of the top edge of the windscreen,

Worked a treat, hope this helps.

[SHARKY 0]

Hey,

Cheers for the input...

I've had that trim off and I can't see any water marks, but that doesn't mean I'm discounting that idea.

The cars going in for a respray soon (well when there's better weather - like April!) so I'm planning to get the screen resealed anyway - in fact all the windows will be coming out. I remember reading once about someone that used a window seal from a transit van to push into the top edge to act as a seal and to protect the top edge of the roof. I'm going to fill the bottom edge of the window (under the scuttle) with silicone - I get some small amounts of condensation just in front of the steering wheel - might be there...???

I've had other comments whihch may help some other people.

When I went to the local dealer for the door seal, he asked why, and when I told him he told me of a problem which affected MK2's and Mk3's also - he had the problem, and apparently it is common.

This is water getting in the pollen filter due to the seal inside the casing. He gave me some soft rubber sticky "cord" stuff which VAG use for body work or something. Anyway, he said to sort that out and it should be fine.

He said the water gets in and runs along the inner bulkhead/ firewall thing and it runs to the drivers side (mostly) but depending on how you park it can get to the passenger side. He said it drips into the drivers footwell.

Anyway, I was doing this and when I was removing the pollen filter from the housing I noticed that the actual housing felt loose, so I unbolted it and it was only half stuck, with damp behind it. I think this is where it might have been getting in - who knows eh! Its only two plastic nuts so I suggest its worth a look for yourselves.

So, I used this squidgy black rubber stuff he gave me (any ideas what its called) and sealed that and used what was left to seal inside the pollen folter housing. There's not been much rain to test it so we'll see... I think Dum Dum would work or silicone I suppose.

Oh, and large packs of silica gel in the car absorb the ambient moisture (and can be dried out and reused).

So, anyone who can offer a name to this black rubberised squidgy cors stuff I'd be most grateful, and any other advice would be great - still looking just in case...

I'm still investigating but so far the inside of my car is condensation free (so far!...)

Your comments are welcome...

Cheers,,,