dxg Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 (edited) So, in the last couple of weeks my passenger side footweels (front and rear) have been absolutely saturated. It's so bad, that I can't see out the windows in the dark due to all the condensation. This is somewhat of a problem, as I have to commute everyday in the dark.Faced with VW's request for 7 hours at £52 an hour to fix this, I picked myself off the floor and I thought I would try to find out what's going on myself...This summarised the magnitude of the problem: border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />^^how can you drive in the dark when the windows keep doing that?The lightest touch on the carpets would cause water to squeeze out. Not at all nice and I really have to get to the bottom of it, if only to stop things going mouldy and smelly. So, I've completely stripped the passenger side - all trim gone from the c-pillar to the a-pillar base, door panels off, passenger seat out and sodden sound absorbency lifted out the back and cut out the front. Rear seat bases out so I can lift the carpet. (Aside: I thought GTIs have side airbags - I don't? I do have "dummy" sensors on the cross beams - plastic housing and cut out in the carpet, but no cabling - weird...)Next was to try to work out just where the water was coming from. From what I can gather, most people seem to have it through the bulkhead, either due to their extra cabling leaking through the grommets or the scuttle drains being blocked. But depsite some time with the hose I couldn't get water to come through from there. Instead, it's coming through my speaker!! The back of the speaker and the felt round the cables also saturated. All the rust suggests this has been happening for some time. So do the tide marks on the carpet!! border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />Because the water that comes through the speaker is above the door seal, it just flows straight over the top and into the footwell. My driving style border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" /> border="0" class="linked-image" /> border="0" alt="" />So, the water appears to be coming through the wing mirror mounting as this was the only way I could get these puddles to form using a hose. Aiming the hose at the wing mirror, you can hear the water flowing down through the door before it seems to build up and then flow into the car in one great rush.So, does anyone have any thoughts on how to solve this? The drains at the bottom of the door are unblocked and water seems to flow out them fine. As far as I can tell, there's no water lying inside the door - taking the speaker out and feeling around and everything's dry apart from the speaker itself!Maybe I should try to get the wing mirror off and then cram it full of silicon sealent (i.e. to stop the water getting into the top of the door). There's a gap of about 1mm bewteen the seal behind the mirror mounting pices and the window glass, but it's the same on the driver's side and no (afaik) leaks over there...I'm a bit stuck...Does the trailing vertical edge of the wing mirrors firmly press against the glass in your cars?I'm going to duck tape that wing mirror up anyway and see if it continues to leak over the coming week...Deek.(Btw, how much fun is it to drive something with half the interior missing?! You can really hear the road noise, the fuel pump speeding up and slowing down with the acceleration - not much difference in exhaust noise - oddly...) Edited November 19, 2006 by dxg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one litre wonder ;) Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 jesus!! you deffo have it bad there mate style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> and i thought my car letting water in somewhere was bad , but now its not even a blip on the radar compaired to that!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr ColinG Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 WowSome task you have taken on there Deek.I had a similar problem with my mk4 Golf, passenger side footwell was always soaking when it rained, turned out to be the pollen filter box seal where it meets the bulkhead.Is there a seal between the mirror and the door, perhaps this is perished or has been nipped and is no longer doing its job.I just checked my mirrors and there is a gap between the mirror housing and the window which lends me to think there would be a gasket/ seal.Good luck style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxg Posted November 19, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 Thanks for the moral support, guys. It's parked outside on what is supposed to be the wetest and windest night so far (40mm of rain forecast!!). I've duck taped up the gap where I think the water's coming through th wing mirror, so it will either be dry tomorrow morning or it won't. Looking out at it, I can see the windows are still a bit steamed up, but hopefully that's just residual dampness...Wish me luck. I'll have to leave it until next weekend now, anyway. It's booked in at VW toghave the battery changed on Friday morning, so I'll try to get their opinion...Deek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BridLupo Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 Sell that car ASAP. Won't be long before all those wires are green and causing endless electrical problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunalupi Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 If the mirror idea doesn't work, could it be the window seal? Along the bottom, so the water leaks down into the door rather than through the top into the car..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jen Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 gosh thats alot of water!!! i do hope you get that one sorted asapJen x Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfbr Posted November 19, 2006 Report Share Posted November 19, 2006 Mine did the same thing last winter - I drilled a few small holes in the underside of the door to allow better drainage - and it seems to be fine now... The mirror was the last thing i'd have expected it to be, but i can see now that your probably right !!Excelent work on the investigation though ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver! Posted November 20, 2006 Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 All the best with this! i had a miserable time with my MK3 Polo GT. It turned out to be leaking in the quarter light 'pillar' in the passenger door. Amazing how much water can get in through such a small space.Good luck!Ray Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxg Posted November 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 Well, it does seem to be the wing mirror. The duck tape over the gap btwn the wing mirro mount and the glass did its job and the car was dry this morning, depsite last night being one of the wetest and windest I can remember.So next weekend is trying work out something pernament. I'm thinking of just filling the back of the wing mirror with silicon selant, doing what I can to "water proof" the back of the speaker and again siliconing the speaker surround into the door. We'll see how it pans out...Derek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lunalupi Posted November 20, 2006 Report Share Posted November 20, 2006 Maybe add what Al did and drill a few more drainage holes, just to make sure if it ever gets in again it can get out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrified Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 (edited) have you got a pic of your mod?i've noticed something similar with mine, a bit easier to notice when theres nothing else in the car. it's stopping me from bolting the cage in because i didn't want it to rust! I might go out and do it now. i've only just noticed it this week as it hasn't rained heavly for months.edit: actually dont worry, i've just re-read it and it makes sense, I've taped up my mirror now anyway. I need to get a blank ideally anyway and get rid of the passenger side mirror. style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile.gif" /> Edited November 22, 2006 by Petrified Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one-phat-lupo Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 i find that if i leave my loop for a while or the rain drives at a certain angle my tailgate fills with water so when i open it rain water gushes from the plastic boot trim and onto my parcel shelf!!anyone else had this prob???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrified Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 I've still got this problem on mine. I've taped up the wing mirror and it's still happening just seems to be further down the car now. it probably doesnt help that I havn't got any door cards. I might just tape up the whole window seal, it's not as if I can open the window anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AxlFoley Posted November 24, 2006 Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 did you take out the foam aswell to show the mechanisms ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxg Posted November 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2006 Well, people from Glasgow will know just how wet and windy it was on Wednesday (very!). Guess what? It filled up again, even with the tape in place.It spent today at VW. The passenger door striker has been adjusted to bring it tighter in against the seal (it wasn't slamming shut right anyway) and the bottom foam membrane has been resealled with liberal amounts of sealant all round *all* the edges (not just the bottom) and round the speaker. The broken mounting ring for the speaker has also been replaced. £92 lighter for their efforts, I can't help but feel I could have done this myself. Especially when they said it wasn't necessary to replace the membranes. I mean, how much is a tube of sealer (at least they didn't charge for this - only the labour). We'll see if it makes any difference. I'm a bit annoyed that this is all they did, as I could have done this myself and I would have taken the time to waterproof the speaker connections as well... As AxlFoley implies, I am somewhat concerned about how wet the winder mechanism must be. I guess it will only be a matter of time before that packs in.So this weekend will be spent drying out the carpets again. At least I hadn't put anything back together...I think I'll order new foam / membranes for both sides anyway so that I can replace them properly if the problem comes back...Deek.(Still loving the GTI depsite all this, though!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arun Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 i find that if i leave my loop for a while or the rain drives at a certain angle my tailgate fills with water so when i open it rain water gushes from the plastic boot trim and onto my parcel shelf!!anyone else had this prob????could be somethng to do with rear wash/wiper?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chopwet Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 (edited) check your raintray to see if it's clogged up with any leaves or any other muck, this can cause leaks too!! Edited December 1, 2006 by chopwet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxg Posted December 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 Well, the saga continues...Having spent a couple of weeks in really bad weather managing to remain dry (yay!), I thought it was time to put the interior back today. That all went fine apart from the door cards. VW have only put so much sealent all over the shop that the lower door card won't fit back into the "hook" thingies on the top edge as they're all gummed up...Great. Back to VW with it, then... I was only there this morning ordering replacement door pulls as the previous owner has chipped most of the rubber off them and I thought that since one door card was off, it would be a good time to replace them anyway...(And I think the pedal box has finally gone as I was having real trouble getting it into first this morning...)Grrr...Deek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gavs_arosa16v Posted December 9, 2006 Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 Gtis dont normally get pedal box issues because they have a hydraulic clucth. Unless its an early cable one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxg Posted December 9, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2006 Gtis dont normally get pedal box issues because they have a hydraulic clucth. Unless its an early cable one?Nope - '02 6 speed, so middle of the life cycle(?). I didn't know that GTIs aren't supposed to get this, though, so that it's a bit of a comfort...Is there any way of looking to see (or diagnosing in some other way?) the state of the pedal box?The problem started in the middle of a "spirited" get away from a set of lights as I suddenly discovered I couldn't get from first into second without crunching (on full power as well - worst time to find this), and getting into first has felt stiff ever since... Unless I've broken something... style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":(" border="0" alt="sad.gif" /> Deek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picola Posted December 24, 2006 Report Share Posted December 24, 2006 (edited) Joy!Ive just discovered my drivers front/rear footwells have turned into a lovely marsh too.Was originally investigating the leak in the boot, of which we found the cause- A tiny hole underneath, causing water to seep through the sealent in the spare wheel well. TreatThen I go to hoover the carpets, to find a swamp. Like mentioned by dxg and others, when you touch the carpet, a pool of water appears. I had to throw my mats out as they stank, and soak up the excess with a towel.Thanks the boot leak being underneath, I'll have to wait to get it on ramps. So will get the inner leak cause looked at too.It doesnt appear to be as bad as yours sounds dxg, but I still get alot of condensation in the mornings and nights, which is a pain.Argh! Lupos! Grrr Edited December 24, 2006 by Picola Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
one litre wonder ;) Posted December 24, 2006 Report Share Posted December 24, 2006 picola , check the rear wash wipe pipe , its common for them to split at this time of year cause they are a push fit connector and they tend to pop at this time of year cause of the cold DXG - man how unlucky are you mate *shakes head* christ knows i would of sold the thing by now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nfbr Posted December 24, 2006 Report Share Posted December 24, 2006 (edited) Must admit, the door seals on these cars apear to be *****...I've had nothing but interior condensation in my car, even tho its not been used, so thats a pretty straight sign that the stupid thing leaks everywhere. Can't find any puddles or soak though this year so at least thats one good thing...I also think the lack of a pollen filter lets water in through the air intake in the form of condensed air...Can't wait til summer so i can wash the carpets and polish the windows back up. Edited December 24, 2006 by nfbr Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dxg Posted December 24, 2006 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2006 Mine was eventually solved by all huge amounts of sealant being applied round the membrane and speaker behind the lower door card. So much, in fact, that I can't get the door card back on! Grr..The car's been perfectly dry since, though, so I suggest having a good look there. Mine only had the slightest of water marks appearing from the bottom of the speaker as evidence of the problem (before things were pulled apart), but it was enough to flood the front and rear footwells. I've managed to work out that the gearbox problems are only happening after the box has warmed up, but it will be February time before I've got enough money for someone to look at it. But on a lighter note - Happy Chrimbo everyone!Deek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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