FML.... P*ss wet through passenger footwell.

[Dani_B19]

So the cars been steaming up more and more over the last month.

Just checked under the passenger matt and its soaked.

Now ive checked all the pollen filter and its fine, emptied 2 water cans over the scuttle panel and nothing. Checked the door seals and they seem fine.

What else can it be?

 

[ticketyboo90]

Same thing with my a3. It was the scutter panel wasn't in the way it should be, the side that covers the pollen filter has a rubber drip gap on the side and mine was sticking out

 

[Lavis89]

I had this in mine, turned out the previous owner drilled a hole in the bulkhead and ran a cable through the car for a amp, the sealant he put on the cable had come loose so water was running down the cable into the footwell

 

[Dani_B19]

You got a picture mate? Mine seems fine like said and ive ran water over the scuttle panel and theres no drips.

Cars on standard ICE setup so no cables etc been run through.

 

[Lavis89]

On mine I had to pull the carpet up and get a mate to spray a hose over the car for a few mins to find out where it's coming from. Was a pain in the *** but worth it to get rid of the damp

 

[Dani_B19]

Whats involved with getting the carpet up?

 

[Lavis89]

I couldn't tell you personally, it was a loooong time ago I done it, best bet would be to find the workshop manual for the interior and see if it is on there (quick Google search brings up a thread on here with the links to the manuals)

 

[S3 Paul]

My money is still on the scuttle.
The water collects there ( might hold more than 2 cans) then over flows either when you pull away or the level gets too high

 

[Dani_B19]

Going to rip the carpet up paul and put hose on and see for sure. Btw you still need that haldex spanner?

 

[Steve B5 Biker]

Are there any smells in the car?
I had a similar issue in my Audi 80 COUPE a few years back turned out to be the heater matrix was shot , just a thought !!!!

 

[Dani_B19]

Update.

Just spent the last hour with a hose over the scuttle panel and not a drop onto the pollen filter and couldnt see anything going int9 the cabin.
Really losing my wrag with it now. What can it be? The passenger carpet is also damper on the section nearer to the door but than towards the centre console, dont get me wrong its damp but not as bad!

No mate smells fine and the coolant hasnt dropped enough to warrant how damp the car is.

 

[Westy]

I can't remember which side of the car the hose for the rear wiper squirter goes, maybe the hose has split!

 

[Dani_B19]

Note used the rear wiper for 12 months mate as the rear wiper motor leaks so I know its not that.

 

[Westy]

Well if rain water isn't coming in from the scuttle area, you're sure the coolant isn't going down, it's not the rear wiper, then I can't see what else it can be unless water is getting in through a hole under the car.

Have you only noticed it since we've had heavy rain?

 

[Dani_B19]

Yeah mate. Only noticed this month when its been really bad. Going to get under the car and check. Had it 5 years and never noticed it before.

 

[Gops]

Is it in the middle of the footwell dani? I got it last year.. I'm gonna see if it happens again. I have a sneaky feeling its under the car.

 

[JudderMan]

Sorry to jump on this, I noticed that I have 2 floor mats on the driver's side, which have been covering a mess of a carpet and it's all damp under it. I got told from a friend that owns a garage that the doors fill up with water and let water into the cabin. The drain holes get clogged and don't let the water out. Needless to say, a year after buying my car I need to look into this as I haven't realised that it's letting water in, bar the faint smell of damp carpets.

 

[Dani_B19]

Yes gops its in the middle. What you thinking?

I checked the doors judderman and cant see any signs of water etc.

 

[Westy]

You'll have to get under the car. Might be a rubber bung that's perished.

 

[S3 Paul]

This is a strange one...
Have you taken the pollen filter out and watched for water making it through the housing?
With you mentioning the area near the door being worse... Any drain holes in the door that are blocked? Is the door seal doing its job?
On my Golf the water seams to sit on top of the seal and slowly runs into the foot well ,
I found this out by drying the seals and then rubbing chalk on them all, Closed the car and hosed it down for a while... left it 5 mins and then started to check around... sure enough, the chalk had been washed off on the door seal...

 

[Dani_B19]

Yes took it out last night to check for water seeping in around the base but nothing. Also checked up behind glovebox etc and nothing.

Well next step paul is to take the carpets up and sit inside while someone soaks the car to try and find a trace. Door seals seem fine as the carpet or nor the sills are wet.

 

[Dani_B19]

So got next week off and going to go over everything with silicone, one thing I want to know is their drain off hole under the battery? Also are their any other drain offs or bungs under the scuttle panel?

 

[Scullies]

Fwiw, I noticed a small rubber tube on the outside of the door frame, near the door hinge. Not sure what it is exactly but I assumes it's a drain line for something. Maybe it has a hose that runs inside the car a bit and is split ?

 

[Dani_B19]

Any pics mate?

 

[JimS3]

If you have a sun roof check the drains in door frames, common problem.

 

[Dani_B19]

Non sunroof pal.

 

[JimS3]

So got next week off and going to go over everything with silicone, one thing I want to know is their drain off hole under the battery? Also are their any other drain offs or bungs under the scuttle panel?

It's not your sunroof then, lol.

The plenum chamber under the scuttle drains on the far left and right into the wings. There are only three routes into the car in the plenum. The pollen filter housing, the bonnet release cable grommet and the large plastic connector block cover. The second two being on the drivers side.

I have seen water get in down the side of a badly sealed windscreen before. And once through a cracked weld in the centre of the plenum in a previously accident damaged car.

I had a leak in my golf a few years back that drove me mental, ended up completely stripping the interior out and sitting in it while it rained. Spotted it running in the drivers footwell from the bonnet release grommet. Bit extreme, but effective!

 

[Dani_B19]

Thanks for input Jim, im going to go crazy with the silicone and if that doesn't work ill be ripping out the interior and doing the same mate lol.