Audi A3 8P2 Special Edition - Damp Problem?!

[AndyRfc]

Feel bad for coming on here posting straight away just looking for help, but genuinely tried everything.

Having a bit of an issue with my A3 at the moment which neither the garage or body shop seem to be able to pinpoint.

Every morning when I get in my car, the inside windows are wet, and the back seats are soaking to the point it looks as if someone has came in with a bucket of water and poured it over them. Nothing else in the car is wet?! The garage took the back seats out and found no water getting in underneath them and also sat inside the car and hosed it down, again with no water getting in.

I plan to take the back seats out completely and dry them out again and see if water forms underneath where they were.

The only thing I think it could be is the door/window seal. I got the car resprayed last year and ever since I can hear the wind etc outside from the driver side door (as if the window isn't completely up). But the body shop has said if it was getting in from there then the carpets etc should be wet too?!

Any help what so ever would be greatly appreciated.

 

[SootySport]

Hi Andy. Does sound like there is a seal that is letting in water, maybe more than one. The painters would have removed all the rubber stuff prior to painting so there is your answer, it hasn't been fitted correctly or they were on there way out anyway.
Ease of one the suspect seals and look or moisture deep into the grooves of the rubber.
If you have a sunroof it could be leaking from there or the drain tubes blocked.
If you have roof rails, the mounting point seals could leak.
As you can hear windnoise, take a passenger for a ride and ask them to pinpoint the windnoise whilst you are driving.

 

[AndyRfc]

Hi Andy. Does sound like there is a seal that is letting in water, maybe more than one. The painters would have removed all the rubber stuff prior to painting so there is your answer, it hasn't been fitted correctly or they were on there way out anyway.
Ease of one the suspect seals and look or moisture deep into the grooves of the rubber.
If you have a sunroof it could be leaking from there or the drain tubes blocked.
If you have roof rails, the mounting point seals could leak.
As you can hear windnoise, take a passenger for a ride and ask them to pinpoint the windnoise whilst you are driving.

Hi Soot, thanks for the reply mate.

I don't have a sunroof or roof racks on the car. I'll try taking someone with me and have them try to pinpoint where the noise is coming from.

What still puzzles me is why it's only the backseats getting soaked and nothing else in the car. The bodyshop seem to think it's definitely coming in from the back end of the car because of this.

 

[SootySport]

Does seem like to be a back door or the top edge of rear hatch. The panel in the roof adjacent to the hatch and over the rear seat will pop out, take that off and see if it is wet in there.