Water in car

[Russ146]

Hi there

There is a large trough where the battery sits and wiper motor is behind the engine bay. Rain runs down the windscreen straight into it and now fills it up which overflows into the passenger footwell.

The battery is almost submerged and i have to keep syphoning the water out. i assume there is a drain somewhere that is blocked but i cannot find it or see it anywhere. Does anybody know how to access the drain pipe or even where it is before i start taking things apart.

Thanks very much

Russ

[paul b]

There was a recall about this in the A6 range. They call it the Plenum Chamber. Beneath the battery and cover is usually covered by a load of leaves and all sorts, give it a good clearing out for now. Go to Audi and ask them if yours is eligible for a recall.
Paul

[Russ146]

Thanks for that paul, i forgot to say i have a 1.9tdi avant but i assume its the same and the drain must be under the battery

Russ

[AutoTDI]

Yes, the drain is under the battery, which must be removed for access. Even when the battery is removed, you will not see the drain hole until you poke around under the debris.

[rhencullen1989]

Hi, if the A6 is similar to the A4 (which i suspect it is) there are two drain holes, they have a sort of rubber tube inserted into the drain hole that is an inch or so long and and sort of collapses into a concertina towards the end (i assume to stop water coming up into the chamber from below) this makes them prone to blocking especially if you park near trees where leaves can fall and block the holes. one hole is under the battery, the other is at the other end of the plenum chamber (again hidden by i think either the air con pipes or something) give them a prod with finger or even remove them and clean in the sink.

[paul b]

Just make sure you have your radio code!

[Russ146]

Yes mines an A4 which must be the same.

Thank for your help! at least its stopped raining!!!

Its so annoying having a wet interior as the windows are always soaking wet

Cheers

Russ

[AutoTDI]

I only found a single drain hole in my A4, but can confirm the "concertina" plastic drain tube, which I assume is intended to act as a one-way valve. Unfortunately, this valve does seem to behave like a dirt trap. Its annoying that no mention is made of this drain in the driver's manual. I only found out about it after doing a search on one of these Audi forums. It would have been a nice touch to have provided some kind of "dipstick" (like we have on our fridge) to clear the drain without having to remove the battery first. I didn't have a radio code problem as my radio doesn't have a code - it has a detachable panel. If you need to retain a code, but haven't any record, you can always provide a temporary back-up supply via the cigarette lighter socket. I understand that a 9v battery will suffice, although I haven't tried this myself.

[rhencullen1989]

Aha, had a look at my A4 today and the second hole is behind the brake servo, if you get a torch you can just see the top of the rubber grommet, i used a long extension bar from a socket set and pushed it down the hole to make sure it was not blocked. Audi just love to make things so easy for the home mechanic NOT!!!............

[Russ146]

Finally got round to it yesterday and sure enough the stupid grommet thing was full of dirt so i pulled it out and left it out.

Now to dry the car out!!!!

Thanks for all your help

Russ