Water Leak in Passenger Rear Footwell

[Hodgy]

Hi Guys,

Just joine3d and im straight onto the maintenance thread......

I have a bad leak in the rear passenger footwell and i think there is a small one in the Front aswell. Now i've heard pollen filter is a good start, so ill try this first.

I knew about the problem when i bought the car but i think / hope i can rectify it. This issue only happens when its raining. There is no leakage from either the sunroof, windows or door sills, ive checked this all with red dye.

I got under the car and found both the footwells, there was lots of rubber outlets that could be removed to poke under where the wells were situated .I removed these to try and get some water out and have left them out for the time being which i will post photos off.

I hear this is quite a common problem and i refuse to take to a VW garage as am very wary of the cost involved. Thoughts? Its a VW 2000 mk4 1.4.

Thanks in advance guys, looking forward to getting stuck in!

[Hodgy]

can anyone offer some advice?

[Crasher]

The pollen filter has never been an issue for me on the Golf 4. Is it two or four door? I would say you have a failed seal at the base of one of the door inner panels which holds the window regulator.

[Hodgy]

That wouldn't explain both the foot-wells filling with water? If it were a failing/failed seal at the base of the door, this would mean the side carpets would be wet, no? Its only the bottoms and not the walls.

[Crasher]

I have done hundreds like it.

[Hodgy]

Are you talking about the rubber connected to the car door sill, or actually on the car door?

[Crasher]

The door has a full galvanised steel panel behind the door card which acts as the carrier for the window regulator, door handle etc. This panel is bolted to the door using 10-mm headed M6 bolts and the panel is sealed to the door using a rubberised sealing bead. This bead ages and fails, allowing water to get into the inside of the car where you cannot see it. This is a very common problem after a window regulator repair kit has been fitted.

[Big John]

Hi Guys,

I have a bad leak in the rear passenger footwell and i think there is a small one in the Front as well. Now i've heard pollen filter is a good start, so ill try this first...................................

I have not been on line for some time but needed to look into why my wifes POLO 2007 5door had a leak in the rear nearside passanger foot well.

I am sure the front foot well could be a leak on the pollen filter but may be due to the door seal, please read below.

I have just been out in the drive with a hose pipe and I can confirm that the door seal is allowing water in but not letting it out. If I run the hose for a couple of mins along the bottem edge of the door and then open the door there is a lot water falling out and you can see where the water has been, wiped dry and did it again and sure enough the water is coming up. The door seal is just not tight enough to stop water entering under pressure but is enough to stop it running out.

What is happening is the water fills up between the door seal and the door frame and then runs over the lip into the foot well. The side of the carpet is not wet as the water runs directly behind the carpet and then spreads out underneath.

If the door catch is adjusted I am sure the door would close tighter and stop the water entering but then the door would be out of alignment.

I think its down to replacing the door seal.

To prove a point I tried the hose on the offside rear door and the same thing happens.

Conclusion is that the nearside footwell gets wet because of the car running on the side of the road where there is more water puddles etc. the water pressure forces up behind the seal. This does not happen on the offside as the the wheels are not running in so much water.

Any comments would be appreciated.

[Crasher]

I cannot remember ever having to replace a door seal on any VAG car except on old Beetles and Mk1's when doing restoration work. With the 9N having inner and outer seals, I can't see how water is getting in. A leak from the window lifter carrier yes but not from the door seal, I could be wrong...Looking at the instructions for fitting new seals it looks like a right palaver! Also there is a known fault for the front and rear outer seals to fall off but I have never seen that.

Installation of door outer seal

Remove existing adhesive residues with adhesive remains remover -VAS 6349-

Immediately before bonding the door outer seal, clean bonding surface thoroughly with adhesive remover D 002 000 10

Surfaces to be bonded must be free of dust and grease and there should be no adhesive residue

Pull off protective foil and install seal on door. Do not pull outer door seal excessively to avoid stretching seal

Press complete adhesive area of seal on door all around using roller -3356-. To do this, push the seal aside -arrow a- so that the roller -3356- runs directly over the contact surface of the seal

The roller can apply the necessary force -arrow b- to the adhesive surface -2- only when procedure described above is followed

If the seal has stretched, cut seal to required length and press on butt joint well

If seal -3- comes loose in small areas again, press seal on well again using roller -3356-

Note. The door must not be closed for a period of 2 hours to ensure the door outer seal does not move or loosen again.

[Big John]

I cannot remember ever having to replace a door seal on any VAG car except on old Beetles and Mk1's when doing restoration work. With the 9N having inner and outer seals, I can't see how water is getting in. A leak from the window lifter carrier yes but not from the door seal, I could be wrong....

Hello Crasher, well I can assure you the water comes from below under pressure through the gap of the door and the door frame.

I had already tried running the water hose down the window and roof and all around the window frame and there was no water trapped at the bottom but as soon as I used the hose at the bottom of the door the water came in. Every time.

I am not saying you are right or wrong or I am right but some times we all have to stand back from the problem, forget preconceaved ideas and look at a problem from a different view point.

Having read the very indepth instructions on how to fit a new door seal it is clear it is relying on just glue to hold it in place, could the glue soften and allow the seal to move as it is under pressure against the door frame over time and the door sitting in the sun heating the glue?