Hi Everyone, Just thought I would post this to help others from an expensive Fix by Audi.

I run a 2001 Audi Avant Sport 1.9tdi and before Christmas started to detect a new smell in the cabin, musty wet smell. On inspection I found very wet carpets in the rear footwell and passenger footwell. The rear area being the worse of the two. I rubbed the carpet and it foamed up so I assumed a rear wash wip leak, and realised that i had been topping up the washer fluid more often than before.

I initially targeted the rear footwell, removing the rear seat base, this just pulls up from the front edge, it's held by two plastic fittings each side.
I then had to tease the side trims away from the door step area, be carefull as I ripped my carpet a little so try and be patient, The trims pull straight up and are held with steel spring clips that push into the inner sill. Some spring clips may stay in the sill and release from the plastic trim, but my trim did not crack or split. Undo the lower seat belt anchore bolt.

At this point I realised that the front footwell was wet as well, so had to remove the front seat.

This is done by sliding the seat forward and removing the plastic trims from the two guide rails. Then slide the seat right back and undo the two 13mm nuts on the centre rail of the slide mechanism. Now slide the seat back to release. It is tricky to disconnect the wiring plugs but not impossible.

I did not disconnect my battery before removal but I have read on the forum that I need to disconnect my battery at least half an hour before refitting so as to not have problems with the seats airbag.

I expected a split pipe (it's the black concertina pipe) but the pipes were OK. The problem was a joint had seperated at the bulkhead.
To find it I dried out as best I could and put dry newspaper under the wiring loom that carries the washer pipe and then operated the rear washer. the paper on the floor of the car stayed dry but water gushed down from the bulk head area, on the left of the footwell. Leak Found!

I do not know what would have caused the pipe connection to come apart as no work has been done in this area. I guess over time the pipe must have been under tension and pulled apart.
I re-joined the pipes and secured with self amalgamating tape, it will not pull apart again.

I used a wet vac to get as much fluid out as I could but it was still wet so I propped the carpet up vertically with wooden props to let the liquid drain down to the bottom edge. I left it over night and then re vac'd with the wet vac.
JOB DONE! I just have to put the carpet and seats back in remembering to disconnect that battery.

Hope this helps someone save some cash and get a dry cabin

Jaffa-number-1