'Water Ingress Problem'........SOLVED!

[Baker21]

Well guys I have been on here for a long time now and have always said, I have never had the water ingress problem, well I now have...........

With all the recent bad weather and me having use of an Audi A6, I had left the Superb sat out back for over a month or so, with all the snow and ice nicely dripping into the pollen filter area. I ended up replacing the battery over the cold period, through fault of my own, having left my other mobile docked on charge in the car.......... :no:

Having replaced the battery, I had obviously disturbed the pollen filter area and over the last two weeks, started to loose my interior lamps, boot lamps, door lamps, etc.

Now I had read all the threads in here and had a PM chat with Gizmo68 but decided I would get the help of someone that knows what they are doing, that person is ofcourse Ross.........

Below are some pics of Ross working his magic on the car and for those of you that think my car is never used and always spottless well, these pics show it in it's daily form, so here we go, figured that these pics may be of use to some of you guys on here, the comments I have put with the pics are Ross's that I have pulled off Facebook........

I think all these live wires should be joined together, that be why the interior lights dont be working:

Water, eck:

Repaired and re loomed:

Conv ECu fortunately dry, floor however not:

Stripping out scuttle area to get to pollen filter housing:

In bits:

All clean ready to be resealed:

Fudged seal:

Ross just has a few more bits to do tomorrow and I will pick the car back up but I have to say I am glad I let him do it..........

I know that this is a problem all Superb driver's may encounter at some stage so I hope the pics are helpful.

This link may also be of use:

Fixing Passat Leak

Or this useful post by Gizmo68:

http://briskoda.net/forums/blog/18/entry-62-superb-mki-water-ingress-cure/

Edited 17 February, 2010 by Baker21

[VRSPhil]

Im glad you got it sorted before the ecu got wet!

Touch wood, I don't have any issues yet.... Do you think it's worth pulling the pollen filter out and sealing it with silicone as a preventative measure? I've often wondered but am worried about causing a leak which i don't currently have!

[Gizmo]

Looks like you caught it before too much damage was done

Touch wood, I don't have any issues yet.... Do you think it's worth pulling the pollen filter out and sealing it with silicone as a preventative measure? I've often wondered but am worried about causing a leak which i don't currently have!

Most definitely! without preventative measures being taken it's just a matter of time when it starts to leak.

I did mine 18 months ago before it had chance to leak, providing you do it before it starts to leak then the info i put into this blog will help you through it, there is no reason why you cannot do it in less than 2 hours if you take your time (less than an hour if have done it before) It will take much longer to dry the car out and correct the corroded wires / nodes than it will to do the preventative maintenance.

[skodanut]

Since the trouble of water ingress happens on the passenger side of the car, and in time ruins the conveniece ecu over a period of time,is there anything one can do, for example, rig up some kind of warning device that triggers maybe a light or buzzer letting the driver know water is present in footwell long before the damage is done? I know preventive maintenance is a good thing, but there must be something that could be made to warn the driver of impending dampness present !!

I had the idea of a live switch or similar that came on with ignition, and if the warning light failed to come on, then that would be a good indication of a problem present....what do other members think of this? even if they mentioned it was a hair brained idea!

I think it would look quite cool to have a few more warning lights placed in some blank switches by surround near the radio, and if anyone asks what it is...one could mention its a damp sensor....by the way i am sober

[Gizmo]

....by the way i am sober

I did wonder!

IMO just remove the plenum grommets, and seal the pollen filter housing with a good thick bead of sealant and you wont need a live feed lying around!

As i said anyone with a bit of mechanical knowledge could do it in a couple of hours, now when you know that sooner or later it's going to leak if you do nothing then can you really not afford a couple of hours of your time and a bit of sealant?

[Baker21]

Im glad you got it sorted before the ecu got wet!

Touch wood, I don't have any issues yet.... Do you think it's worth pulling the pollen filter out and sealing it with silicone as a preventative measure? I've often wondered but am worried about causing a leak which i don't currently have!

As Gizmo has said I would get it sorted mate, I sat back on my backside thinking it would be OK and luckily just caught it before it could have gotten a lot worse........

I think it would look quite cool to have a few more warning lights placed in some blank switches by surround near the radio, and if anyone asks what it is...one could mention its a damp sensor....by the way i am sober

Are you sure your not drunk? Sounds like a lot of hassle to me............. :S

Edited 15 February, 2010 by Baker21

[allclownsareevi]

for those of you that think my car is never used and always spottless well, these pics show it in it's daily form, so here we go,

Yeah looks filthy. Now I know what people feel like when I say "my car needs a good clean" and they just stare blankly like I'm joking ... I guess you notice the dirt more when it's your own car.

I keep meaning to do my pollen filter but luckily I get to garage mine all year. As soon as the weather warms up and hence the plastics are less brittle I'll do it. Glad to hear you caught this early and cheers to gizmo for the guide.

[Baker21]

Yeah looks filthy. Now I know what people feel like when I say "my car needs a good clean" and they just stare blankly like I'm joking ... I guess you notice the dirt more when it's your own car.

I keep meaning to do my pollen filter but luckily I get to garage mine all year. As soon as the weather warms up and hence the plastics are less brittle I'll do it. Glad to hear you caught this early and cheers to gizmo for the guide.

Top guide from Gizmo and sorry that I bailed out on doing the work myself but it's evident this problem does occur and I only hope that everyone else catches it before it costs the big bucks.......

[Hoverurb]

Since the trouble of water ingress happens on the passenger side of the car, and in time ruins the conveniece ecu over a period of time,is there anything one can do, for example, rig up some kind of warning device that triggers maybe a light or buzzer letting the driver know water is present in footwell long before the damage is done? I know preventive maintenance is a good thing, but there must be something that could be made to warn the driver of impending dampness present !!

I had the idea of a live switch or similar that came on with ignition, and if the warning light failed to come on, then that would be a good indication of a problem present....what do other members think of this? even if they mentioned it was a hair brained idea!

I think it would look quite cool to have a few more warning lights placed in some blank switches by surround near the radio, and if anyone asks what it is...one could mention its a damp sensor....by the way i am sober

Lidl and Aldi had these a few months back to detect a leak from a washing machine or dishwasher, I'm sure you could wire one up to a dash light, or a smoke alarm may work I know of one that went off because it got damp!!! A "passenger damp" warning light , interesting

Edited 15 February, 2010 by Hoverurb

[Baker21]

Lidl and Aldi had these a few months back to detect a leak from a washing machine or dishwasher, I'm sure you could wire one up to a dash light, or a some alarm may work I know of one that went off because it got damp!!! A "passenger damp" warning light , interesting

Next thing will be a 'Gorup Buy' for these sensor's.........

[allclownsareevi]

A "passenger damp" warning light , interesting

Really depends on who the passenger is. If it's your girlfriend then of course it's "interesting".... if it's your gran it's just another distressing mishap of hers. :no:

Edited 15 February, 2010 by allclownsareevi

[skodanut]

yes i was sober when i mentioned 12vlt electrics imersed in water lol...but it was just an idea if there was anything about that one could implement and give a signal almost imediately the moment water starts to seep in the footwell...as i imagine it takes a while for the water to build up eventually do the wiring in.

I dont like the idea of not knowing when the trouble is brewing and some weeks or mths later down the line the car electrics start playing silly beggers. I appreciate doing the remedy for the cure by removing the rubber gromets under the battery and near the servo.....but can one guarantee that water wont be present?

[Cown]

I take my car to the garage in Germany. Last time I went, the authorized Skoda dealer told me, that Skoda has acknowledged this error and they "fixed" the problem without cost. I have absolutely no idea about, what this "fix" did, but I have never encountered this problem since. So I'm happy now, specially when reading this thread. :yes:

[Baker21]

yes i was sober when i mentioned 12vlt electrics imersed in water lol...but it was just an idea if there was anything about that one could implement and give a signal almost imediately the moment water starts to seep in the footwell...as i imagine it takes a while for the water to build up eventually do the wiring in.

I dont like the idea of not knowing when the trouble is brewing and some weeks or mths later down the line the car electrics start playing silly beggers. I appreciate doing the remedy for the cure by removing the rubber gromets under the battery and near the servo.....but can one guarantee that water wont be present?

All I can add to your question is that, I sat back and thought all will be OK but clearly over time it's come to haunt me, will it happen again in the future? Who knows, maybe I will find out over time......... :no:

[allclownsareevi]

Oooooo look at you getting your topics pinned. I see how it is, the pretty ones get all the perks.

[Baker21]

Oooooo look at you getting your topics pinned. I see how it is, the pretty ones get all the perks.

Only because of this thread:

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/152700-interoir-lights/

I have also included Gizmo68's blog and the external Passat Fixing Leak PDF external link in my OP.........

(Should prevent all the 'Water Ingress' questions in this forum)

[Tom_vRS]

This really isn't a difficult job, and well worth doing. The drain holes get blocked really quickly with leaves and gunk, and the pollen filter seal is hopeless.

I'd recommend against silicone sealant though. One of the putty type sealants would be better imho.

Some people have moved the convenience ECU higher up in the footwell to prevent expensive damage later on, but in fairness a damp smelly interior is pretty unpleasant and difficult to dry out, so if you have a Superb get it sorted before it causes you ball ache.

[Tom_vRS]

This really isn't a difficult job, and well worth doing. The drain holes get blocked really quickly with leaves and gunk, and the pollen filter seal is hopeless.

I'd recommend against silicone sealant though. One of the putty type sealants would be better imho.

Some people have moved the convenience ECU higher up in the footwell to prevent expensive damage later on, but in fairness a damp smelly interior is pretty unpleasant and difficult to dry out, so if you have a Superb get it sorted before it causes you ball ache.

[skippy41]

In some posts regarding repairs, there are mentions of drain grommets becoming blocked, what would happen if these where removed, would the water drain strait outside or inside the car??

I know this may seem daft but if the pollen filter was removed completely, and the hole blanked off with a plate larger than the hole possibly mig welded or loads of sealant what would happen, is this filter really needed???

Edited 3 March, 2010 by skippy41

[Gizmo]

In some posts regarding repairs, there are mentions of drain grommets becoming blocked, what would happen if these where removed, would the water drain strait outside or inside the car??

The water will drain outside still, i removed the grommets on my Superb

I know this may seem daft but if the pollen filter was removed completely, and the hole blanked off with a plate larger than the hole possibly mig welded or loads of sealant what would happen, is this filter really needed???

Then you would effectively be making the heating system permanently on re-circulation with no fresh air entering the cabin - very bad for you when the air con is running.

It is pretty pointless anyway, because once the grommets are removed and the filter housing sealed up properly then they wont leak (providing the drain gutter that runs over the filter is fitted correctly and in good condition)

[allclownsareevi]

Seeing a few others posting I figured I'd better go ahead and do this. Something I've been meaning to do for ages but what with one thing or another have never gotten around to.

It's technically an easy job, but bloody awkward in reality. The fact my battery is a large heavy duty thing didn't help either.

My plenum chamber drains were partially blocked, but thankfully bone dry. One had leaves in it, the other just awash with dust and dirt.

The pollen filter foam seal was partially perished but I doubt had let water in yet. Resealed with half a tube of silicone sealant. With a several interruptions it took a grand total of three hours. If I had to do it again tomorrow, without interruptions I reckon you could halve that time. Annoying though it takes that long to get to the offending parts and only 5 minutes to fix the parts themselves. Speaking of which here is the foam seal and one of the plenum grommets.

Wanted to say thanks for the info to all contributors.

[Baker21]

Nice little addition there, useful thread this now........

[sam2000]

Below are some pics of Ross working his magic on the car and for those of you that think my car is never used and always spottless well, these pics show it in it's daily form, so here we go, figured that these pics may be of use to some of you guys on here, the comments I have put with the pics are Ross's that I have pulled off Facebook........

Hi great to know you got yours sorted. I am guessing Ross is an independent VW specialist.

I think I need Ross's services too if he isn't too far from me.

I was always worried about this and finally I got the seal replaced by a local mechanic and lo and behold! I now have a puddle in the front passenger foot well. It is possible that he has disturbed something while replacing the seal but I am not sure. I posted about this earlier

Could you let me know his contact details please? I am in High High Wycombe so I am hoping isn't too far. Thank you

Edited 27 March, 2010 by sam2000

[Baker21]

Hi great to know you got yours sorted. I am guessing Ross is an independent VW specialist.

I think I need Ross's services too if he isn't too far from me.

I was always worried about this and finally I got the seal replaced by a local mechanic and lo and behold! I now have a puddle in the front passenger foot well. It is possible that he has disturbed something while replacing the seal but I am not sure. I posted about this earlier

Could you let me know his contact details please? I am in High High Wycombe so I am hoping isn't too far. Thank you

No problem Sam, I have spoke to Ross so will PM you his number...............

[marky v]

Guys, reading this post and others has me a tad worried, just picked up a 58 plate, less than 3000 on the clock, hardly been used, but the interior lights, map lights, vanity mirror lights and boot light aren't working, this is on any setting on the switch, not on opening with the remote etc, the door ajar warning symbol lights up ok when the doors are opened, the rears work on the switch, whether they come on with the others i don't know, as i've never seen them working..now as my car is only just 18 months old, would this still be covered by the manufacturer's warranty?? all help would be appreciated, regards Mark