WATER LEAK

[Ben.189]

Hi I have 53 plate octavia 1.8 petrol. My footwell keeps filling with water. Carpet and all interior out and cannot find the source! Anyone know where it might be getting in because I'm loosing my mind here! Thanks in advance

[Guest]

If it has a sunroof check the drains in the 'A' pillar between the hinges driver side they get blocked.

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[Girardi]

Have a little search. This subject pops up on here fairly regularly...

 

Usual suspects include:

 

• leaky door seals (lining inside the door card is just a membrane that degrades over time) - should see some tell tale ingress from the bottom of the doors
• Pollen filter and grommet can have issues letting water in, you should be able to see that in the top of the footwell if you peel the carpet back
• Blocked drains in the scuttle panel, trickier to get at as you need to get the wiper arms off before you take off the plastic cover but leaves get in there and cause chaos
• Sunroof, as noted above
• For rear footwells, can be boot seal or drains

Have a little search though, there are a lot of threads on this and some are pretty detailed. Would help track it down if you can isolate it (ie, you say footwell - is this drivers side front footwell? Passenger side rear? If you can give us that it will help to trace it to one of the usual suspects.)

[VeedubyaGTi]

Check behind the front inner plastic wheel arches as crud collects behind there, blocking the drain holes.

[Ben.189]

Awesome guys. Well it does it when on drive with front end down at slight angle and front passenger footwell! Checked by pollen filter and housing and seems to be dry absolutely everywhere else other than the footwell the complete interior is out including carpet and the sound proofing. Ceiling liner all seems dry and door cards. It's all ready to be taken for mot and came across this bull****! Can't wait to get back driving it now I've sorted resirc valve.

[octiRS]

Hi I have a similar problem at the moment too (not for the first time either, a couple of years a go I had blocked drain ports which were cleared and that solved the problem then) however I have just come back from a garage near to where I work and they are claiming this time that the ports are running free and they are convinced that it is the sunroof seal that has perished and will cost circa £200 including labour (apparently they have to take the roof lining down, 3 hour job).

 

Having just paid the deposit and walked away from the garage I am not sure this is going to correct the problem as if the seal has gone it would still drain through the drain points wouldn't it - none of the roof lining is damp, just driver and rear footwell.

 

Are they taking me for a ride, or could it actually be the sunroof seal?

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[Guest]

Hi I have a similar problem at the moment too (not for the first time either, a couple of years a go I had blocked drain ports which were cleared and that solved the problem then) however I have just come back from a garage near to where I work and they are claiming this time that the ports are running free and they are convinced that it is the sunroof seal that has perished and will cost circa £200 including labour (apparently they have to take the roof lining down, 3 hour job).

Having just paid the deposit and walked away from the garage I am not sure this is going to correct the problem as if the seal has gone it would still drain through the drain points wouldn't it - none of the roof lining is damp, just driver and rear footwell.

Are they taking me for a ride, or could it actually be the sunroof seal?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

I very much doubt that it is the sunroof seal as the drains would take it away and if was that bad you would have damp patches on the headlining. If it only drivers side I would go for where the bonnet release cable goes through the bulkhead or drivers door seal as the water will run to the back of the car as that's the way it slopes.

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[dewaryboy]

Had my Octavia 7 1/2 years and in that time I've fixed 6 water leaks in it,car has been pretty faultless in that time as well,my water leaks were pollen filter housing,housing which wiring goes through at drivers side,front door carrier seals and at the rear where the quarter panels meet near the roof,all original panels so can only assume it wasn't properly sealed at the factory.