Has anybody any experience of the superb door seals leaking.Faults or answers gratefully received:)

Hi,

Only just seen your question about leaking doors.

If you mean water entering into the car from behind the interior trim panel (i.e. the one with the door bin on), then the answer's yes.

Turned out to be a failed foam seal between the outer door and the galvanised interior panel. It had been breached at the bottom and was dripping onto the plastic door sill decorative strip and the adjacent rubber, and then soaking into the carpet, making the carpet slightly damp along the door sill. Not a big leak, just very irritating.

This must be a common problem. Both my front doors were doing it, although the driver's door had been apart to replace door glass for a previous-owner break-in. So that leak likely aggravated by idiot glass-fitter dropping one of the securing bolts into the door void, and leaving it there.

It's fixable with silicone rtv or a bodyshop mastic (i.e. Dumdum) without much dismantling.

I have an idea that the foam seal used is only fully waterproof when it's outer 'skin' is intact, if it gets a cut in the outer skin, water can get through it. This would seem to be the same type of foam used in the infamous pollen filter gasket, just a lot thinner.

Edited 17 September, 200916 yr by CombatWombat

Thank you Combat Wombat for your info.

Could you give me any tips on removing the door trim and what to look for reference leakage.:thumbup:

Hi Subpumps,

I haven't been checking Briskoda for some days and missed your reply.

The interior trim panel is secured along the bottom edge by the usual 'pop-out' plastic trim clips and two torx (T20?) screws.

Once the screws are discovered/removed (you need to get right down low for this!), you can spring the clips out by inserting a finger or two (or something thin and smooth if your fingers are too big) between the panel and the metal door panel behind it.

Slide your fingers to the left/right all the way to the bottom L/R corners of the door and the plastic clips will pop out as you go along, you'll hear/feel them easily.

This will give just about enough access to the lowest part of the next panel to view the offending section, if yours is like mine was.

The failing join is often accompanied by a sediment where the leak occurred. This is similar to what you may see where a radiator pipe leaks a little - a bit crusty.

From this point, if you lay on the floor you can access the three (or four) 10mm bolts that secure the bright-zinc plated inner panel to the body-colour door panel - this is join is where mine leaked anyway.

When the inner panel is loosened this way, the inner panel can be lifted away to fill the gap with your chosen sealing compound. You have simply loosened the lower edge of a panel that is the size of the door itself, on other cars this is often a piece of plastic sheet and some mastic around its edge. VW/Skoda haven't used any mastic/sealant, they have used a piece of sheet steel with foam seal instead.

Alternatively, you could leave the panel bolted, and just generously coat the join mentioned on its outside face/edge - I think this will do.

If you want to view the whole inner panel rather than performing door-gyneacology, then the cental inner door handle needs unbolting (for passenger door). Behind this are two large screws that secure the trim to the bright-zinc panel.

The handle piece that you can see from inside the car comes away directly when pulled towards, say, the centre console. But before you try this, identify the two inner seams to the handle that stay behind! It's only the bit you can see that comes away, so you have to use your finger tips. ***Also, don't pull this handle away from the door trim panel without placing your other hand so as to support the panel that you are pullung away from (i.e. immedialely behind/around the handle). This sounds confusing, but, this trim was SO well secured on my car that one of the two aforementioned screws ripped a hole through the panel plastic it was securing before the trim came off. (You may be better off prising this handle off with a screwdriver to avoid this, see below).***

Remove two pozidrive screws revealed. The door trim then lifts up and off. This is sometimes easier with the window down.

Be aware that there are several electrical connections on short leads that need disconnecting (2nd person required?) from the trim panel as it comes away. Also the door handle is connected by a short bowden cable (i.e. like a bicycle brake cable), this is easily unhooked.

It's actually straightforward, when you've done the first one. The Haynes (Passat) manual isn't a great deal of use on this, sadly.

Then there's the inner panel...

Actually, I've just noticed this piece on the technical pages of the forum which will help on door dismantling, even if the pictures don't quite match a Superb.:

[How to] Full Sound installation upgrade (Superb 2003 PD130)

Edited 27 September, 200916 yr by CombatWombat

Thanks Combatwombat .Will try to repair leak asap.Hope i dont have any major probs

Yes, there can be a problem on octy II