As like so many others my car has also recently suffered form water getting into the back footwell. I was fortunate as my bro had a fabia vrs and had also encounterd this prob so we new what we were doing when it came to fixing/sealing. Like the majority of the other fabias suffering from this problem water was entering my car between the door and the carrier, ie the seal had failed.

However i found that there was some differences on hear as to what sealant should be used around the carrier. From what i read there was two choices silicone sealant or roof gutter sealant.

1st and 2nd attempt - I used silicone based sealant these which I found were not extremely effective to bond to the alluminium carrier.

3rd attempt - as recommended by others I tried roof gutter sealant, this was the hardest to smooth and achieve the necessary seal.

4th attempt - By working in the construction industry i got my hands on a Bitumnen/Rubber Based sealant, this was easier to achieve a bond with the carrier. However due to the recent bad weather it did not manage to cure in time before becoming wet.

5 attempt - I should say at this point I was realy fed up doing this and contemplated selling the car for an easy life!! After further looking into the sealants that would work/set whilst wet i settled on Sikaflex EBT (available from screwfix at £6.99) This sealant was very easy to apply and even easier to smooth/create a good seal. Sikaflex EBT was also the best for drying time, set in approx 24hrs.

That is my car finaly fully sealed, would defo recommend Sikaflex EBT. Yes it is a bit more expensive but the time saved applying/smoothing is well worth the extra couple of quid.

From what i read there was two choices silicone sealant or roof gutter sealant.

With respect I think that's an over-simplification of the choice. Silicone should be excellent - but it does need a totally dry substrate and from reading up on the problem I tackled the problem by looking at what was available to suit the circumstances.

I used Plumbers Gold from Toolstation at £5.74

"High-tech sealant and adhesive that offers outstanding adhesion to all sanitary, bathroom, wetroom, kitchen and plumbing materials. Can be applied to wet surfaces, will even work underwater, and contains Microban anti-bacterial solution, preventing black mould and discolouration for 10 years."

Appears to be excellent at bonding even on wet surfaces - as it should reading that.

Edited 21 November, 201015 yr by DRJ

Just giving my personal preference, honestly i found sikaflex ebt the best/easiest to work with.

Posted this with the hope that other people dont need to go to the hassle that I went to. My brother used silicone on his car with a positive result after the 2nd application. However on my car it didnt work and yes I applied a decent amount.

Just giving my personal preference, honestly i found sikaflex ebt the best/easiest to work with.

OK - but you haven't used Plumbers Gold and I haven't used Sikaflex EBT - so an honourable draw?

I can't find out exactly what Plumbers Gold is - the most you find is that it "...is a new type of sealant and adhesive based on hybrid polymer technology"

Sikaflex EBT is "... a one part, gun grade triple purpose sealant, adhesive and filler of permanent elasticity. It is based on a special moisture cured polyurethane and suitable for internal and external use."

However having read the technical abilities of both I'd still go with the cheaper Plumbers Gold since it can be used in "wet" conditions whereas the EBT requires "dry or damp" according to its data sheet.

It's not quite as much cheaper as it appears - it's 290ml compared to EBT's 310ml. However there's plenty in a cartridge for four doors, though I've only done one...

I'd go with roof and gutter sealant. Seals well, flexible seal, and can easily be removed if the carrier ever needs to come off - for example to replace the window. Polyurethane (Sikaflex) guaranteed to seal it but you'll be scraping off for ages to remove it properly and seal it up again

At least mine hasn't leaked again (yet) with roof and gutter stuff.

Edited 21 November, 201015 yr by anewman

I used "Unibond 3 in 1" white stuff from Homebase as recommended by MoggyTech, as he's helped me in the past :-)

It's been done for about a week now on the rear doors and I haven't seen any water on the rubber seals since. It says it can be applied when damp too.

My front drivers side looks to be leaking though. Presumably from when a Skoda dealer fixed my electric windows (replaced drivers side motor). I need to do that ASAP.

Any water repellant sealant will work, as long as you give it time to cure. If you have an early model VRS with a bolted in door carrier it is more effective to loosen the bolts and run a bead of sealant around the carrier then tighten the bolts up again before the sealant cures.

Having used roof and gutter seal and having to remove it due to it failing, i can say that its not an easy job. Although iv not had to remove sikaflex ebt, i dont see it being a problem. It sets like silicone, which wasnt to bad to get off.

Anyway - preperation is definately key in this job.

roof and gutter sealant has worked first time for me every time, after trying various different sealants this is the only stuff that has worked, and stayed well sealed for months