Warning: Fabia Door Leaks

[Dave1953]

Aware of that.........BUT I have seen the water leak out from under the join between the inner trim and the door at the bottom of the trim....with the door open whilst testing it.....also my drain holes are all ok etc.

Why do think that even Skoda issused a technical notice/fix etc....and why do you think that this topic is quite long etc!!!...the fault is that some of the water that falls inside the door cavity lodges in the ledge between the door and the window mech carrier...then is seaps through the foam seal and runs down the inside of the door(trim side) then onto the carpets etc.etc.

Yep. Been there, seen that, done that, as the saying goes. There must be another reason why I seem to have the only dry (formerly soaking) Fabia around, then.

[Dave1953]

With respect if you had had the door cards off your car and witnessed the amount of water that comes through the faulty design of inner carrier and seal you'd understand why this topic is 24 pages long.

If you read my first post in the other thread you'll see that I have had the cards off (and witnessed the flow of water through the seals - and "repaired" them in accordance with the standard wisdom), so I'm fully aware of the problem. All I'm saying is that there's an alternative solution which I arrived at by looking at the fundamental cause of the problem, not just the symptoms of it.

[DRJ]

Sorry - but I don't see how your "alternative" is an alternative - since it doesn't affect the water going in around the door window merely the water around the door itself.

[VWD]

I

The rear screen wash might be a broken pipe connection in the vicinity of the left hand seat back - which might result in damp carpets on the nearside only.

As for rear washer not working - above is one place where pipes come off .Other is on front bulkhead .Well commented on point is that the pipes might need clipping ,but more importantly is need to ensure that the was mix is 50/50 ,not neat water . My problem was the pipe coming off on the engine side of the bulkhead . I did find that the wash mix prior to going to dealer was pure water .

Mine also had wet rear carpets - due to failed rear seals ( as per previous post) and fixe under warrenty in the third year on the Skoda warranty ,with no quible from the now defunct Brooklyn Garage in Rugby ,who also re fitted the washer pipe as a courtesy gesture.

[Dave1953]

Sorry - but I don't see how your "alternative" is an alternative - since it doesn't affect the water going in around the door window merely the water around the door itself.

There are two drain holes in the bottom of each door, which you've no doubt taken great pains to ensure are completely clear; with the doors open, you pour water from a jug down the outside of the windows, and observe that a lot of it emerges freely from the drain holes, proving that the drainage "system" works. Yet whenever it rains the bottom sections of the doors fill with water, which breaks through the carrier seals and gets inside the car - why? Because the water isn't getting out of the drain holes in the doors any more, as it's held inside by a combination of hydrostatic forces and atmospheric pressure, with the flood of water from the outer door seals flowing over the rear wheel arches and under the doors effectively acting as a dam to keep it there. The answer? Stop the flow of water from being directed around the wheel arches and under the doors, which will allow the water inside the doors to drain away as intended.

I can only give the evidence from my own tests: I used to have a wet car, but now I've got one which is completely dry internally in all conditions - and the only difference between the "before" and "after" situations is the bits of rubber draught excluder I fitted to extend the main body/door seals as in the photos. What more can I say?

I'd also hazard a guess that messing around with the door carrier seals in isolation is only ever going to produce a temporary fix: yes, the car will be dry for a while, but you'll still have doors full of water whenever it rains, and, sooner or later, it will work its way through the seals again. If you're going to replace the carrier seals anyway, then rubber draught excluder will do a far better job than any chemical sealant as it's very pliable, very compressible, and adapts to a large range of gaps around the carrier. It's also stable and doesn't depend on chemical action or initial cleanliness to "grip" the bare metal and painted surfaces (as many have discovered, the tiniest bit of bad adhesion will inevitably lead to another leak, as water can exert huge forces in small places, and a tiny fault will soon be made worse). Draught excluder is also a lot cheaper, and totally mess-free.

I hope you solve your problems one way or the other!

Edited 17 December, 2011 by Dave1953

[DRJ]

My problems are solved - so perhaps you've directed that comment to the wrong person. However I still say the overwhelming evidence is that the doors themselves are the prime and sole cause of the problem. I have never opened a rear door to hear water sloshing around inside it as your prognosis demands. I can't see that your diagnosis and solution applies to the majority of the cars - or is even a tenable reason in the first place (unless the drain holes on the doors are partially blocked in the first place). I don't deny it might have worked in your isolated case. In fact in my case the major source of leakage appears to have been a badly fitted front door rubber seal allowing penetration near the upper hinge area. The car has been dry since this was pushed into place.

[Matt m6ceb]

my 2002 fabia leaks for fun! you have to wait 10 mins for the condensation to go! nightmare!

[The Plumber]

The door carriers on my sons 03 Fabia I are now well and truly covered in sealant, added more yesterday to cure water getting through the bowden cable grommet of the offside rear door :S

Mind the rear washer pipe filling the nearside rear foot-well in an inch of washer fluid was more of a task

TP

[no_salad]

Gents,

I’ve been using the site for a couple of months (excellent resource!) but first post, so hi.

I have the dreaded door leak and have had a stab at sealing it. After a couple of days and a heavy downpour, the sealant failed at the very bottom and water was coming in as freely as before.

I’ve pulled off all the sealant and want to dry out the door completely before re-doing it so have taped up the bottom of the rear windows. Unfortunately, looking at it today, water is still streaming through it like a bloody sieve!

Where does the water actually get in as I assumed it was at the base of the window?? And how do I stop it getting in there for long enough for the door to dry out so the sealant has a chance to go off properly.

Any suggestions gratefully received!!

[Beancounter1980]

Gents,

I’ve been using the site for a couple of months (excellent resource!) but first post, so hi.

I have the dreaded door leak and have had a stab at sealing it. After a couple of days and a heavy downpour, the sealant failed at the very bottom and water was coming in as freely as before.

I’ve pulled off all the sealant and want to dry out the door completely before re-doing it so have taped up the bottom of the rear windows. Unfortunately, looking at it today, water is still streaming through it like a bloody sieve!

Where does the water actually get in as I assumed it was at the base of the window?? And how do I stop it getting in there for long enough for the door to dry out so the sealant has a chance to go off properly.

Any suggestions gratefully received!!

Balance door card on rear seat with door slightly ajar. Have someone pour some water over the window and see where the water is seeping through and seal that area again.

[DRJ]

And how do I stop it getting in there for long enough for the door to dry out so the sealant has a chance to go off properly.

Use decent sealant - and that means DON'T use silicone. I used Plumbers Gold which cures in damp conditions. Alternatively some people swear by gutter sealant but it's MUCH more messy. I actually used up the remains of my Plumbers Gold for gutter sealing!

[pyromorph]

Use decent sealant - and that means DON'T use silicone.

I second this. I use engine gasket sealant from my local motor factors, Tetrosyl stuff. It's nasty, stinks to high heaven and needs 24 hours to cure but it's good stuff. Used it to fix leaking sun-roofs before.

Phil.

[modelrallysport.com]

I sealed mine with Denzo Tape--its not nice stuff but does the job

[no_salad]

Cheers boys. I did use some of Screwfix's 'finest' roof and gutter sealant but it merely split at the problem point (that kink at the bottom of the carrier) and made absolutely no difference at all; it was almost as though the water pressure had built up and just blasted through the sealant.

Looks like I'll be giving Plumber's Gold a stab!

[fabdavrav]

Also try Everbuild's sticksall extreme......can be used under water...and is an adhesive and extreme temp resistant and will glue metal/plastic/stone/etc etc .....

[Bumble487]

Cheers boys. I did use some of Screwfix's 'finest' roof and gutter sealant but it merely split at the problem point (that kink at the bottom of the carrier) and made absolutely no difference at all; it was almost as though the water pressure had built up and just blasted through the sealant.

Looks like I'll be giving Plumber's Gold a stab!

yep! I tried roof and gutter sealant twice and had he same issue as you so I wouldn't advise using that! Bought some plumbers gold and used that and it's been dry since.

Edited 20 December, 2011 by Bumble487

[Matt m6ceb]

I have just done mine today with no-nonsense gutter sealent from screwfix, i used a full tube! I really hope this sorts the problem out.... i really do!

i soaked up as much water as i could with paper towels and have bought a dehumidifyer tub with crystals from ebay for £8 to try and help a bit

If it leaks again then i will be leaving it until its time for the scrap yard lol

[C13URD]

Also try Everbuild's sticksall extreme......can be used under water...and is an adhesive and extreme temp resistant and will glue metal/plastic/stone/etc etc .....

I used this the other day on my rear door before seeing this thread... seems to be working now need to do the fronts.........

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/220895620463

Ever Build Stixall Extreme Power Universal Instant Grab Adhesive Wet Sealant

It had also been sealed before with thick black rubbbery sealant looked like gutter sealant which was leaking badly !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt m6ceb]

scrap yard it is!

[Kev627]

Somebody had a look at my car (who knows quite a bit about cars) and they said they really can't see how water leaking in to the door can cause the condensation problems as the rubber seals on rear windows are designed to let water in and the water then escapes through the holes at the bottom of the passenger doors.

He has seen many cars with condensation problems (Skodas and others) and has never seen them with such bad condensation problems as mine.

[darren200874]

my 2002 classic leaked on back doors just had to take window out and put sealeant round and yes skoda recalled all cars but not everyone took them back

[DRJ]

Somebody had a look at my car (who knows quite a bit about cars) and they said they really can't see how water leaking in to the door can cause the condensation problems as the rubber seals on rear windows are designed to let water in and the water then escapes through the holes at the bottom of the passenger doors.

He has seen many cars with condensation problems (Skodas and others) and has never seen them with such bad condensation problems as mine.

Unfortunately you clearly don't understand how the faulty design of the door and the inner carrier actually causes the water to be channelled INTO the car rather than being discharged through the drainage holes as you might expect. There is a raised lip between the two components where the water gathers, and it then escapes through a foam seal which clearly wasn't designed properly, landing on the sill inside the line of the water seal. The amazing thing is that this problem wasn't acted upon during the car's life. My very late model suffers more than my mid-life one did.

[DRJ]

Here's a diagram I haven't previously seen:

It actually comes from a Mk1 Leon FAQ's (1M) 2000-2006 forum but perfectly illustrates the problem

[Ryan90VRS]

So "Plumbers Gold" is about the best so far?

[Bumble487]

So "Plumbers Gold" is about the best so far?

certainly still working for me where roof and gutter sealant failed quickly twice!