Warning: Fabia Door Leaks

[bspman]

2 hours ago, garibaldy said:

Follow Tim's advice as it is spot on.

 

You will need some of these clips to refit the door card. The existing ones will almost certainly break when you remove the card! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SKODA-INTERIOR-DOOR-PANEL-RETAINER-TRIM-CLIPS-X-10/190476203072?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649

 

Be vigilant with the sealant. I've noticed a leak after "fixing" mine. Another job for the Fabia #backlog

 

I've had 1/2 sealed ones leak.

I put it down to the opening/closing of the door too early.

 

After doing the door a second time.. I left it closed for a few days.

 

Need to get the front done now!

[bspman]

21 minutes ago, Wench said:

Mine still leaks after trying to fill it up at least twice and getting the local garage to look at it. Job for the local skoda dealer?

 

what sealant are you using?

[Wench]

Can't remember I did it last year sure it was bathroom waterproof stuff

[pyromorph]

I used everbuild forever clear/white. Wore gloves when applying and I left for 48 hours without it getting wet. I bought one of those cheap car covers that covered the top of the car. The cover reaches half way down the door so no water can run down the windows into the door skin.

[IdlenutsDK]

Okay, had this problem and was so stupid only sealing half way up the frame (tip from youtube video)

 

Seal ALL THE WAY UP, have sealed one door 3 times because of this. If I had sealed all the way up in first try, I would have had A LOT less frustrations with this problem.

 

Just a tip for all new people with this problem

[DRJ]

You should only need to seal part way up - if that's not worked check the drain holes.

[Breezy_Pete]

I disagree with that David, it's very important to seal most of the way up the back edges for the reasons I've shown in a few threads, including your 'how-to' on fixing them.

[DRJ]

Mine was fine for several years after I did it - only sealed part way...

[Breezy_Pete]

If you look at a photo of the back of a carrier, the watermarks say it is folly not to seal the rear edge of the rears to a point above where those streams hit the foam seal. Photo here.

It costs virtually nothing extra in time or materials, after all.

Edited 18 August, 2017 by Wino

[king_o]

Can anyone give me advice on how to remove rear door card, which has electric windows, all the guides show rear door cards with window handles......don't want to break anything

[TMB]

5 hours ago, king_o said:

Can anyone give me advice on how to remove rear door card, which has electric windows, all the guides show rear door cards with window handles......don't want to break anything

 

http://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/body/body_work/trim_noise_insulation/door_trim_panels/removing_and_installing_the_rear_door_trim_panel/

[VWD]

On 8/19/2017 at 12:27, king_o said:

Can anyone give me advice on how to remove rear door card, which has electric windows, all the guides show rear door cards with window handles......don't want to break anything

You're lucky. I've got reverse problem. Mine is POV spec one , with winders. I suspect at least one of the rears has leaks and at long last I'm brave enough to get into the fronts to fit front remote locking.

Any changes to your link, TMB or another link if you be so kind. Would make our lass buzzin.

 

As for sealing vs new cards. When I had mine done under warranty , mechanic told me they only remove the ones with screws. Otherwise they seal.

I seem to remember one bloke fitting guttering saying that there's a brand of silicone sealant that seals whether it gets wet or not.

Edited 20 August, 2017 by VWD

[TMB]

Removing the window winder handles is a doddle. There's a simple sliding retainer on them.

 

 

 

Front door card removal...

 

http://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/fabia-mk1/body/body_work/trim_noise_insulation/door_trim_panels/removing_and_installing_the_front_door_trim_panel/

 

Edited 20 August, 2017 by TMB

[bspman]

On 8/9/2017 at 07:37, Wench said:

Can't remember I did it last year sure it was bathroom waterproof stuff

 

On 8/9/2017 at 07:47, pyromorph said:

I used everbuild forever clear/white. Wore gloves when applying and I left for 48 hours without it getting wet. I bought one of those cheap car covers that covered the top of the car. The cover reaches half way down the door so no water can run down the windows into the door skin.

there can still be moisture in the door or from removing the foam. I found this out after I removed mine on what I thought to be quite a dry day. I used plumbers gold to seal it.

 

21 hours ago, VWD said:

You're lucky. I've got reverse problem. Mine is POV spec one , with winders. I suspect at least one of the rears has leaks and at long last I'm brave enough to get into the fronts to fit front remote locking.

Any changes to your link, TMB or another link if you be so kind. Would make our lass buzzin.

 

As for sealing vs new cards. When I had mine done under warranty , mechanic told me they only remove the ones with screws. Otherwise they seal.

I seem to remember one bloke fitting guttering saying that there's a brand of silicone sealant that seals whether it gets wet or not.

Plumbers gold is the one. 

 

To be fair I did have to reseal once, but I closed and re-opened the door before it had a chance to cure. the door that remained shut was ok.

 

As I'm sure you know, a bit of washing up liquid on your finger can help smooth things over once you've got enough silicone in there.

[VWD]

Many thanks , Lee ( TMB).

I've had the kit for yonks, and finalised the design of the electronics to make it remote , thinking that once I retired I'd have the time to fit it. So far I haven't made the power module ( radio unit is 12v +- 1v ,so car voltage has to be regulated at 12 ),too many things keep cropping up.

[TMB]

^ You're welcome

[Boatman1]

Had this problem 4 yrs ago simply used external window sealant along the rubber at the bottom of the window and slightly up the sides and had no problems since. Removed the door handles so that the windows could not be opened not that there is usually anyone in the back seats of our car. When it's smoothed off you hardly even notice it, saves messing around with the door card and solves the problem permanently. The car is now 12 years old and dry.

[king_o]

This may seem like a stupid question, but, if I seal the door as instructed.......where does the water go that would have ended up in footwell - is it going to cause a problem in another area?

[TMB]

48 minutes ago, king_o said:

This may seem like a stupid question, but, if I seal the door as instructed.......where does the water go that would have ended up in footwell - is it going to cause a problem in another area?

 

It goes out of drain holes in the bottom of the door. Worth poking a thin object in to check they are nice and clear.

[IdlenutsDK]

Got mine fixed...well, I've found the problem. Had a wet floor in front drivers side and after sealing all doors (one of them 2-3 times) I've found the problem.

 

Here's how:
Ripped out interior/carpet
Got a friend to spray with a water hose (start from bottom)
Got inside the car with a flashlight to see where the water is coming from

 

To my surprise all the water coming inside the car was running along the a-pillar and windshield from the top

Seems like a former change of windshield was done poorly :(

 

Used a lot of hours on this forum reading how to fix wet floors, but the problem was not the usual. But thanks from Denmark for being the best Skoda forum

[ZPMYLYXXPB]

Started leaking again i assume.

 

Going to get some Plumbers gold and give it another go.

[toosmiles]

done this on my vrs a few years back,just the once also but with the fabia ive got now its been done 4 times and rained all day yesterday to find a puddle on the rubber and wet door card 

[pyromorph]

17 hours ago, toosmiles said:

done this on my vrs a few years back,just the once also but with the fabia ive got now its been done 4 times and rained all day yesterday to find a puddle on the rubber and wet door card 

 

Sometimes adding the sealant to the old can catch you out. I've had to re-apply several times and found clearing as much of the old sealant away (seriously tedious) helps. Last lot of sealant I used was everbuild forever clear and due to putting almost 2/3rd of the tube on the door I had to leave the car two days to cure. I bought one of those cheap car covers and put it over the car so if it rained, it wouldn't go on/in the doors.

 

I also investigated using some Aquarium grade sealant but found that they are all designed to be under water with no exposure to the air, so never actually tried any.

 

The other gotcha I've had is with aftermarket speakers. I fitted some Focal speakers in the front, and made an MDF spacer. I used spire clips on the door and screwed through the speaker mounting holes, mdf spacer and then through the clips. Water would run down the back of the infamous auxiliary tray onto the points/tips of the screws, travel down the screw through the tray into the MDF spacer, which acted like a sponge, and then drained into the car.

 

I understand, for assembly purposes, why VAG designed the door that way, but it's an awful design if you need to make any repairs. Wait till you start getting central locking issues (motor/microswitch) and have to strip it all down again... Arrgh. I still have my Fabia vRS MK1 (164K so far) and the central locking on the drivers side is going again (2nd time). I'm choosing to live with it as I can't bare to go through stripping the door down and resealing it again....

 

The Golf MK5 design is far better. You can remove the outer door skin to give you access to the central locking, window winder etc.. and the auxiliary tray is limited to the window winder mechanism.

 

 

[RM3]

4 hours ago, pyromorph said:

I understand, for assembly purposes, why VAG designed the door that way, but it's an awful design if you need to make any repairs. Wait till you start getting central locking issues (motor/microswitch) and have to strip it all down again... Arrgh. I still have my Fabia vRS MK1 (164K so far) and the central locking on the drivers side is going again (2nd time). I'm choosing to live with it as I can't bare to go through stripping the door down and resealing it again....

 

 

Oooh central locking issues. My 2005 Fabia is suffering from some issues of that flavour. The key fob button won't lock the car (unlock is okay) and now the passenger front door lock intermittently pops up by itself. I no longer have those few seconds of grace to twiddle the electric windows after switching off the ignition, and I'm not sure the ceiling light operates correctly. Fun times. My garage discovered that they could make it so that the key fob will lock the car, but at the expense of the passenger front window no longer responding to its electric switch. ... Aaaaaargh.

Can you or anyone here talk to me about central locking issues (source of the problem, how to fix it, how to find someone to help me fix it, &c) or point me to a helpful place on this forum? Thanks v much!

 

[Breezy_Pete]

@RM3; please start your own thread about it, this one's the wrong place to discuss it.