Warning: Fabia Door Leaks

[Massbad69]

I'm sure this has been done before as a temp repair but thought I would post anyway.

Until the better weather when I will my mate who is a vw mechanic, is going to remove the carriers, seal them properly then rivet them back on ( his words ) I thought I need to do a winter repair.

I only have a small leak on both sides but still enough to cause the hateful condensation.

So I sealed with gutter seal, then topped with waterproof flashing tape then finally made a wee poly skirt to divert any remain water to where it is meant to go.

[DRJ]

No point in removing the carriers and reriveting. Sealant alone is perfectly adequate. However you do have to apply sealant properly and that means sealing the rivets which you haven't done...

[Massbad69]

Cheers for that :-)

[TMB]

Cheers for that :-)

 

I'm loving the fact that you're working on your car in your slippers

[awfabia]

AND carpet in the garage!

Watch out for the health & safety police - not wearing safety boots. A blob of sealant could wreck your slippers.

[TMB]

^

[zeffania]

Lots of pages to skim through trying to find the guide, handy YouTube link on page 23 to remind me what I am doing. Did this nearly 6 years ago on the old Furby, thankfully the Octy has been absolutely fine. 

 

My mate's wife has one that is having issues so Monday night I shall be helping him re-seal the doors properly. 

[wiredsoftware]

Just adding a "me too" to this. Had this issue on both my 1.4 16v auto and 1.4 MPI.

 

My fix was a little more hacky than others have posted, but was quick and effective. Fixed it as follows:

 

- Removed door controls (switch/window winder, screw behind tweeter, screws in door handle-rest etc), and pulled out poppers along bottom and side of door covers

- Propped the door cover up on the seat edge and stuck my head under.

- Removed all the bolts holding the metal plate onto the door, and pulled it out slightly, holding it out with the butt of a screwdriver (do not try and remove completely, no need and adds lots of work!)

- Used a towel to squeeze and dry any remaining moisture from the seal foam.

- Put bathroom sealant around where the seal would seat on the door, on bottom and side edges

- Tightened up the metal plate onto the sealant

- Added more sealant over the top of the lip (bottom and side, use lots)

- Put everything back together

 

Parts required: 2x silicone sealant tubes (generic brand, any colour you fancy as it's hidden when done)

Total cost: £4 from The Range.

Total time: 1.5 hours for all four doors.

 

Worked perfectly.

 

Pro tip: buy the low-odour version of the sealant if you can find it, didn't on my first one and the car stank of sealant for a couple of weeks.

Edited 16 September, 2015 by wiredsoftware

[deanmarshall73]

That's what i did til i fixed mine,black insulation tape over the joint between glass & rubber,make sure everything's dry before you put it on & it sticks ok.

 

If you're doing the repair now use plumbers gold as it sticks to wet surfaces.

i did mine and used ct1 its about £8 pound a tube. we use it for sealing shed windows when its ****ing down  

[Jay29]

As old as this thread is its apparent this problem persists! I've sealed my rear doors twice last time with plumbers gold last year

The other day I got another leak in my rear door I give up I think this is a problem il just have to live with or sell the car and get that type r I always wanted its just the fuel economy that is keeping me hooked lol

[DRJ]

Bear in mind the water might be getting in elsewhere - it was the front door seal in my case

[chris-H]

Did both my rear doors with plumbers gold a few weeks back just before the weather turned really wet up north.the carpets in the rear footwells were basically holding a puddle under each.

Thanks to an old members advice on here I bought a bag of the silica cat litter and filled 6 old socks. Put three under each front seat area in the back and the car is basically now bone dry.

Love this site, thanks to all!!!

[chris-H]

Did both my rear doors with plumbers gold a few weeks back just before the weather turned really wet up north.the carpets in the rear footwells were basically holding a puddle under each.

Thanks to an old members advice on here I bought a bag of the silica cat litter and filled 6 old socks. Put three under each front seat area in the back and the car is basically now bone dry.

Love this site, thanks to all!!!

[Tech1e]

Bear in mind the water might be getting in elsewhere - it was the front door seal in my case

 

Exactly, the fronts leak just as much as the rears. The water appears in the back first as the carpet is much thinner.

[DRJ]

Let me elaborate now I can answer having done some research.

 

Bear in mind the water might be getting in elsewhere - it was the front door seal in my case. I originally tested the rear doors and the problem clearly exhibited itself. Plumbers' Gold sorted that out once and for all. But the rear carpets were still wet. I eventually realised that the carpet construction is different in the rear footwells compared to the front footwells. The underlay in the front has a rubber backing concealing the dampness. And the floor runs through from front to rear. So once I lifted the carpet and underlay in the front I found it saturated there too. However the bottom of the door was completely dry - the water was NOT coming in through there. I eventually traced the leak to a door seal coming away above the top door hinge at the base of the windscreen pillar.

 

Check out http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/192898-damp-carpets-a-new-source-of-the-problem/ - note that the link in my first posting should go to http://www.briskoda.net/forums/topic/188286-misty-windows-take-your-carpets-out/ - don't know why it's not doing so

 

 

 

As old as this thread is its apparent this problem persists! I've sealed my rear doors twice last time with plumbers gold last year

The other day I got another leak in my rear door I give up I think this is a problem il just have to live with or sell the car and get that type r I always wanted its just the fuel economy that is keeping me hooked lol

 

If you've done it twice already you've clearly not covered all the water paths - assuming of course the problem isn't elsewhere as I've explained above. I realised after I sealed mine and tested it that I had to seal the rivets too.

[AdamOP94]

2007 SE here with a leak under the passenger seat, soaked.

CBA to even deal with it unless it starts to smell.

[chris-H]

Steamed up windows, frozen inside at the height of winter got to me way before the smell.

[DRJ]

2007 SE here with a leak under the passenger seat, soaked.

CBA to even deal with it unless it starts to smell.

 

Don't worry! It will !!!!!

[Breezy_Pete]

Moisture inside the cabin is really bad news for all the electrics inside the car, as the connectors aren't sealed, so are vulnerable to condensation-related corrosion.

[AdamOP94]

Steamed up windows, frozen inside at the height of winter got to me way before the smell.

 

Oh is this why my windows are always steamed up, maybe I will get it fixed.

 

So with all the comments at 25 pages, what's the conclusion of getting it fixed?

[wiredsoftware]

Adam - after it rains, open each door in turn and look at the black seal around the body. If it is wet on top of or on the inside edge of it, that door carrier is leaking. Take the bottom edge of door cover off, leave top part on. undo the bolts for the carrier plate (drill out rivets on later models), dry thoroughly, apply lots of sealant around the edge ( and all the way up the sides), put back together. Some people have got away with not undoing carrier by putting plumbers tape over the whole lot instead, works for some. Should take less than 30 mins per door, or 10 mins with plumbers tape.

There are a few much longer guides in this thread, but that's the summary. The longer guides will tell you where bolts are, how to make the job quicker etc, so worth reading

Edited 11 December, 2015 by wiredsoftware

[chris-H]

I ordered the plumbers gold sealant off ebay. Think it was about 6 quid a tube. Don't bother removing any rivets, but scraped as much of the black seal away between carrier and door then oversealed thoroughly thwhole joint front to back, tip to bottom. Oversealed every rivet and plastic clip on the carrier. Hasn't leaked once even during the last few mental weather weeks up north!

Just got to do my front drivers door now

[chris-H]

Oh and b/q sell a handy little plastic filleting tool for doing the silicone around the tops of baths etc. Adds a nice clean finish to the new seal and makes sure plenty of seal is forced into the small gap between carrier and door

[Jrjg]

How much of an odour does Plumbers Gold have.. ? Taking a trip up to Edinburgh (three hours or so) at the weekend with the girlfriend, her sister and two of her friends in the car. Am I going to have three hours of complaining or will it not be noticeable?

JRJG

Edited 5 January, 2016 by Jrjg

[chris-H]

Never noticed any to be honest once the door cards are clipped back on. Just make sure you've got new clips before you start!!