Found an inch or two of "clean" water (NOT screenwash) below my spare wheel a couple of weeks ago, and found the "cap" of the plastic threaded spindle thing [that holds the spare wheel in place] had come off and was lying in the boot floor space.

(I suspect this was done by the last tyre mechanic when he changed wheels, as it certainly wasn't me!)

Anyway, one of the securing clips had broken off the cap, so I took out the spindle, glued its cap back in place, then also glued a small piece of black 15 thou. styrene inside the gap in the spindle that the clip would have covered. Cleaned out the water, put everything back properly, and so far no further water has built up.

Question is, of course, is it possible for water to come up through the spindle if its cap isn't fitted?

I am getting the same in my Octavia Scout, I wouldn't have thought it was coming in via the locking nut, my water ingress is coming down the inside of the hatchback pillars !

I am getting the same in my Octavia Scout, I wouldn't have thought it was coming in via the locking nut, my water ingress is coming down the inside of the hatchback pillars !

But would that not produce damp all over the place in the boot? My floor mat and side trim etc., were bone dry. Also , no sign of water having run down into the well from underneath the edges of the boot floor covering.

Also, in spite of the lousy weather, and overnight parking outdoors, nothing further has appeared since fixing the spindle cap. Might just be a one-off I suppose.

Try a search as there are lots of threads of water in the spare wheel well.

Two of the main causes are...

1) leaking rear washer

2) faulty boot seal

I also found an inch or so of water in the spare wheel well (not screenwash).

The boot seal was also 'full' of water - water squirted out of the holes in the seal when you pressed it.

I added an extra set of holes at the bottom of the seal (just cut the holes with a pair of snips), dried everything out and fingers crossed it hasn't reoccured.