Water in drivers side rear footwell

[Mark Lemon]

Hi everyone

I've got water entering into the rear drivers side footwell of my mkI Octavia. I know this has been well-documented before but the syptoms people describe are a mostly written, and b quite vague. Therefore the advice given is just as vague.

I am the most amateur of DIY mechanics but try my best. I have got a load of photos to show my problem. Your advice needs to be simple to follow that a monkey could have a go.

Thanks for your help (and patience).

Mark

[Azzy12]

My old Mk1 Octy Vrs had water ingress in the front and rear passenger footwells, it turned out to be; door seals, door card seals and pollen filter seal. I got it diagnosed and fixed at Skoda for £415 last year May.

[Liverpool-Lad]

Have any of the speakers been replaced?

Inside the inner arches at the front, the drains can get clogged, take the liner off at the back (where the mudflap usually sits) and check in there.

[Mark Lemon]

Thanks for your replies guys. I haven't replaced the speakers but I have had to replace the window regulators on all four doors! A bloody nightmare for sure. Do you think it is related?

Mark

[Liverpool-Lad]

If you disturbed/tore the plastic membrane on the door skin after the cards removed its possible its now leaking in here if they were not resealed properly.

Has it only occurred since then?

Edited 28 April, 2013 by Liverpool-Lad

[NinjaVRS]

I have the same problem I think it's the seals that sit against the windows of the drivers and passenger door and water gets behind it and goes in the door and out the bottom and where the door sits above the inner door seals it leaks on them and cause the seals sit in, in places !! They build up and over flow both in and out the car, I've had it on my divers for ages and now my passenger has started :( one way round it is to put a whole thru the door seals on the rubber bit so it leaks on to the seals and stops build up!!! Hope this helps

[Mark Lemon]

Well, I've done a quick clean out behind the front wheel arches. I found a lot of mud etc. there. I hope this is the solution I've been looking for.Take a look at the photos. What do you think everyone?Mark

[Liverpool-Lad]

Blimey. You have some free compost and better MPG if nothing else

[mbames]

Nice compost factory!

If you have water appearing on the door seals (as per your pictures) then I would suspect the membrane in the doors is part of the problem. The compost is a very common issue though and causes water to leak through as well though.

[mbames]

For some reason I can't edit my previous post?

I was going to add that the floorpan of the car is such that if water leaks into the front (saw via the bonnet release cable and loom wiring holes on the drivers side, or the grommet near to the pollen filter on the passenger side) that it will naturally drain towards the passenger footwells, and you can easily collect an inch of water in the back :-(

[Mark Lemon]

Erm, can you repeat that in a more basic language that I can understand?

Thanks

Mark

[mbames]

mmm, the floor slopes (lower in the rear of the car), so that even if you have water leaking in at the front from the bulkhead area it will work its way to the rear. In addition there is more sounded deadening material at the front so it takes much longer for the front carpets to become noticeably wet.

[mraw3]

Mark Lemon, did the trick with cleaning out behind the front wheel arches do it for you? or do you stille have the problem?

[Ferg]

I had the same problem in left rear footwell and discovered it was from the air con condensation drain. It's on the bulkhead in the engine bay behind the sound deadening, but there's a slit cut so you can peel it back. The water was dripping onto the mounting plate and leaking through the (poorly) sealed edge into the front passenger footwell near the centre binnacle. I re sealed the bottom edge of the housing with silicone and that was job done. The carpets were honkin as it had been leaking for a long time. A liberal spray of fe breeze does wonders after they're dry.

[mraw3]

I think i have the exact same problem, because the car does not leave a condensation puddle after being parked when the aircon has been on. And my front left footwell is soaked.

Did you seal the outside of the housing like seen on this picture?

or did you seal it inside the car.

[snow_muncher]

Is that a growing plant in there ?

[Ferg]

I think i have the exact same problem, because the car does not leave a condensation puddle after being parked when the aircon has been on. And my front left footwell is soaked.

Did you seal the outside of the housing like seen on this picture?

or did you seal it inside the car.

I exposed the drain and watched it drip onto the edge of the housing plate, which is like a black coloured metal plate which forms part of the bulkhead (possibly the exterior surface of the air con matrix). The condensate seeped into th cabin along its bottom edge. I sealed the bottom edge with bathroom sealant on the inside and outside. The water can now run off onto the ground.

[Oet]

they can also leak at the entry point of the waste pipe to the bulkhead before it goes into the grommit, my old car was leaking on the inside as the seal had shrunk and water wasnt quite getting out. The seal is a pita to change, but silicone sealant fixed it.

[mraw3]

they can also leak at the entry point of the waste pipe to the bulkhead before it goes into the grommit, my old car was leaking on the inside as the seal had shrunk and water wasnt quite getting out. The seal is a pita to change, but silicone sealant fixed it.

What do i need to remove to get to the waste pipe? is the glove box enough

[Oet]

yes glove box,, foam under the airbox will help, then peel back top of carpet, should allow enough access

[mraw3]

yes glove box,, foam under the airbox will help, then peel back top of carpet, should allow enough access

Thanks do you know if VW switched side of every single component in the right driven vs. the left hand driven versions?

[Oet]

no problems yes am pretty sure they did, so yours will be the reverse of ours, rather than in the same physical location

[mraw3]

Exactly my toughts

[Oet]

good luck dude!

[Ambient7]

Mud from wheel arch , hope this sorts my damp problems , pic is on it's side