Again thanks to great 'how to...' found on BRISKODA I have re-sealed the rear doors of my Son's Fabia1 (the Orange one in the avatar photo on the left). Still drying carpet and felt to re-fit next week.

Used coat hanger wire about a foot long to check drain holes clear which they appeared to be. My question is:- why did the water come into car and wet carpet instead of exiting through said drain holes?

Your welcome and glad we could help

Our members shared expertise is a great source of information thats for sure.

That pic looks familiar btw

Were you the skoda obsessed family in Auto Express by any chance?

... My question is:- why did the water come into car and wet carpet instead of exiting through said drain holes?

The short answer is that some of the water that gets in past the scraper seal at the bottom of the window runs down the inside of the carrier and meets a very poor seal between the carrier and the inner door panel before it gets to the bottom of the door.

 

Slightly longer answer with pics:

 

The front frame edge of the fixed window  extends a little below the bottom of the lowerable window when that is fully wound up. See diagram on this page (vertical bit on edge of item 3). Any rain that gets onto this will run down it until it reaches the bottom end then drip off vertically downward.  Vertically beneath this is a black plastic bracket which connects the lock mechanism to the carrier:

 

 

The visible end of this bracket is fixed to the inside of the ancillaries carrier with plastic rivets. It slopes downhill towards this end of the bracket, so water will run down towards the rivets.

 

Then it runs off onto the metalwork, on its way to the feeble foamy seal:

 

 

You can see that the first point where it meets the seal is a reasonable distance up the rear edge of the carrier, which is why I recommend going a good way up this rear edge when sealing.

Just to clarify, that watermarking is on the back side of the carrier panel, the side you can't see when it's in position. I don't think it leaks directly through the rivet holes onto the surface you do see when the door card is off.

damo, I didn't see that Auto express article-have you got a link?

It's not that my family is 'Skoda-obsessed', they all love the practicality and low running costs of their Fabias - especially as I maintain most of them myself. Think I am 'Skoda obsessed', however.

'Four Fabias and a Yeti' doesn't seem to have the same ring to it as 'Five Fabias', does it?

We'll soon be 'one Yeti, one Octavia Estate and three Fabias as one son needs a bigger car....

P.S. thanks to wino for comprehensive reply. BRISKODA folks are SO helpful.

damo, I didn't see that Auto express article-have you got a link?

 

It was in the Skoda special section.

Apparently Britain's family with the most Skodas only has 5.

They should try harder...

It was in the Skoda special section.

Apparently Britain's family with the most Skodas only has 5.

They should try harder...

Only 5? I think you should complain Richard!