Water in spare wheel well

[montecarlo]

I've just noticed that I have rain water in the spare wheel well of my 2011 Fabia hatchback, has anyone had this problem and how did you fix it? Thanks

[LGM]

Quick question, have you had a bump from behind?

[Outofthi5world]

Does the rear window washer still work? Seam to recall people saying there's a washer pipe that runs round there somewhere.

[montecarlo]

Yes that's ok, the water is definitely rain water, I should probably add that I have just received the car back from a body repair centre because someone drove into the back of it, I am hoping it's just a seal that's been missed off because I don't want to spend a lot of time taking the car to the repair centre which is miles away or even having to leave it with them for something simple that I can do myself.

[J306TD]

Get it straight back to them. Make them fix it. Don't touch it yourself as then they might claim it's your fault

Sent from my Galaxy S5

[peter3197]

Was the car left outside in rain after the bump? If so, it's quite possible the water got in then and, if the spare was not removed to do the repair, the water was not noticed. If that is the case, there may not be a leak at all now.

[Rooted]

But since there is a Reversing Light failure, was there anything wrong pre-accident?

 

There should be a Full Electric Check done on the car as well as Body Repairs.

?

How much damage was done,

is this an Insurance repair or paid by you, and guaranteed work by a proper Body Shop?

 

Maybe have them collect the vehicle and drop off a courtesy car, 

or have the Insurer that paid have the vehicles repair inspected if there is any doubt on the standard of work carried out.

[LGM]

I know exactly what it is as I've literally just repaired the same problem I'm pretty sure you have.

Underneath the light but behind the bumper is a vent that has rubber flaps on it, it clips into the bodywork and is sealed by a rubber, the top of mine wasn't sealing and caused it to leak behind and into the wheel well. Remove the light (inside is a plastic screw that you remove and pull on the light). The bumper will need to be removed as well (2 screw below each light and underneath). I shall upload a pic in a minute.

As you can see from the picture I've removed the right vent, i checked absolutely everywhere around the bodywork for possible leak locations and there's only that vent and probably the grommet behind the light where water could enter, unless your rubber around the boot has gone.

Edited 22 November, 2015 by LGM

[montecarlo]

Thanks everyone I think the vent is the likely culprit because that area was damaged in the accident, the bodyshop is VW approved but the repair wasn't an insurance claim because there was a mix up on the other drivers behalf meaning that they weren't actually insured, however it was a genuine mistake and they have been good enough to pay for the repairs out of their own pockets. I'm sure the body shop will fix it for me so I'll take it back there as I don't fancy removing the bumper myself.

[hpw123]

Just discovered I have this problem, too. My Fabia went in for its second service 2 weeks ago, and they asked if I was having any problems. I said I was having a nightmare demisting and had to resort to wiping the inside of the windscreen with tissues as who has 20 minutes to sit in the car of a morning with the a/c on full blast? Had the service, and they recommended an aircon re-gas to solve the demisting problem. So it took it back for that last week, as well as the brake scraping... Over £200 bill.

 

Well, I'm still steaming up like crazy. Yesterday I had a puncture and got the AA out to change the tyre. As we got the spare out, we found at least 3-inches of water in the well. No wonder I was steaming up! 

 

When I got home, I looked over the paperwork from the service, and they hadn't checked the spare wheel, which they are supposed to. (As they don't come as standard, they clearly assumed I didn't have one.) My point is, if Skoda had done what they were supposed to and checked the spare wheel, they would have spotted the mobile jacuzzi I'm driving around with, and that may have meant a different conclusion to the re-gas. 

 

I did have a slight altercation with a low post in a car park a few weeks ago; got out, saw no damage, thought nothing about it... 

 

Not sure how to proceed now....

Edited 9 February, 2016 by hpw123

[Jimdiesel]

Same problem with mine poked a hole in the gromet in the wheel well to let the water out, was coming in through the vents too they fixed themselves eventually think they were somehow stuck pointing upwards can hear them move/rattle when slamming the door now

[LGM]

They basically clip into the bodywork behind the rear bumper (1 either side) and are sealed on a rubber. I had to seal mine with a bit of sealant to seal it. No problems now.

[Polluxtroy69]

Mine had this and was fixed on warranty last week. The problem was a vent that had failed letting water into the boot and filling the wheel well. Took around a week for skoda to fix as the part seemed to take a while to come.

[S27VEJ]

Is this fix still working ok? 

 

I have lake windermere in my wheel well, so seem as I'm sick of draining it every few weeks, it's time to sort it!

[LGM]

5 minutes ago, S27VEJ said:

Is this fix still working ok? 

 

I have lake windermere in my wheel well, so seem as I'm sick of draining it every few weeks, it's time to sort it!

Mines still keeping the water out.

 

if you have rear parking sensors just be careful when taking the bumper off as the wires from the bumper to the boot aren't that long and will need clipping out.

Edited 14 February, 2017 by LGM

[S27VEJ]

Yeah I was think I that about the sensors as I do have them. 

 

Great stuff, I'll get onto it at the weekend.

 

thanks

[LGM]

1 hour ago, S27VEJ said:

Yeah I was think I that about the sensors as I do have them. 

 

Great stuff, I'll get onto it at the weekend.

 

thanks

Double check but if I remember correctly both lights need to be removed first to get to the screws on top of the bumper, remove both rear wheels and the inner arch liner and there's more screws behind that for the bumper then it should come off with a gentle tug. I may have missed or added something on but I'm sure someone will correct me.

[Crafter58]

I know this is an old topic, but how does the water get into the wheel well without soaking the boot carpet?

I opted for the hole in the grommet fix on my pd3 estate.

No rear end interactions have taken place and it'd been fine and dry for 4 1/2 yers 'til recently?

[Filipelol]

5 hours ago, Crafter58 said:

I know this is an old topic, but how does the water get into the wheel well without soaking the boot carpet?

I opted for the hole in the grommet fix on my pd3 estate.

No rear end interactions have taken place and it'd been fine and dry for 4 1/2 yers 'til recently?

well in my case the water would enter from the vent shown in the pictures above, and would enter the wheel well from under this plastic on the side

[Rooted]

bump.

[ArranMac1]

On 22/11/2015 at 16:38, LGM said:

I know exactly what it is as I've literally just repaired the same problem I'm pretty sure you have.

Underneath the light but behind the bumper is a vent that has rubber flaps on it, it clips into the bodywork and is sealed by a rubber, the top of mine wasn't sealing and caused it to leak behind and into the wheel well. Remove the light (inside is a plastic screw that you remove and pull on the light). The bumper will need to be removed as well (2 screw below each light and underneath). I shall upload a pic in a minute.

As you can see from the picture I've removed the right vent, i checked absolutely everywhere around the bodywork for possible leak locations and there's only that vent and probably the grommet behind the light where water could enter, unless your rubber around the boot has gone.

@LGM

Don't suppose you ever venture down south fancy doing the same time my motor??? I have about 3" currently floating around my spare wheel, don't have the skill or confidence to rip my car apart, think local garage will charge me too much to sort, guessing no other way to try resolve from the inside??

 

Cheers

 

Azz

[J.R.]

What are those 3 'kin great big things clamped to what looks like a towbar cross member?

[Rooted]

 

@J.R. Every car maker is reducing cars weight, Skoda added them on. Making the rear heavy and the front go light under acceleration.

 

vRS Hatch and Estate not Approved to tow, Skoda never submitted weights..

 

That is 'Success Ballast'  25kg of, just like in BTCC but they start at 9kg,. & in the passenger seat area in a box.

  Cant have the cheapest & lightest of the 5 cars being the quickest.

So the Skoda Hatch & Estate get a spare wheel as standard, the VW, SEAT & Audi do not.

 

VW had Skoda design and produce these rather expensive weights, put these on the vRS hatch so that it was 5kg heavier in theory than the 9 3/4" longer Estate car, 

and a tax class more than the Heavier VW Polo GTI and SEAT Ibiza Twinchargers with the same drivetrain.

On paper slower and higher fuel consumption.

Odd thing is the Skodas got 205/40 R 17 tyres and the sister cars 215/40 R 17's.

(Put them on a weigh bridge like journalists never bothered and you see the Kerb Weight of the sisters cars was kidology.)

 

..............................................................................................................................

Why did no journalist think, something wrong here , using simple maths, 

it is not just the stronger springs on the rear of the estate and a longer roof.

 

 

Edited 11 December, 2019 by Roottootemoot

[LGM]

3 hours ago, ArranMac1 said:

@LGM

Don't suppose you ever venture down south fancy doing the same time my motor??? I have about 3" currently floating around my spare wheel, don't have the skill or confidence to rip my car apart, think local garage will charge me too much to sort, guessing no other way to try resolve from the inside??

 

Cheers

 

Azz

You could always run a little drill through it in the meantime until you’ve got time to do it. Winter is just around the corner after all.

 

You’d be surprised how easy it is to remove actually, lights out, undo the screws and it pops off. Pops back on quite easily too.

[J.R.]

Well they certainly looked like ballast to me but I rationalised who in their right mind would place ballast as faras could be  from the centre of gravity?

 

And why would you ballast a car to put it into a higher tax category or have I misunderstood?