Water retention in doors

[LA1Eboy]

So.......Looking through the forum I have seen that water retention in doors has been a Skoda issue for years, at least sine 2002 in Fabias. I just bought my Kamiq and I am very impressed with it. I traded in my Volvo which I had for 11 years. So I have kinda come to terms with some of the modern stuuf in my new car, my cruise control now has a distance setting on in ( seems dangerous at times, I'll post another topic for that) and lane assist, but I am amazed about the fact that 1 L petrol engine outguns  my former Volvo 1.6 diesel by 6PS. But to the point.

I washed my car (as you do because it's new) and soon after doing so, opened the door and noticed a run of water come from one single point about a quarter way along the door from the hinge end, Thought nothing of it. Then noticed it happens after rain,. Then not having driven for a few wet days, was showing a friend and again, on opening both fron doors, the pouring of water happened. I then found this forum which suggested it's a historic issue. The day after I showed my friend I opened the door again. There had been no rain. And more water came out. I pulled the rubber seal off its anchors under the fron doors, I pushed up the floating lugs that the seal clips on and opened a floodgate. I didn't catch or measure the water but it was a lot.  My big concern is what happens in a wet and cold winter? I really don't want my car doors becoming ice boxes. I do intend to discuss this with my dealer soon. In the meantime, with this issue being long standing in Skoda, has anyone had any issues with rooting door sills or water damage inb doors? It seems it's acroos the Skoda range. Some owners are quiet casual about it the issue but I fall in the concerned category. This is my new car and I want some years out of it. I can manage all the IT issues it's thrown up because I can deactivate things I don't want to use, but the water in the doors issue...Not happy about it at all. If I need to 'Bleed" my doors every couple of weeks I will. I do love this car.

[longedge]

That's neither normal or acceptable in my opinion. if I were you, I'd get some video evidence and then get back to the dealer and get it rectified.

[Robbydazzler]

This problem was an issue with early Rapids. The door seals were modified in later models to allow the water to escape. With the early problem models the dealers just "butchered" the seals to allow the water to get out.

[Ootohere]

@LA1Eboy  Welcome to the forum.

You identify the long term issue that Skoda's have had for decades now and that Skoda CZ seem to just ignore and carry on through the generations of models and carry on into new models.

It is not 'Simply Clever' it is just Simply bl00dy ridiculous!     No Vorsprung Durch Technik in Czechia,  about time that another head of Skoda was off to pastures new as each one signs off the new models with the same 'Snagging issues' that they might or might not resolve eventually.

[Breezy_Pete]

FWIW Mk1 Fabia didn't/doesn't really retain water inside the doors, so much as leak it through the door structure into the cabin.  Sub-optimal all the same. 

 

[skoda1982]

There are three drain holes one of mine was blocked with wax. when you close the door I think

the seal blocks the first two holes from hinge end the far one is ok my car is parked on a sloping driveway so drains what floating lugs do you mean mine are just holes 

 

Edited 9 August, 2020 by skoda1982

[skoda1982]

Just had a good look looks like when you close the door the door seal makes a tube so the water runs down the tube and exists on the back edge 

[LA1Eboy]

By floating lugs I mean my rubber seal is hung from the bottom of the door by white plastic lugs, they have an anchor inside the hole in the door, then a thinner shorter line of plastic that ends in a T shape. This T shape sits in the hole of the rubber seal. So to remove the seal is easy as the rubber is new and stretches easliy on and off the plastic lug. This leaves the 'floating lug' loose and you can push it back up into the hole in the door. I washed the car yesterday to test the water ingress. Sure enough after washing the car without using a jet washer, when I opened the front doors, both leaked water towards the front edge, it drops vertically about 6 inches from the door front. What I have discovered is that if I let it drain and stop dripping, maybe about a minute to stop dripping, if I then remove the rubber seal and push up the lug with my finger, this causes more water to come out, quite a bit more. So I reckon when I open the door gravity is enough to let the water out but the weight of all the water isn't enough to force it's way through the seal, so an amout of water remains in the door. Worst case scenario is that I just make it a maintenance thing to do often, after washing the car or after rain. On this forum I've learned it's an old problem on certain cars, I'd like to hear from anyone who has had real issues with it. Has it caused anyones doors to rot on the underside? Has anyone found their doors have buckled when unknown water has been sitting in the doors and then frozen and expanded during winter? Has anyone had a satisfactory repair done by a Skoda dealer? Seems the culprit could be inferior front window seals. Not sure if the rear doors are affected, they certainly haven't shown signs of draining when the door are opened but I must check them soon. Certainly blocking the drain holes is not the solution. I hope the 'floating lugs ' description helps or would a phot be better?

[Breezy_Pete]

It's under warranty isn't it?

Take it back and keep doing so until the door drainage is fit for purpose. 

[LA1Eboy]

Yes it's under warranty but I'm new to Skoda and will be taking it up with the dealer, just want a bombproof case and not get fobbed off. 

[skoda1982]

20 hours ago, LA1Eboy said:

By floating lugs I mean my rubber seal is hung from the bottom of the door by white plastic lugs, they have an anchor inside the hole in the door, then a thinner shorter line of plastic that ends in a T shape. This T shape sits in the hole of the rubber seal. So to remove the seal is easy as the rubber is new and stretches easliy on and off the plastic lug. This leaves the 'floating lug' loose and you can push it back up into the hole in the door. I washed the car yesterday to test the water ingress. Sure enough after washing the car without using a jet washer, when I opened the front doors, both leaked water towards the front edge, it drops vertically about 6 inches from the door front. What I have discovered is that if I let it drain and stop dripping, maybe about a minute to stop dripping, if I then remove the rubber seal and push up the lug with my finger, this causes more water to come out, quite a bit more. So I reckon when I open the door gravity is enough to let the water out but the weight of all the water isn't enough to force it's way through the seal, so an amout of water remains in the door. Worst case scenario is that I just make it a maintenance thing to do often, after washing the car or after rain. On this forum I've learned it's an old problem on certain cars, I'd like to hear from anyone who has had real issues with it. Has it caused anyones doors to rot on the underside? Has anyone found their doors have buckled when unknown water has been sitting in the doors and then frozen and expanded during winter? Has anyone had a satisfactory repair done by a Skoda dealer? Seems the culprit could be inferior front window seals. Not sure if the rear doors are affected, they certainly haven't shown signs of draining when the door are opened but I must check them soon. Certainly blocking the drain holes is not the solution. I hope the 'floating lugs ' description helps or would a phot be better?

The first drain hole is about 10 to 12 inches from the front so if you are parked slightly down hill it will collect water as soon as you drive off or go up hill it will drain try parking your car the other way and trying the water test they should have added another drain hole closer to the front. It is not like the Rapid as the seal on them closed the holes the kamiq doesn't 

 

Edited 11 August, 2020 by skoda1982

[LA1Eboy]

Just an update. I went to speak to my dealer today. The service manager agreed that historically the Fabia had a problem with water in the doors. regarding my Kamiq, he said for him it was a new issue, he did say that the Kamiq is a new model and the industry does get glitches in new models. That's a fair enough point and I'm sure not everyones new Kamiq is having this issue and meybe I have rogue one off the production line. My car is booked in for investigation next week. When I asked what the investigation would entail I was told certainly the door panels off to see if anything was obvious and a technical sheet (no, me neither) send to Skoda HQ. It's possible that if other Kamiqs have experienced this fault, in small numbers, the HQ techies may have a solution that they can advice my dealer of. Only major faults affecting huge numbers across a model are sent out to dealers. 

[Ootohere]

The Service Manager is going to have to wander outside more often and try passenger doors after the Dealerships cars have had a wash day after day for a while by the other staff and the doors not opened or the passengers door and then he / she will see it is not an issue that finished in 2014 when Mk2 Fabia stopped being produced.

It is an issue that has just rolled on to new models and generations of Skoda in the past 5 years.

 

 

Edited 17 August, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[LA1Eboy]

The car was in with the dealer briefly this morning. TBH they really didn'y do much, they did say that the Kamiq and Fabia have the same door design, they checked the rubber seals and drain holes and declared they could find no problem. The problem hasn't been as bad as it first was and I wonder if that's becasue I have, several times,  taken off and refit the seals where the water was coming from whilst trying to understand the problem. Have I inadvertently cleared a blockage? refit  what was a loose part of the seal or am I wishful thinking? I made it clear I would be returning should I encounter more problems.

[Doog]

I too have bought a new Skoda Kamiq and I am very happy with it. Smooth, easy to drive and even the electronics are pretty straight forward to work through.

However, like others, after rain or washing the car I open the front doors and on average drain between 200ml to 250ml of water from each door.
I have spoken to the service department and they will take a look at it. But, judging from the comments on this page, I am not hopeful that they will find a solution.

I will post on this page after I have received their report and proposed remedy.

[Ootohere]

@Doog

Welcome.

 

So now that the frosts are here and freezing days and nights remember as there are thaws or you use warm water or de-icer on the glass you need to open the passenger door as well as yours and make sure any H20 is drained and not building up as it stays frozen in the doors or the doors freeze to the seals / door jam.

 

It is easy once the first amount of water is in the door and frozen for any additional water to be caught and the mass of ice to grow.

[skoda1982]

Mine collect water if I park on a slight down hill gradient as the drain holes are rear and middle none at the front. Got my kamiq last November and not a single problem with freezing water inside the doors  

[Ootohere]

@skoda1982Do you experience temperatures below freezing for several days / nights consecutively where you park up, maybe for periods of a week or more?

[skoda1982]

3 hours ago, e-Roottoot said:

@skoda1982Do you experience temperatures below freezing for several days / nights consecutively where you park up, maybe for periods of a week or more?

never experienced rain below freezing so no water in the doors

[Ootohere]

So if the water in the door that you said you do get is not still there when the temperature drops freezing it and still there as ice or snow on the glass turns to H20 and adds to it there is no issue, but once it does freeze and the passenger door might not get opened the ice can get added to. 

It is just how it is.

[longedge]

One of the ways that black ice forms is from rain falling onto a slightly sub zero road surface. Comes down as liquid but instantly forms ice, I imagine you might have a similar scenario on/in other surface materials.

[skomaz]

For info we've had our MkII Octavia since 2007 and it has this issue, exacerbated slightly by parking facing uphill.  After heavy rain or a wash it too will drain water out of the door when opened but in in 13  years we've never had an issue with water freezing inside the door and the doors are still solid with no obvious sign of external or internal rust along the bottom edges.

 

I know the Kamiq is a different and much newer design but the above may give you some degree of comfort that it's unlikely to cause issues long term (provided you keep your feet out of the way of the drain holes when you open the doors  )

[Ootohere]

You can get the same with windscreens and air vents.

 

If the wet car freezes and the glass and then before you go to the car it snows you might brush off the snow from the screen and then pour warm water on and then with heater on car drive with a defrosted car.

Do that for a day or 3 with the daytime temp staying below freezing and the windscreen might well keep misting up as the air intake is blocked with ice.

 

Had that for several very cold winters driving a Mk2 Fabia.  That and ice blocks in passengers doors.

Same as parking in the same place every day over days and nights of freezing weather and pouring warm water on the glass, eventually the ground all around the car is covered in ice.

Door locks are freezing etc.

 

Location location location.

 

If the area you live, park and drive in is not one where 'Cold Weather payments' are made because of 7 consecutive days of at freezing or forecast to be then you might never experience such conditions.

The sun can melt snow and ice yet the ambient temp stays below freezing.

 

There are Postcode areas where 7 payments have been made over a winter period.

Edited 4 December, 2020 by e-Roottoot

[Ootohere]

@LA1Eboy  Any update on the water retention in the doors, has it sorted the issue ?

 

Another owner with the Characteristic Feature.

http://briskoda.net/forums/topic/489287-kamiq-driver-door-water-retention

 

 

 

 

Edited 20 January, 2021 by e-Roottoot

[LA1Eboy]

No not really, certainly not from the garage. I don't use the car daily. It sits forward facing on drive with a slight down gradient. After maybe 3 weeks of not being used, and after those weeks having intermittent but frequent rain I decided to wash the car. I used a garden hose, not a power washer. fter washing the car I opened the doors to wipe the sills, There was a large amount of water that ran from the drivers door. Hardly any from the passengers front or rear. From this forum it seems Skoda have had issues with models for years but no serious harm seems to come from it. I think the cars of toady are built with better grades of whatever so I don't expect any long term problems. (Hope I'm not being optomistic there) I picked up a stone chip to the front lower skirt and I'm sure it's a composite / plastic skirt so I doubt it will every rust. I'll be asking the garage to confirm that when it goes in for a service. Have you spoken to your dealer about it?