How do you take the inside panel off a rear door in a mark 1 octavia 

If you mean the door card, then there are screws around the edge and two in the handle and one hidden behind the speaker/window switch.

Here you go -

 

https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/octavia-mk1/body/body_work/trim_noise_insulation/door_trim_panels/summary_of_components_of_rear_door_trim_panel/

 

https://workshop-manuals.com/skoda/octavia-mk1/body/body_work/trim_noise_insulation/door_trim_panels/removing_and_installing_the_rear_door_trim_panel/

 

Hope it helps

thanks for your answers. Can I take it I just lever off the door handle - if yes, is it best  to lever from bottom to top? Thanks again 

There is a clip on finisher that clips over the handle itself, you can use a small flat blade screwdriver to start it moving, but be careful as it is easy to slip and damage the trim handle.

This post although relating to a front door is basically the same for the rear handle, the first picture should hive you an idea what i was refering to above.

 

 

That’s great. Thanks for your help. 

Right , I’m back again. The reason I was taking it off was that water is leaking in and onto the floor,  and I had read that if you take the lining off you can silicone around the seal .  There’s no obvious seal on the door other than a short strip along the bottom which reaches the sill. There is the rubber seal on the body which the door shuts on to.  Is that all that’s supposed to be there? Thanks again for any wisdom. 

@Jimty

is there a liner covering the door frame under the door card? or can you reach straight in to the window regulator bits?

if the liner is missing thats your problem. if the liner is there but damaged, thats your problem. 

Edited 9 July, 20214 yr by mac11irl

No liner. There is a bit of polythene which looks like it’s the remains of something. I can get my hands right into door outer skin. There’s no sign of rust anywhere and no mould. 

okay the clear polythene was the liner... you need to completely remove all of it, and get a replacement.

@DeanVRS20VT has the part no for the foam liners i think, they have better sound insulation than the ordinary polythene. if you cant get the foam ones, a piece of 1500gauge plastic sheeting (the type builders put down under concrete) works. i used pvc pipe jointing compound to stick my plastic sheet replacement on, it needs to be fully sealed all the way round or water, being the demon it is, will find a gap and get through.

Thanks for that.  I did think it looked odd, but all the photos I’ve seen are for later models and I thought maybe it was just a cheap mark1 thing . Ps . You can tell I’ve never had to strip a door before ! By the way I bought it second hand from a taxi company 6 years ago and I haven’t regretted it for one minute.  There were 180,000 miles on the clock but I figured if it lasted for a year it would do. 270,000 miles on it now. Thanks again