MK3 Sunroof Issue - is this evidence of a previous bodge?

[nutters_uclan]

Hey all

 

About 3 weeks ago I noticed a lot of condensation in the rear of my Octavia and that, after exploring further, the rear passenger seat and footwell was soaked and that the spare wheel well was a swimming pool. The car was parked facing uphill, with a lean towards the passenger side.

 

I cleared out the water and parked it facing downhill, leaning towards the driver's side, and after heavy rainfall there was no repeat of the water ingress. A few water tests later confirmed that water was leaking in from the sunroof (passenger rear corner); the headliner was staying dry and water was somehow running down the C-pillar, over the wheel arch (but under the plastic cover) and collecting UNDER the rear seat. The water build up was then so great that it filled the recess where the seatbelt receivers are bolted in and eventually ran over and into the boot (hence the filled spare wheel well).

 

Having loosened the headliner to explore what the issue was, I came across this. I think this is potentially the cause - the pipe doesn't completely fill the connector. Has anyone encountered this before? When it is fitted, do you think the connection will force the pipe into it's correct place and form an adequate seal?

 

 

When feeling around, the connector and pipe felt strangely greasy. Further along the pipe I encountered this; it's like tape, but absolutely covered in something greasy/tar like. Is this evidence of a previous bodge to fix the issue, or is it in there from factory? Could it have been a glue that has melted over the summer?

 

 

Thanks for reading this far. Any suggestions on how I can fix the leak would be greatly received!

 

Best wishes

Danny

[KenONeill]

57 minutes ago, nutters_uclan said:

Thanks for reading this far.

I can't see your pictures, but my first thought was of a blocked rear drain (down the bottom end, access inside the rear wheel arch). Never mind any possible bodgery, that'll need sorting regardless if I'm right.

[nutters_uclan]

10 minutes ago, KenONeill said:

I can't see your pictures, but my first thought was of a blocked rear drain (down the bottom end, access inside the rear wheel arch). Never mind any possible bodgery, that'll need sorting regardless if I'm right.

Thanks Ken. Is the problem with the pics from my post, or your device?

 

If it was a blockage, with no leaks from the run-off pipe or loose connections, would it be logical to conclude that water would back up in the pipe and cause an overflow at the source (the hole it drains from in the sunroof drip tray)? If so, I would expect water to be evident in the roof liner itself, which is completely dry.

[KenONeill]

1 hour ago, nutters_uclan said:

Is the problem with the pics from my post, or your device?

It's probably that my ISP blocks your photo host for some spurious reason or other.

 

If the drain's blocked, water backs up it to an escape, which need not be the roof cassette if your suspicion of bodgery is correct.

[nutters_uclan]

1 hour ago, KenONeill said:

If the drain's blocked, water backs up it to an escape, which need not be the roof cassette if your suspicion of bodgery is correct.

 

Thanks for the suggestion.

 

All drain's have been cleared and tested - no issue there. I'm 90% sure it's the gap evident in the white connector between the pipe and the drip tray.

[Stokesy]

I have no experience of the sunroofs on these however just looking at your photos if you are after a cheap fix could you not try putting a cable tie around the connector to get a better seal on the pipe?

[nutters_uclan]

On 07/09/2021 at 15:17, Stokesy said:

I have no experience of the sunroofs on these however just looking at your photos if you are after a cheap fix could you not try putting a cable tie around the connector to get a better seal on the pipe?

I've reglued the pipe so it fills the connector and sealed both sides with a little silicon.

 

I think the problem with your suggestion might be that the pressure of the cable tie could be uneven, forcing the connector into an oval shape and creating potential gaps.