Help! Wet pollen filter

[teamt84]

Morning all,

 

Last couple of days I've noticed the windscreen has condensation on passengers side in the morning. New problem as never done it before even in the depth of winter. I checked the carpets and all dry but right up behind the glove box is damp, also removed pollen filter and the left side of it is sodden. Evidently water is getting in there somehow, any suggestions? 

 

Looking through the plastic trim on the scuttle it doesn't appear to be full of either water or leaves blocking what I assume are the drain holes (great big openings either side) etc. but not sure where those drains exit, is it possible they're blocked lower down causing it to back up and enter the filter housing? Usually drains like that exit around the wheel arch area I think.

 

Any help would be greatly appreciated so I can rectify this early on before it gets worse in there.

 

Cheers

 

Edit: Car is a 2017 VRS TDi hatchback no sunroof.

Edited 5 October, 2021 by teamt84

[varaderoguy]

This suggests to me that water is getting into the airbox.  I am sure there should be a drain at the bottom of the air-intake....make sure this isn't blocked.

 

Option b) - you've got an issue with the heater matrix that is leaking.  What's your coolant tank doing?  Is it low or emptying?

[teamt84]

Coolant level hasn't changed so fairly confident it's a rainwater issue.  

 

I've tried finding some kind of guide or at least location of drains online but not managed to find anything for the mk3, other than sunroof drains which I won't have. Unless anyone has any ideas where the drains are I'll just have to try removing the plastic scuttle cover and scramble around underneath and hope I can see something to unblock. 

 

[Breezy_Pete]

Scuttle area drain exits tend to be behind the front wheel arch plastic liners on models I'm familiar with, which doesn't include yours unfortunately.

 

 

[teamt84]

So a quick inspection on my lunch break and it turns out there is no complicated, potentially blockable drains as such. Just open holes in the scuttle and the water just empties out into the entirety of the wheel arch.

 

So I'm still none the wiser as to how water has managed to get into my pollen filter. The scuttle area looks dry and clean, the filter housing itself is dry and clean and the carpet in the passenger footwell is dry, just the area immediately around the filter housing is damp to the touch but not soaking wet.

 

I've replaced the pollen filter and will just have to keep checking to see if this is some random event with no clear explanation (to me) or if there's a bigger issue here such as windscreen leaking and the water dripping into the filter housing or some other unknown leak in that area.

Again, if anyone has any ideas or suggestions I'm all ears.

Cheers

[teamt84]

Update.

 

I carried out a simple experiment yesterday and when I got home from work I removed the glovebox and pollen filter (which was dry still, despite driving home through rain and air con running to try and dry car interior) and placed paper towel above, inside and all around the pollen filter housing. After a ridiculous amount of rain last night all paper towels were bone dry. This has made me doubt the notion that the windscreen is leaking around there as if it was going to it would of almost certainly done so after the sustained period of heavy rain we had last night.

 

I found a small flap/inspection panel in the carpet not far from the passenger seat and lifted this up to find the underfoot/sound deadening underneath the carpet is quite wet. The drivers side is damp but no where near as wet as the passengers side. I'm going to have to try and dry this out as best as possible before I can tell if the leak is persisting or was a one off event.

 

I'm wondering if anyone has any further information on the following:

 

1) I've read somewhere about various versions of Skodas and VW group having the rear wash pipework running along the passenger side, is this true? If so, while my car was in for service/fuel filter last week they "unblocked" the rear wash as it was blocked (again) to the point of not working (something I've just got so used to I don't even unblock and use it anymore).Anyway, could it be possible in the process they may have caused a joint in the pipework to open allowing the water under the carpet?Maybe if they power flushed it or forced air down it. It's a long shot I know but thinking of any possibility.

 

2) Does anyone know where the AC condensation drain pipe is located? Possibility if this has become blocked or damaged that its causing a leak into the cockpit.

 

3) Any other suggestions as to what has or is causing this as I really don't want to have to take it to Skoda for them to charge me a fortune but I need to find a solution.

 

Thanks in advance.

[J.R.]

Look on 7zap or similar for a parts list illustration for the screen washer system and you will probably see that the pipes have a joiner under the dashboard, I seem to recall seeing one there on my Yeti when I had the dashboard removed.

 

Or it may have been a dream!!!!

[cheezemonkhai]

It’s possible that there was a leaf buildup in the drains. If you let it run freely out you may have cleared it.

 

Also check the seals on the door carriers as that could explain damp carpets.

[bigjohn]

5 hours ago, teamt84 said:

 

2) Does anyone know where the AC condensation drain pipe is located? Possibility if this has become blocked or damaged that its causing a leak into the cockpit.

 

 

Not fully sure with the mkIII Octavia but many RHD Skoda models have the air con condensate drain behind the clutch footrest.

[teamt84]

Thanks everyone,

 

First things first I'll get it on the ramp at lunchtime and remove the under tray and see if I can a) see any reason the scuttle water might not be fully draining away and b)see if I can find the exit point for the A/C drain pipe, although if it's on the drivers side that wouldn't really explain the issue being worse on passenger side. Failing that I'll try removing some interior trim to see if I can both get the carpet lifted to help dry underneath and see if I can locate the rear wash pipework.

[TheClient]

If it were me, I would first remove the inner front wheel arch liner and maybe scuttle (may need wiper pullers) as a first step, and clean out the crud and go from there.

[J.R.]

Why remove undertrays or wheelarch liners when you can simply clear and rod the drain holes from above with a straightened wire coathanger?

 

If your toilet blocks do you go straight to digging up the garden or start at the WC pan?

[TheClient]

Ha ha. Well. If  it's blocked further down the line, no amount of rodding will fix it where you're working. 

 

Edit. It would confirm there is no possibility of scuttle drainage being a problem. Ps. Have you ever seen the inner liner to sill junction after a few years? Potatoes grow in there. I've save 2x5kg bags by harvesting.  

Edited 7 October, 2021 by TheClient

[J.R.]

Yes, I have had the wheelarch liners off of all my last 3 Skodas.

 

I should not really have used the verb rod, normally its a case of dragging away the detritus with the wire, pouring some water down to make sure that it drains, perhaps helping it on its way with a little probing.

[cheezemonkhai]

Tbh I would remove the screws at the rear only the front liners and pull put the leaf build up. I’d then flush it through from the top with some water check it flows then put the archliner screws back.

 

Even if it’s not that it’s a good place to start and good general maintenance.