Water dripping from pollen filter

[logiclee]

Just noticed water dripping from pollen filter housing.

 

Removed pollen filter and it's wet and also leaves and debris in housing.

 

So It looks like I'll have some blocked drains.

 

Anyone have any tips on how to remove the scuttle plate and where the drains are?

[nta16]

Lift the bonnet and pull away the rubber seal just in front of the plastic cover below the windscreen, I'm not sure how it fully comes off but that should give you enough room to at least see if there's blockage there.

 

Also check the a/c drain in case it's blocked and leaves and debris aren't the cause or only cause.

 

Let us know how you get on (and me how to fully remove the cover).

 

[logiclee]

28 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Lift the bonnet and pull away the rubber seal just in front of the plastic cover below the windscreen, I'm not sure how it fully comes off but that should give you enough room to at least see if there's blockage there.

 

Also check the a/c drain in case it's blocked and leaves and debris aren't the cause or only cause.

 

Let us know how you get on (and me how to fully remove the cover).

 

 

Thanks for the advice, do you know where the aircon drain is?

[rum4mo]

The AC condensate drain is located on the engine side of the bulkhead "well down towards the centre from the LHS" but it is covered by the sound proofing which makes things a bit tricky to uncover/reveal. Normal when it chokes the water drain to the inside of the car but probably not via the pollen filter.

 

I'm sure that I've looked at this on a same age Polo, and the rearmost edge of the water deflector slides into and grips under the windscreen area, one way to remove that side is to use a loop made of a cable tie and loop it over one end/side and pull from same the RHS to the centre and repeat that form the LHS - I've not bother to put that to the test, if the Fabia is the same as the Polo I don't know but I'd image it would be, so I've just forced a hand and arm under that cover if and when I've had to. We garage our cars so not much ends up down there, but anyone that parks their car outside and near trees hedges etc should check that area once a year and cleared of any nasty stuff.

[nta16]

No sorry I don't and I might have given you a bum steer there as I can't find it only a valve (which I'd have thought would lead to a drain passage/tube(?)) perhaps forget that and cross that bridge if you come to it as I'd guess the exit is under the car too.  Just seen run4mo's post and my guess would have been just r/h/s of centre width line of car but sheer guess that could well be wrong.

 

Thinking about it you'd probably have to remove the wiper arm(s) to get the plastic cover off but there enough flex to get in there, employee a small child if need be.

 

I've never cleared the drain channels on the Fabia as although it permanently sits outside it's rarely under trees, if it's like others I've done care, time and patience pays, doesn't have to be a lot of time or patience but not rush or Billy-big-*******s look how clever I am in how fast I can do this (not always very well or balls something up).

 

If you can sort it and post photos we'll all know for future reference.

 

Why these things are so top secret is always beyond me, should be in the Driver's Handbook.

 

VAG are just so full of secrets!  😁

 

Edited 22 October, 2021 by nta16

[logiclee]

I've had a quick look with a torch tonight and you can clearly see where the fan is and it drops straight down into the pollen filter which was clogged with leaves and water on the intake side so I'm sure it's the scuttle drains.

 

I'll have a play tomorrow when it's light. 

 

Yes the wipers will have to come off but there maybe enough clearance for a clean out without full removal, I'll have a look.

 

The car came with full dealer history bought at 3 years old but this has never had a pollen filter change. Ordered one to be delivered tomorrow.

 

This completes the trio.

 

Our Octavia had the well documented boot leak which is now resolved by modifying the boot rubber.

 

Our Yeti had the sunroof leak and that required a new cassette at a cost of £2400, luckily picked up by the dealer

 

And now the Fabia has a wet footwell.

Edited 22 October, 2021 by logiclee

[Breezy_Pete]

Access to the exit of the scuttle drain on pollen filter side is almost certainly just behind the rear half of the NSF wheel arch liner.

You'd be able to scoop out blockage with a screwdriver or similar; if you prefer taking a wheel off and a bunch of torx fasteners holding the plastic on, rather than going in from above. This is on a mk1:

Edited 22 October, 2021 by Wino

[logiclee]

10 minutes ago, Wino said:

Access to the exit of the scuttle drain on pollen filter side is almost certainly just behind the rear half of the NSF wheel arch liner.

You'd be able to scoop out blockage with a screwdriver or similar; if you prefer taking a wheel off and a bunch of torx fasteners holding the plastic on, rather than going in from above. This is on a mk1:

 

 

 

Yep that could be plan B thanks.

[logiclee]

Plan C

 

I have one of these at work.

 

https://www.dewalt.co.uk/products/dct410d1-gb--12v-xr-inspection-camera-1-x-2ah

[nta16]

Sounds like logiclee, if lucky, may only need to grab stuff from above the filter and a quick look on my wife's car I can see the blower wheel and fresh air flap fully open and you could get an adult arm, and half a tree trunk, down there without removing wiper arm, but if the wiper arm comes off easily then fine, note its position before removal.

 

Personally I'd leave the present filter installed and get a vacuum cleaner hose or crevice tool in there to get out as much as possible first, I've no idea where the drain channel or tube goes after that.

 

Always a good idea to check and clear the exist first but as I hurt my back removing the front wheel because of the stupid design of bolts instead of wheel studs do use two screw-in studs to take the weight of the wheel and locate it on removal and replacement.

 

Once there's some reasonable clearance of blockage top and bottom I add small amounts of very warm water with a funnel and directing hose to loosen and transit any small muck, crud, grit, small debris and then poke around top and bottom again, more very warm water and so on until clear.  Add small amounts of water each time and check it's exiting where it should overwise you're just topping up the spillage.

 

Flexible semi-stiff pliable rods or wires with rounded-ends to save scratching and damage or rounded open ends to hook out blockage, anything to part the blockage and put holes through it without compacting it more or hook it out.

 

Easier for me to do than describe! 😁

 

Edited 23 October, 2021 by nta16
replace word it with wiper arm to make clearer

[nta16]

18 minutes ago, logiclee said:

Plan C

 

I have one of these at work.

 

https://www.dewalt.co.uk/products/dct410d1-gb--12v-xr-inspection-camera-1-x-2ah

Might be a bit big, but I don't know, and you wouldn't want it to get stuck or force any blockage to be more compacted.

 

If you could unscrew the camera and union ends the flexi might be of some use after using thinner stuff, or to put a hook on one end.  🙂

 

Edited 22 October, 2021 by nta16

[logiclee]

So in the light of day.

 

Scuttle drains are all clear, 

 

You can pull off the rubber and lift the plastic up high enough to get your hands in without removing the wipers.

 

Time to go for a run with and without aircon to check if the aircon drains are at fault. 

 

The water coming in is clear and tasteless and the coolant level is fine so I doubt it's from the heater matrix.

[nta16]

2 hours ago, logiclee said:

Scuttle drains are all clear, 

Good job you didn't bet your house on it being the scuttle drains (joke for a (possible) viewer).

 

 

2 hours ago, logiclee said:

The water coming in is clear and tasteless and the coolant level is fine so I doubt it's from the heater matrix.

Yeah I used to do things like taste tests but now I'm a lot more cautious, certainly I'm older and perhaps a little wiser.

 

[logiclee]

1 minute ago, nta16 said:

 

Yeah I used to do things like taste tests but now I'm a lot more cautious, certainly I'm older and perhaps a little wiser.

 

 

 

Well I know it's not bodily fluids. It wasn't pink or greasy, and crystal clear (Rubber mats)

 

One dab on the tongue of antifreeze won't kill you but it doesn't taste very nice.  

 

I had one of the first MQB Octavia's and that did dump coolant in the passenger footwell from a cracked heater matrix pipe.  That was easily detectable with a finger rub and taste test.

 

As the Fabia is still under warranty and the condensate drain involves several different fittings and a valve it looks like a trip to the dealers.

 

We've had 14 Skoda's and the last 4 have ended up with soggy carpets.

[nta16]

I shudder to think what bodily fluids are pink and greasy.  😬

 

It's not so much the fluid as what it might have flowed through and picked up on the way, but I'm all for building up the immune system generally.

 

Used to be matrix coolant type leaks would put a slight opaque mist to the screen and perhaps smell if the heater was on but now with a/c perhaps not as noticeable.

 

We've had cars with drainage issues and my wife's previous car in particular had unusual drainage route and a 'water ingress' issue that was commonly misunderstood and simple to prevent and sort once the correct information was known rather than the common misconception.

 

I also know well how much water the soundproofing can hold and how long it take to fully dry it out and seen why you don't want to leave things to fester.

 

Let us know how you get on.