Hi everyone,

Skoda Superb combi 2014 - Diesel 125kw - 4x4 - No Sunroof

 

Starting this winter (no accidents or repairs), and only when it rains very hard, I have been noticing that the driver side (in my case left hand drive) A pillar trim was getting very wet to the touch, the outer fabric dripping with water. Now car starting to smell like mold.

Sometimes a couple drops of water will be located on driver seat which would indicate that some water is getting under the headliner. Strangely the headliner is never wet to the touch. I do not know where to start since removing the A pillar trim is quite difficult without specialised tools, and I do not want to damage the airbag.

Please note that this car is not equipped with sun-roof.

 

I can see only 3 possible sources of water (see attached pictures):

1. Roof bars bolt holes: I have used a box with heavy loads in the past, can the bolts or seals be loose? Feels sold to the touch (red on pic)

2. Windshield seal issue (yellow on pic)

3. rubber seals between side and roof panel (blue on pic)

 

I added a picture of a rust spot that I just located at the top of windshield/roof, but this is about 40cm from the corner of the windshield so i think it is unlikely that this is the cause. Maybe I can rule that one out by putting a bit of silicone on it as a temp fix!

 

If someone can give me some advice on how to troubleshoot or possibly point me to some other posts where someone had similar trouble?

Otherwise dealer will charge an arm and a leg to take apart the trim and try to locate leak.

 

Thanks!
Christian

Edited 23 May, 20242 yr by cglchristian

I'd be pretty certain that will be the windscreen seal that has started to harden and unstuck somewhere.  We had similar on our Fabia estate and Octavia 4x4.

 

You can check by sticking electrical insulation tape around the top and sides of the screen between the screen and bodywork to see if the water ingress stops.  If it does just seal the windscreen to the body again using polysulphide sealant over the top of the original.

52 minutes ago, skomaz said:

just seal the windscreen to the body again using polysulphide sealant over the top of the original.

 

Thanks Skomaz. Can you point me to an example of appropriate sealant? Seems like some people are recommending this product, but seems only sold in north America:

https://www.permatex.com/products/adhesives-and-sealants/adhesives-sealant/permatex-flowable-silicone-windshield-glass-sealer-1-5-oz/

Thx.

C.

Autodoc, ebay, amazon, any online. Motor Factors, nothing is North America only in this Global Economy. 

If there is a product someplace others have it, or copy it.

 

I doubt that is a polysulphide screen bonding compound, flowable sealants have their uses on older traditional wrap round windscreen sealing rubbers that seal against the glass on on part of the cross section and the bodywork flange on the other but I doubt will be effective with a broken down bonded screen joint, that said the correct compound should be used after removing the screen, removing all traces of the old sealant from the screen and bodywork, cleaning and preparing the joint, putting it around the existing leaking compound is like using a band aid but it does stick like **** to a blanket if the area is properly prepared.

 

A flowable sealant if they even do what is said on the tin will be trying to seal a capilliary gap full of road dirt and damp.

3 hours ago, cglchristian said:

 

Thanks Skomaz. Can you point me to an example of appropriate sealant? Seems like some people are recommending this product, but seems only sold in north America:

https://www.permatex.com/products/adhesives-and-sealants/adhesives-sealant/permatex-flowable-silicone-windshield-glass-sealer-1-5-oz/

Thx.

C.

 

When I did our I used black Tiger Seal - available from most good car accessory places (Halfords link below for info only!)

 

Tigerseal Black 310ml | Halfords UK

 

I cleaned the gap between the body and windscreen thoroughly with and let it dry, then masked off the roof on the bodywork and the surface of the windscreen with masking tape leaving the gap between them exposed to be filled.  The gap was then filled with Tiger Seal and smoothed off prior to removing the masking tape.

 

This was done round the upper edge and sides of the screen.

Hi, 

@cglchristian did you manage to solve the issue ? I'm having the same problem and can't seem to find the source of the leak.

I bet it’s the windscreen, it will have came unbonded.

the A trim pillar is easy to get off.

I put a hose pipe on roof and left it running to see.

After that I discovered I could actually push the screen up slightly from inside 

 

For now I think I found the culprit to be the seal between the roof and the roof rails. No water seemed to enter the cabin when I poured water on the windscreen on the top or on the side, but as soon as I poured water from the back of the roof rail attachment point I saw water drops at the pillar. Looks like its headliner off for me 😕

I recently had the same issue - Windscreen seal had gone.
In order to trace the leak, I had to drop the roof liner to check the rail bolt holes etc... I took the opportunity to dye the liner (and all other boring beige/grey fabrics) black.
Did the same with all the plastics, swapped the grab handles & visors for Audi A4 ones etc.

Hardest part of the job is getting the grab handles off, as the annoying little plastic wedges that lock them into place are a right ballache to remove.

 

Turns the interior into a much more (IMO) classy/sporty 'S-Line' or 'VRS' looking trim level.

@Zukabak cool! Would love to see some photos of the interior after the upgrade !

Could be the sunroof drain leaking, was on mine and has leaked for years but last year it got worse and flooded the inside of the car.

I found the right angles drain connector had come off and was somehow now too short to re connect, I extended it with some garden hose and self amalgamating tape. been dry now for 6 months.

Over the years i had tried all the normal "fixes" captain trolleys etc.

 

Definitely not the sunroof drain in my situation, the car doesnt have a sunroof. Still mustering up the courage to take off the headliner 🤣

On 16/02/2025 at 14:44, superbdreams said:

Could be the sunroof drain leaking, was on mine and has leaked for years but last year it got worse and flooded the inside of the car.

I found the right angles drain connector had come off and was somehow now too short to re connect, I extended it with some garden hose and self amalgamating tape. been dry now for 6 months.

Over the years i had tried all the normal "fixes" captain trolleys etc.

 

That is a common problem that all these VAG sunroof tubes have: They tend to shorten over time... Normally they replace the complete tube by new ones, but your fix (if long-term watertight) may be a solution as well.