I did ask if anyone knew why/how I was getting water into my passenger side - the carpet was soggy after rain. I had various suggestions but nothing helped.

Id ended up driving round with a washing bowl stuck on the floor! Anyway, last Sunday I forgot all about the problem as it hadnt rained for a long time and yep, I went through a car wash - well torrents of water came in the car, overfilled the washing bowl and I had to sit there like a lemon until the car wash finished.

SO, yesterday I went to a main dealer and having flapped about a bit in a middle aged womanly way and asked about the new Fabia and got added to their invitation list for the launch (LOL), I casually mentioned the only disappointment I had with my current Fabia was this water entering the passenger side well.

Within 20 minutes it was fixed without charge! The mechanic opened the bonnet, leaned over the engine and fiddled about for a rubber "plug" - you cant see this thing, its under the windscreen but not in view. He wriggled about and suddenly I heard a gush of water which went all over the forecourt. He showed me the offending plug, said its a design fault, the tiny slot in it quickly gets bunged up particularly if you park near trees (leaves falling). I said do I have to replace that plug thing now and he said nope, best thing to do with it is throw it away.

So now at last no water bowl. And if anyone else is having the prob, I hope this may help you.

It would've been more fun just to go on the Ripsaw at Alton Towers

Where abouts under the windscreen was it? Have you got a picture of the offending item?

Oh dear, getting techi now. Its a rubber thing quite chunky, the guy lent over the engine, put his hand under the right hand side under the ledge that sticks out from the windscreen and just tugged it about. Its grey rubber with a slim slot in it (mine was full of gunge, like rotting leaves!)

Unfortunatly I still don't understand where this thing is supposed to be. I've looked under the bonnet but cant see/feel anything remotely like it. Anyone else out there had the same problem that can give a better indication of where this thing is?

Oh dear, getting techi now. Its a rubber thing quite chunky, the guy lent over the engine, put his hand under the right hand side under the ledge that sticks out from the windscreen and just tugged it about. Its grey rubber with a slim slot in it (mine was full of gunge, like rotting leaves!)

I'm checking mine the second I get home.

Likewise, I would love to find exactly where these things are, I've looked about the engine bay at the back and can't find anything that looks remotely tube/plug like.

would've been quicker to just drill a hole in the floor!! always worked on a mini!!

i actually think it's very modern to have a water feature!!

Well, I've just looked all over my car, (a 51 plate / 2002 MPI 1.4 8V) and I can't for the life of me find any such pipes. I've run my hands all around those areas, na-da.

Nothing remotely resembling rubber pipes. Lots of electrical bundles, but that's about it. Indeed, all of the cladding seems to conform to the bay.

In desperation to locate them, I emptied a half watering can of water into the wiper area. All of the water seemed to pour out down the back of the front wheel arch liners and drained onto the garage floor at the rear of the front wheels by the sills.

Puzzled.

Hi guys, sorry, had to go away for a while - ill rellie.

Its not a pipe people, it like an floppy oblong box - its underneath the "engine bulkhead" my other half just told me.

Ive just gone to retrieve the thing from my glove compartment so I can try to describe it - with a bit of luck, Ill try to take a photo if one of my sons will do it for me!

The mechanic referred to it as a "plug" - its oblong and I suppose it looks like a small open letter box made of flexible rubber about what 2" or more long. There are two angled inner flaps with a slot going right across which is supposed to let the water through but gets blocked. Mine had thick slimey rotting leaves or something blocking it. It was on the passenger side but towards the middle of the windowscreen. The mechanic did fiddle about under there on the driver side but then said, No, theres only one.

Sorry Im not being very helpful. Its so nice to have a drying out carpet at long last! I hope a pic helps.

Known in the trade as a plenum chamber drain. Gets blocked with debris especially leaves. The sides of the plastic cover should be cleaned periodically (is part of an inspection service) to insure they dont get blocked.

Rain water collects in the plenum area, if the drains are blocked it cant escape and enters the vehicle.

ImageShack - Hosting :: dscf0164ak0.jpg

Sorry guys for some reason this site isnt letting me add the pic of it - the link above should work, if not, if anyone wants to have a pic, can you pm me on here and Ill send you it. As I said, this guy couldnt actually see it himself when I was watching him, he just lent over and put his hand underneath and fiddled to get it off.

In the pic you cant even see the slot as its so narrow.

Im nudging this in case anyone wants to look at the pic.

Would be good to see a pic of its rough location on the car.

Not far from where the a/c and heater matrix pipe come through the bulkhead at the back of the engine.

Righto, I'll take a look. Is it on the engine side of the bulkhead or do you have to remove the scuttle tray to get to it?

Engine side.

Im glad Lummox knows how to describe it. The water did seem to pour out of and behind the heater.

But for my pennysworth - nothing was removed by the mechanic to get to it ,he just leant over and stuck his hand underneath and wriggled this thing off - it took seconds. He then told me best thing was to throw it away.

So far, lovely dry carpet passenger side!

As you look at the car from th e front it is on the right hand side under wipers. There is a rubber flap that you canpush and it will release water.

Ingress is from between the bulkheads through the flapthat opens to let in fresh air. I cleared mine by removing the black plastic cover between windscreen and the bonnet, however I found it would have been far easier to just poke around beneath the scond bulkhead.